Validation for picking Christian Eriksen
While it’s true that Eriksen hasn’t performed at his best for most of the season, there is no substitute for his passing genius and match-winning ability.
We’ve had the pleasure of repeatedly witnessing Eriksen single-handedly, and at the death, turn probable draws into certain victories. Does his late winner last season away to Crystal Palace ring a bell, or how about his goal at Wembley against Inter with 10 minutes to go in a must-win Champions League group game?
If you can’t recall those, what about his decisive goal against Brighton in the 88th minute, ensuring the tightest of victories against the relegation-threatened side?
He also scored a stoppage-time winner against Burnley in December at Wembley, further reinforcing Pochettino’s just selection.
Remember, Tottenham only finished a point ahead of Arsenal for fourth place and a guaranteed berth in the 2019-20 Champions League. Without the great Dane we might be facing the ominous proposition of going to places like Baku on Thursday evenings.