Projected XI for Tottenham Hotspur at Burnley in Premier League
By Aaron Coe
Tottenham Hotspur are back in action Monday evening at Turf Moor to face Burnley in the Premier League, here is who we think will start the action for Spurs.
Jose Mourinho as a few decisions to make about his squad as Tottenham Hotspur prepare to take on Burnley at Turf Moor, such as who will sit next to Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and who will start across the back line. Other positions, such as those for red hot Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son are kind of known. So, with an opportunity to get within shouting distance of first place on the line, who will Jose Mourinho start and who will he hold in reserve.
Spurs Goalkeepers and defenders
Hugo Lloris (GK) – Joe Hart may have earned the first shutout of the season for Tottenham midweek, but the job is Hugo Lloris’ to lose. The club captain has been in decent form thus far in the campaign and will be looking to get his own first shutout of the season against a Burnley side struggling to find the goal.
Serge Aurier (RB) – Like Hart, Matt Doherty was excellent midweek in Europe, but now it is Serge Aurier’s turn to play and with Toby Alderweireld starting next to him, having the extra pace is a plus for Spurs. Aurier has been playing well himself, as one of only four Spurs with both a goal and an assist already in this early stage of the season. Expect these two to flip flop all year and Tottenham to benefit.
Toby Alderweireld (CB) – After sitting out midweek in Europe Toby Alderweireld is back in the starting line-up for this Premier League match-up. Mourinho is still working to determine his best back line unit and Alderweireld is still one of the best. His pace has never been great, but his positional awareness and no-nonsense approach to defending are usually sound.
Eric Dier (CB) – Eric Dier has missed the last two matches after picking up a knock while on international duty with England. Now back in contention, as the best left-sided center half not named Alderweireld on the team, Dier gets the nod here. While I would understand of Joe Rodon got the call, more likely than not Rodon is on the bench for this one, just in case; then he starts next week after more time to settle into the squad.
Ben Davies (LB) – Both Ben Davies and Sergio Reguilón played midweek, with the Spaniard playing as the fullback and Davies playing the left-sided center half. Both played well, but this would make three straight for Sergio, so Ben Davies gets the call with Reguilón or Doherty on the bench and the other being left home.
Tottenham Midfielders
Moussa Sissoko (CM) – Winks started midweek in Europe, so it is Moussa Sissoko’s turn in the rotation here. Sissoko has been the better of the two thus far in the season and Wink’s could use a confidence boost, but he is likely going to have to wait until Thursday as we have Winks completely out of the Monday Burnley squad. It is possible, like it was midweek with Ben Davies, that Jose pulls a wildcard and plays one of his more attack minded midfielders like Dele Alli or Giovani Lo Celso next to Højbjerg, but the odds are on Sissoko holding the spot.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (CM) – Højbjerg continues to show his versatility with the team. After performing a couple pirouettes on the ball midweek, the Dane will be back to his hard-tackling self, come Monday night. The shot to the head in the victory over LASK could not keep him out of that match, so no reason for it to keep him out here. Because of Højbjerg the front three can really be a front four.
Tanguy Ndombele (CAM) – Ndombele sat out midweek in Europe as Erik Lamela sat in the hole. Although we did see Giovani Lo Celso, with the Argentine still working his way back from another injury, he is likely to feature as a substitute for Ndombele or Sissoko, not as a starter. Ndombele has been terrific this season, demonstrating both a good work rate and a wide range of passing and dribbling skills. While there will be a time when we get both Ndombele and Lo Celso together, however I am not sure we are there yet.
Hotspur Forwards
Son Heung-Min (LW) – Heung-Min Son continues to shine for Tottenham. He made a cameo midweek and added the third goal in the victory over LASK. Son has been scoring for fun of late in the league, mostly thanks to wonderful Kane set-ups, but you still must finish the job and Son has been doing it wonderfully thus far this season.
Harry Kane (ST) – Maybe we see Vinicius play, maybe. The reality is this is Harry Kane’s team, Lloris is the captain, Mourinho is the coach, but the team is Kane’s and Spurs will only go as far as their talisman takes them. Kane starts against Burnley after a nice evening off midweek. Kane should be sharp, will hopefully score early and often and then make way so Vinicius can continue to develop.
Lucas Moura (RW) – Gareth Bale started midweek and Moura came on, given there is no need to rush Bale, it makes sense to have Moura make one more start in the League before he cedes his starting XI spot to the Welshman. Moura has been decent enough for Spurs thus far this term, with three goals and an assist. His pressure defensively and willingness to make runs – even when not getting the ball – creates space and opportunity for others and adds value.
Tottenham Bench
After fielding essentially, the entire roster in Europa League with the 12-man bench, it is back to the traditional 7-man bench for the Premier League. This means Jose Mourinho must be intentional and some players and big names will be left out as a result.
You must have a back-up keeper, so Joe Hart is in the mix, likewise you need at least one center-half and one fullback on the bench. It is likely that Joe Rodon gets named to his first squad here, as Sanchez has played the most minutes on the team thus far and could use the rest. The other spot is likely Matt Doherty, although Sergio Reguilón could get that call. Regardless three of the seven spots are gone.
We know Bale will be on the bench as will Vinicius, so we have two attacking substitutes, which leaves the midfield and bench to consider. Giovani Lo Celso needs minutes, so he makes the squad and Steven Bergwijn gets the last slot after not playing at all midweek. This means it is likely that either Doherty or Reguilón, along with Dele, Lamela, and Winks all miss out on the match.
Again, a deep bench and likely some hurt feelings, but such is life when you are trying to get to the top of your field. What do you think, does this look the team Jose will roll out, or are we in for a few more surprises?