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Expect changes to the Tottenham starting 11 for Arsenal showdown

By Aaron Coe

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 14: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates with team mates after scoring their sides second goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on August 14, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 14: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates with team mates after scoring their sides second goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on August 14, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
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NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28:
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: /

Tottenham Midfield Projections

With only two forwards starting, Tottenham will flood the midfield, much like they did in the second half against Leicester City. Playing with five midfielders across the pitch will help clog up the areas where Arsenal likes to play.

Left-wing-back – Ivan Perisic

While I want to write the name Ryan Sessegnon here, with our 3-5-2 line-up projection, having a player that can get forward consistently like Ivan Perisic makes more sense than does start Sessegnon. Perisic took a little knock from teammate Pierre Hojbjerg during an international friendly, but the Croatian should be fit and fine for his first north London derby.

Central midfield – Rodrigo Bentancur

Whether Spurs play with two central midfielders or three, we are projecting we expect Rodrigo Bentancur in the starting team. Bentancur lacks flash but has plenty of shine as the smoothest of the operators in the Tottenham pivot.

Central midfield – Pierre Hojbjerg

Likely one of the first names on the sheet after Kane, Hojbjerg has been consistently strong in the midfield for Tottenham this season. Rarely does play get behind the Dane and his contribution going forward continues to grow. However, to be truly effective in the middle of a five-person midfield, Hojbjerg is going to have to maintain positional discipline/

Central midfield – Yves Bissouma

Like with the left wing-back, I would like to write the name Oliver Skipp down in this space, but having not played in the league since January, dropping Skippy into the middle of a derby does not seem logical. Instead, Yves Bissouma gets his second Tottenham start, having previously replaced Bentancur when the Urugariuan was unavailable. We all hope Saturday is Bissouma’s coming out party for Spurs.

Right-wing-back – Emerson Royal

Having had a couple of weeks to recover from the exertion of the start of the season, Emerson Royal should be back in the starting XI for Spurs. While some may want to see Perisic on the right or even Djed Spence, Royal is the most consistent of the lot defensively and has the athleticism to make life difficult for Arsenal’s left.

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