Tottenham travels across north London to face Arsenal, kicking off a new weekend of Premier League action; expect changes to Spurs starting 11 for the Gunners.
International breaks always bring the possibility of injury, and last season Tottenham Hotspur was hit hard. Following the first international break last year, Heung-min Son and all of Spurs’ South American contingent were unavailable, leading Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham into a tailspin, for which the Portuguese gaffer had no answer. Although things are not nearly as bad following the first international break of this season, injuries are again afoot. That likely means changes to the Tottenham line-up and even formation, as Spurs want to kick off on a right foot after the break.
Spurs projected starting forwards
With Dejan Kulusevski the seemingly big casualty from the international break, and Lucas Moura still not available, the depth at striker, a strength of the team, is lacking heading into the Emirates. As a result, expect Conte to shift and only play with two forwards. The idea is this still allows Richarlison to come off the bench as an impact substitute in the second half versus having no real firepower available if you start three forwards.
Forward – Harry Kane
Of course, one of the two forwards starting for Spurs will be Harry Kane. Although Kane and his English team did not have the best break, our talisman is still in good form and will lead the line against our arch-nemesis. With 13 goals and three assists in 17 career games against Arsenal, we should expect Kane to be at the top of his game.
Forward – Heung-min Son
Speaking of being on the top of their game, after his slow start to the season, Heung-min Son has found his form and has five goals in his last three matches, if you include his two on international duty. The point is Son has again found his top gear, and it could not come at a more perfect time.
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.
Projected Spurs Defense and Full XI
There are few defensive surprises for Spurs as Tottenham sticks with a back three.
Left-back – Clement Lenglet
It has been a few weeks for regular starter Ben Davies to recover; however, with the schedule ahead, it makes little sense to risk Davies back from a broken bone immediately. Thus far in his short Tottenham career, Clement Lenglet has shown he can be an effective defender and ball player in Conte’s system. Saturday presents his most significant challenge; expect the Frenchman to be ready.
Center-back – Eric Dier
Back with the national team and has played every minute of both matches, Eric Dier may be due some rest. However, with Arsenal on tap, expect Dier to be in the back leading the line. How well Dier can keep up with the movement of Gabriel Jesus could be one of the critical factors in this game.
Right-back – Cristian Romero
Seemingly recovered from an injury, Cristian Romero played a full 90 minutes in Argentina’s second friendly this past Tuesday. Having a fit and firing Romero will be vital for Spurs. If Romero can pocket Gabriel Martinelli, it will make things difficult for Arsenal. Expect Romero to come up big again his Brazilian counterpart.
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris
There were some worries at the start of the international break when Hugo Lloris returned to N17 following arriving at France camp with a knock. Lloris should be recovered and ready to go more than ten days later. While Fraser Forster is a capable stand-in should Lloris be unavailable, having their captain for a showdown like Arsenal is significant to the team?
Tottenham Full XI
So we have Tottenham coming out in a different formation than they have for any match this year, but sometimes the situation calls for a change, and now is such a time.
How do you think Tottenham will line up tomorrow to face the Gunners?