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The Tottenham team that should start against Forest in the EFL Cup

By Aaron Coe

Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (L) scores his team's first goal past Liverpool's French defender Ibrahima Konate (R) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 6, 2022. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (L) scores his team's first goal past Liverpool's French defender Ibrahima Konate (R) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 6, 2022. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images) /
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NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: Antonio Conte the manager / head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and Yves Bissouma of Tottenham Hotspur at full time of the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur at City Ground on August 28, 2022 in Nottingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – AUGUST 28: Antonio Conte the manager / head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and Yves Bissouma of Tottenham Hotspur at full time of the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur at City Ground on August 28, 2022 in Nottingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images) /

Projecting the Tottenham Midfield

With just two forwards, Tottenham will again line up with five across the midfield, including three central midfielders.

Left-wing-back – Ryan Sessegnon

Given that Perisic starting next to Kane, Sessegnon gets the nod at left wing-back. Sessegnon served as the primary long-ball outlet against Liverpool, and it will be interesting to see if Forest allows the same diagonal balls and, if so, if Sessegnon can do more with them. Spurs need Sessegnon to kick on, now is a good time to start.

Central-midfield – Oliver Skipp

We expect a little rotation on Wednesday, with Skipp being one of the main beneficiaries. A starter most of last season, Skipp has yet to regain his form or position from before his season-ending injury. The more Spurs play with three central midfielders, the more we will see Skipp in the rotation, which is good for his and the team’s development.

Central-midfield – Yves Bissouma

We got to see what Yves Bissouma is all about versus Liverpool, as he worked tirelessly to recover possession and keep the Reds pinned in. While his passing was excellent from a statistical perspective, he can be better in the final third and hopefully will be against Forest as he gets minutes and gets comfortable in Conte’s system.

Central-midfield – Rodrigo Bentancur

Much like Kane would be starting from the bench in the perfect world, so would both Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre Hojbjerg. Perhaps if Gil or Moura can start and Spurs play with three in the front, both Bentancur and Hojbjerg will get some rest. However, that seems unlikely given Conte’s track record, so we have Hojbjerg out, given he is a bit more banged up, although Bentancur deserves a nice break.

Right-wing-back – Matt Doherty

Emerson Royal started against Liverpool, so it seems like it is Matt Doherty’s time in the rotation. While many would like to see Djed Spence, listening to Stellini, it did not sound like this was going to be the time, so we went with Doherty. Matt has been serviceable but hasn’t separated himself from Royal, and Spurs desperately need one of the two to be productive.

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