Tottenham Hotspur will battle Leeds United on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League in a battle between 9th and 12th. Whereas Leeds have slipped in recent weeks, including losing 2-0 to Bournemouth this past weekend upon Spurs transfer target Eli Junior Kroupi's return, the Lilywhites have been on the rise and are coming off three straight wins, including another 2-0 victory over a London rival (this time Crystal Palace).
Kroupi is becoming an even bigger dream transfer target for Spurs in light of how poorly starting striker Dominic Solanke is playing. Even though Tottenham were lights out dominant against Palace last weekend, they only scored two goals, both courtesy of starting defenders, and Solanke was literally the only player in the starting 11 who did not have a great - or even just plain good - game.
Roberto De Zerbi has always said he is a big fan of Solanke, but even his faith has its limits in a player who is neither scoring goals nor doing enough to help his teammates score goals. This game against Leeds United could be Solanke's last straw in the starting lineup, if De Zerbi does not already roll with Omar Marmoush as the and James Maddison as the 10, which was indeed the formula when Tottenham Hotspur finally defeated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a couple of weeks ago.
Dominic Solanke could take himself out of starting contention entirely
If Dominic Solanke starts and flops against a tough Leeds back three that includes one of the best center backs in the league in Tarik Muharemovic, a former Tottenham transfer target earlier this year, then that might be a definitive statement to Roberto De Zerbi before the November international break. It may even be his last start for Tottenham, because Dejan Kulusevski can become a false nine option to spell Marmoush until the Lilywhites look for one of Eli Junior Kroupi or even Victor Osimhen in the winter transfer window.
Alternatively, there is a better path for Solanke off the bench, because even though he would not be in the starting 11, the England international would still figure to play and be one of the first names called. And against a softer Leeds defense after an hour or so of play, Solanke could get more chances to fall to him, especially if he shows more fervor in the box. And maybe a role off the bench is better for Solanke, just like it was for Conor Gallagher.
Saturday's game against Leeds could tell Roberto De Zerbi just a little bit more about where Solanke stands, depending on how he does as either a starter or in a backup role to Omar Marmoush.
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