Ange Postecoglou and the Tottenham Hotspur team are aware that a loss to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday will send them on a four-game losing streak and jeopardise their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
Even though the season is still early and there are still plenty of teams vying for position, mistakes might still have a negative impact. Should Spurs suffer another Premier League defeat, it could drop them down to seventh place.
Injury-prone Giovani Lo Celso opened the score for Tottenham on Sunday in their home loss to Aston Villa, but the hosts had plenty of opportunities as well, taking 18 shots and scoring eight goals.
Although RB Leipzig showed earlier this week in the Champions League that they are not invincible, City is a difficult team. Postecoglou will continue to have the stoic belief that his team can spring into life with a thrilling performance.
There are plenty of absences, though, and the Australian boss may make four changes for the trip to Manchester.
1GK – Guglielmo Vicario
Thank heavens Guglielmo Vicario, who signed from Italian club Empoli for an initial £17 million in the summer after being called a “phenomenon” by Kosovo technical director Sami Ujkani, has remained steady in his availability and performance.
Only Alisson and Andre Onana have saved more shots in the Premier League this season than he has, according to FBref, so expect him to hold his own against the Sky Blues.
RB – Pedro Porro
Pedro Porro, who has already contributed three assists in the Premier League this season, will continue to play down the right channel, offering energy and supporting his offensive teammates up front.
Porro’s skill set is plotted on the graph, which demonstrates his exceptional attacking abilities in addition to his strong tackling and blocking stats.
To contain the quick-witted Jeremy Doku, the Spaniard will have to be at the top of his game, but he has the physicality to pull it off.
CB – Eric Dier
Despite making 362 appearances for Tottenham, Eric Dier has faded from prominence under Postecoglou’s direction after seeming dishonestly during his team’s unsuccessful season.
Postecoglou used four natural full-backs in the backline the last time out, but Dier’s expertise as a central defender will be needed against City. Dier ranks among the top 11% of positional peers for aerial duels won per 90, so his aerial defence experience will be crucial.
Given that the Brazilian won just one ground duel and did not make a tackle against Unai Emery’s team last week, Emerson Royal ought to be the one to be dropped.
CB – Ben Davies
Ben Davies, who has started three of the last four games in the top flight after missing the first nine games, has been able to accumulate some minutes thanks to Cristian Romero’s red card and Micky van de Ven’s hamstring injury.
According to Sofascore, the 30-year-old has been doing a pretty good job filling in at center-half, winning 70% of his ground duels and completing 94% of his passes so far.
LB – Destiny Udogie
After being acquired by Spurs from Udinese in 2022, Destiny Udogie was loaned back to the Serie A team. This summer, he made his debut and has since established himself as one of Europe’s most exciting and dynamic young full-backs.
He made four tackles, won seven of his nine contested duels versus Villa, and completed 86% of his passes. Furthermore, it’s a major bonus that he will start against Pep Guardiola’s club, as footballJOE’s Hunter Godson said that he “gets into nearly every team in the world already”.
DM – Yves Bissouma
Yves Bissouma, who received a one-match suspension for receiving too many yellow cards, missed last weekend’s game against Aston Villa. Under the direction of his 58-year-old manager, Bissouma has risen quickly through the ranks.
The Malian midfielder is in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, the top 10% for tackles, the top 16% for interceptions, the top 7% for successful take-ons, and the top 19% for clearances per ninety. These statistics are based on data from FBref.
CM – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Pape Matar Sarr may be regaining his fitness after being sidelined by injury last week, but the thrilling prospect may not be prepared to start versus City in what promises to be a demanding match.
Because of this, the diligent Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg would be a deserving addition to the starting lineup, especially with Rodrigo Bentancur’s injury providing an opening for the Dane.
Morten Bisgaard has referred to the 6′ 1″ “giant” as having the metronomic presence necessary to counter City’s stuffy approach.
CM – Giovani Lo Celso
With his goal last weekend, Lo Celso might have guaranteed himself a spot in Postecoglou’s starting lineup for what is perhaps the most difficult match of the Premier League season (at least on paper).
The Argentinean ace, who is inventive and enterprising, won seven ground duels and made three crucial passes versus Villa, according to Sofascore. He will be required to serve as the link between the midfield and the attack tomorrow.
RW – Dejan Kulusevski
While Dejan Kulusevski’s three goals and zero assists from 13 Premier League starts this season is a respectable result and by no means the stuff of legends, his game is so much more.
According to Sofascore, the strong Swede has averaged 2.1 critical passes per game and completed 81% of his passes. His penetration and intensity have been invaluable for Postecoglou.
In his three games against Pep Guardiola’s team, he has scored and prevailed twice, and on Sunday, he might make the difference.
LW – Brennan Johnson
Brennan Johnson, who cost £47.5 million when he joined from Nottingham Forest in the summer, has taken advantage of Richarlison’s recent pelvic injury to establish his value in this Spurs team.
The 22-year-old Welshman has impressed with his directness and “frightening” pace, despite his team’s struggles in recent weeks, as content producer HLTCO has recently remarked.
CF – Heung-min Son
Heung-min Son, who was named captain in the summer, has been the ideal talisman and leader for the Lilywhites since Harry Kane was traded to Bayern Munich in August. In ten games as a center-forward, he has eight goals and one assist.
Although the 31-year-old has, in recent games, reached a plateau, he is still a fierce forward with a winning run against tomorrow’s opponents, having won nine times and claimed ten direct goal contributions in 17 games.
Tottenham Predicted XI in full – (GK) Guglielmo Vicario; (RB) Pedro Porro, (CB) Eric Dier, (CB) Ben Davies, (LB) Destiny Udogie; (DM) Yves Bissouma, (CM) Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, (CM) Giovani Lo Celso; (RW) Dejan Kulusevski, (LW) Brennan Johnson; (CF) Heung-min Son
