Anthony Georgiou has one season left to prove himself

Academy graduate Anthony Georgiou must be feeling the heat from competition this season, except that the competition is not coming from Tottenham Hotspur’s rivals, but rather from within.

The Cyprus international is primarily a left winger but can also play at left-back, and he impressed at the latter position for Spurs against Juventus at the International Champions Cup.

However, his subsequent performance against Manchester United in the same competition left much to be desired, highlighting his inconsistency.

With pre-season now over, Georgiou must be left ruing his missed opportunity to further impress Mauricio Pochettino, especially with the signing of Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham on deadline day.

The signing of Ryan Sessegnon will prove to be a threat for Anthony Georgiou’s long-term future at Spurs

Just like Georgiou, Sessegnon can also play at both left wing and left-back, with a higher degree of quality than the former.

Despite being 3 years older than Sessegnon, Georgiou will most certainly be fourth choice at left-back this season, behind Danny Rose, Ben Davies and Ryan Sessegnon.

The left wing option is also not a possibility for him, especially with the amount of players ahead of him: Son Heung Min, Erik Lamela, Ryan Sessegnon and even Georges-Kevin N’koudou.

Had Spurs not signed Ryan Sessegnon on deadline day, there might have been a glimmer of hope for Georgiou to play in cup matches if either Rose or Davies was injured or suspended, but with Sessegnon in the picture now, it is unlikely that he would be rotated to play at left-back unless an injury or suspension crisis occurred.

Danny Rose and Ben Davies are the solid first two left-back choices for Spurs at the moment

To top all of that off, Georgiou is also 22-year old this year and would count towards Spurs’ homegrown players in the Premier League squad this season. His inclusion brings Spurs’ homegrown tally to 7 (along with Rose, Davies, Harry Winks, Harry Kane, Kyle Walker-Peters and Dele Alli), 1 shy of the 8 player count that clubs strive toward.

However, with Luke Amos returning from loan next season (23-year old at the start of next season) as well as Cameron Carter-Vickers (22-year old at the start of next season), that would bring Spurs’ total homegrown tally to 9.

While clubs are more than welcome to include more than 8 homegrown players in their 25-man squad and Carter-Vickers may be sold or sent on loan again, Pochettino may still want to let Georgiou go in order to buy another homegrown player to ensure that he gets the maximum quality in his squad as well as the full 17 foreign player quota.

Luke Amos will most certainly take Georgiou’s homegrown spot away when he returns from loan next season

This puts Georgiou on the bubble this season with hardly any opportunities to prove himself, placing him in a position where he is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

From what it seems, there are only 3 options available to Georgiou:

1. Request a loan move. A successful loan move this season will increase his line of suitors in the summer, letting him move for a club more suited to his ambitions. Having 6 senior Cyprus caps under his belt also helps in boosting his portfolio.
2. Play his way above Ryan Sessegnon. It is no secret that the Fulham academy graduate is a much better left winger than a left-back, and if Pochettino feels that Georgiou is a better left-back than Sessegnon, then he may just place Sessegnon solely on left wing duties and let Georgiou take the 3rd left-back spot. However, being 3rd choice also limits his playing time.
3. Hold out till the summer and hope for a Danny Rose departure. Rose was the subject of massive speculation this past transfer window with the club giving him additional time off to pursue other opportunities. If Rose was to depart in the next summer window, coupled with option 2 above, Georgiou may just find himself being Spurs’ 2nd choice left-back next season behind Ben Davies. However, this plays a lot on luck and is a risky move for Georgiou.

Overall, it is not realistic for Georgiou to hope to be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s long-term plans and it may be a wiser move for him to start thinking of a move away and consider his future at another club.

However, no matter the decision, Georgiou is still an academy graduate, one of our own, and the well wishes of the fans will be with him.

Breakdown of Tottenham Hotspur’s Player List for the 2019/20 Premier League and Champions League

Tottenham Hotspur’s new season will officially start today with its Premier League opener against newly promoted Aston Villa at home.

Fans will be excited with the new faces of Tanguy Ndombele, Ryan Sessegnon and Giovani Lo Celso and how they will contribute towards Spurs’ chase for its first trophy in 11 years (unfortunately the International Champions Cup last year and Audi Cup this year does not count).

But with Spurs’ new squad for this season, how will their player lists look like for the Premier League and Champions League? How will these 2 lists differ and will there be any player who miss out?

How will Spurs’ submitted player list look like with the addition of Ryan Sessegnon and Giovani Lo Celso?

Premier League

Under the Premier League’s player list rules, each team must submit a list of up to 25 players, of which 8 must be homegrown. If a team does not fulfill 8 homegrown players, the count will be deducted from the total tally of 25 accordingly.

A homegrown player in the Premier League is one who has been affiliated with a club from the Football Association (FA) for at least 3 years before his 21st birthday, regardless of nationality. This means that players like Ben Davies count as a homegrown player despite his nationality being Welsh.

Ben Davies count as a homegrown player in the Premier League despite his nationality being Welsh

What if a player is English but is not affiliated with any FA clubs for at least 3 years before he turned 21? Unfortunately, he will not be counted as homegrown, as is the case for Eric Dier, who was on the books of Sporting Lisbon before he made his move to Tottenham at the age of 20.

Clubs can also play as many U21 players as they wish, classified as players who are born on or after 1 January 1998.

Spurs can call upon 17-year old Troy Parrott in the Premier League without registering him in the 25 man player list

Homegrown Players

1. Danny Rose
2. Harry Winks
3. Harry Kane
4. Kyle Walker-Peters
5. Dele Alli
6. Ben Davies
7. Anthony Georgiou

Foreign Players

1. Hugo Lloris
2. Toby Alderweireld
3. Jan Vertonghen
4. Davinson Sanchez
5. Son Heung Min
6. Erik Lamela
7. Victor Wanyama
8. Georges-Kevin N’koudou
9. Eric Dier
10. Moussa Sissoko
11. Giovani Lo Celso
12. Paulo Gazzaniga
13. Christian Eriksen
14. Serge Aurier
15. Lucas Moura
16. Tanguy Ndombele

U21 Players (based on Spurs’ squad list only)

1. Ryan Sessegnon
2. Juan Foyth
3. Oliver Skipp
4. Japhet Tanganga
5. George Marsh
6. Alfie Whiteman
7. Timothy Eyoma
8. Jamie Bowden
9. Jack Roles
10. Brandon Austin
11. Troy Parrott
12. Harvey White

Therefore, based on the age of the players, Spurs will submit a 23 man player list, with 7 homegrown players and 16 foreign players. Spurs can fill up this list during the 2020 January transfer window with 1 more homegrown player and 1 more foreign player.

UEFA Champions League

Similar to the Premier League player list, the Champions League requires teams to submit a 25 player list (the A list), of which 8 must be homegrown, otherwise the player count will be deducted from the total tally of 25 accordingly.

However, unlike the Premier League, the Champions League requires at least half the homegrown players to be trained at the registered club for at least 3 years between the age of 15 and 21, so players like Dele Alli will be counted under HG2 (trained under other English FA clubs) instead of HG1 (trained at Tottenham).

Dele Alli counts as a HG2 player for Spurs in the Champions League player list

Additionally, clubs affiliated with the FA but not from England will also not count towards the homegrown tally, so players like Ben Davies, who trained at Swansea City in Wales, count as a foreign player despite Swansea playing in the English system.

Clubs can also register as many B List players as they wish, classified as those born on or after 1 January 1997 and have been eligible for the club for 2 years since his 15th birthday. This new rule change allows players like Juan Foyth to be placed on the B List, freeing up a slot in the A List.

Juan Foyth will be shifted from the A List to the B List for the 2019/20 Champions League season

However, players like Ryan Sessegnon, despite being only 19 years old, has to be placed on the A List as he has not been eligible for Spurs for 2 years yet. However, in the 2021/22 Champions League season, Sessegnon can be placed on the B List if he is still with Spurs and the club qualifies for the Champions League.

A List HG1

1. Danny Rose
2. Harry Winks
3. Harry Kane
4. Kyle Walker-Peters

A List HG2

1. Ryan Sessegnon
2. Dele Alli

A List Foreign Players

1. Hugo Lloris
2. Toby Alderweireld
3. Jan Vertonghen
4. Davinson Sanchez
5. Son Heung Min
6. Erik Lamela
7. Victor Wanyama
8. Georges-Kevin N’koudou
9. Eric Dier
10. Moussa Sissoko
11. Giovani Lo Celso
12. Paulo Gazzaniga
13. Christian Eriksen
14. Serge Aurier
15. Lucas Moura
16. Tanguy Ndombele
17. Ben Davies

B List (based on Spurs’ squad list only)

1. Juan Foyth
2. Oliver Skipp
3. Japhet Tanganga
4. George Marsh
5. Alfie Whiteman
6. Anthony Georgiou
7. Timothy Eyoma
8. Jamie Bowden
9. Jack Roles
10. Brandon Austin
11. Troy Parrott
12. Harvey White

Just like its Premier League player list, Spurs will also submit a 23 man player list for the Champions League, but should Spurs want to increase that tally to 25 in January, the 2 additional players must be homegrown (does not matter if its HG1 or HG2 as Spurs already have 4 HG1 players on that list).

It’s a lucky break for Georges-Kevin N’koudou as he may get his chance to play in the Champions League with the rule change that shifts Juan Foyth from the A List to the B List. This is because Spurs have only signed 2 foreign players in Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso to replace the departed Michel Vorm and Fernando Llorente.

For any other queries on the player list, do leave a comment below.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Top 4 Battle with Arsenal, Squad Against Everton – Everything on the 2018-19 Premier League Finale

It is finally the last matchday of the 2018-19 Premier League season, and despite recent poor performances, Tottenham Hotspur have somehow managed to remain within the top 4 places thanks to the equally poor performances from Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Manchester United’s draw against Huddersfield Town on matchday 37 ensured that Spurs can no longer finish below the Red Devils while Arsenal’s draw with Brighton and Hove Albion have boosted Spurs’ chances of a top 4 finish.

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So can Tottenham Hotspur still finish outside of the top 4 after today? Mathematically, yes. Spurs are currently on 70 points, with a goal difference of +28 while rivals Arsenal are on 67 points with a goal difference of +20.

A home defeat for Spurs against Everton and a away victory for Arsenal against Burnley, coupled with a goal swing of 8 will make the worst outcome happen as Arsenal have scored more goals than Spurs, so an equal tally of points and goal difference will see the Gunners leapfrog the Lilywhites.

However, a victory or a draw against the Toffees will ensure that this does not happen and you can be sure that Mauricio Pochettino will be urging his side to go all out at home against Everton.

This will not be easy though as Spurs, having gone through two transfer windows without a single signing, have been plagued with injury concerns and could possible be without 8 players for this final match, namely Harry Kane, Harry Winks, Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez, Victor Wanyama, Danny Rose, as well as Son Heung Min and Juan Foyth who are suspended.

This leaves Spurs with only one centre-back in Toby Alderweireld, and Pochettino could call upon left-back Ben Davies to fill in as his partner as he did earlier this season while Eric Dier is another option.

Should Davies be called upon the left-back position could be left empty as Danny Rose is injured as well, and young Kyle Walker-Peters could start as he can play both right-back and left-back.

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Fit-again Serge Aurier could start at right-back with the disastrous performances from Kieran Trippier recently.

In central midfield, young Oliver Skipp could start alongside Moussa Sissoko with Luke Amos, Harry Winks and Victor Wanyma doubts. Eric Dier could possibly start but may be left on the bench as a defensive cover.

Kane’s injury and Son’s suspension mean that Lucas Moura could start upfront with Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente on the bench as impact substitutes with the latter two not having the speed to deal with the pacey Everton.

Erik Lamela, who is back from injury, could link up with Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen in the attacking midfield role.

On the bench, Kieran Trippier could be on standby along with youngsters Timothy Eyoma and George Marsh.

Despite the severely depleted squad, you can be sure that Spurs will give everything to finish in the top 4, otherwise their Champions League hopes for next season will lie on winning the Champions League finals against Liverpool.

Josh Maja should choose Tottenham Hotspur over Manchester City

Amidst the intense speculation surrounding the future of Josh Maja’s future, a host of clubs have emerged as potential destinations for the 20-year old Englishman.

A couple of days ago, Sunderland manager Jack Ross gave Maja an ultimatum, sign a new contract within a week or be sold in January. The offer tabled by Sunderland appeared to be attractive, £5000 per week, which is 7 times that of Maja’s current wages.

Much of Sunderland’s goals this season have came from Josh Maja

The aggressive stance of Ross to keep one of the Black Cats’ own, as well as wages offered, appeared to soften Maja as he indicated his interest to sign the new contract. However, in a twist of events, the signing was blocked by Maja’s agent, as reported by Sky Sports.

With the deadline up for Maja, it now seems inevitable that the talented young striker will leave the Stadium of Light, but where is the best destination for him to further his career?

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Newcastle United

Sunderland’s fierce Wearside rival, Newcastle United, will table a £5 million bid for Maja, as reported by The Sun, as the Toons prepare to reinforce their attack.

However, a transfer to Newcastle may not be the most ideal destination for Maja.

The Magpies are currently in the midst of a takeover negotiation and while this may potentially signal more funds forthcoming for the club in the transfer market, the opposite could well be true with the new owners not willing to over-commit to a club battling relegation at the moment.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley may sell the club in the coming weeks

Newcastle currently sits 15th in the Premier League table, just 2 points off the bottom 3, with 21 matches played. If the Toons do get relegated, Maja will be playing in the Championship, and could also play against Sunderland, who are gearing for an immediate promotion from League One.

Newcastle also has plenty of strikers to choose from, boasting the firepower of Salomon Rondon, Yoshinori Muto, Joselu and Ayoze Perez, which may limit Maja’s playing time.

This is hardly the situation which Maja would want to find himself in, and it hardly suits his ambitions of playing at the top as well.

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Crystal Palace

While the potential situation for Maja at Newcastle United looks grim, it is not that much better off for him at Selhurst Park as well, with The Sun reporting Crystal Palace’s interest in Maja as well.

The Eagles sit 14th in the Premier League, one position above Newcastle United, and 6 points off the bottom 3.

Just like Newcastle, Crystal Palace also has a list of strikers in their ranks, with Connor Wickham, Jordan Ayew and Alexander Sorloth currently available. Christian Benteke is also close to a return, and Maja may also have to fight hard for his place.

Christian Benteke is close to a return for Crystal Palace, increasing competition for the forward spot

Unlike the playing system at Sunderland where Maja operates as a lone forward, the Crystal Palace under Roy Hodgson prefers to play with 3 upfront, with Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha supporting the centre forward.

While this may mean more firepower support for Maja, it also means that only one striker plays at any time, with the other 2 positions on the flanks occupied by Townsend and Zaha, making Crystal Palace another less than ideal destination for Maja.

Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha runs the show for Crystal Palace on the flanks

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City

While there are a whole list of clubs which are also interested in Josh Maja, namely Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Bristol City, Leeds United, Burnley and etc., the two big clubs which have emerged as suitors for his signature are Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

So which of these two clubs would be the best move for Maja?

At first glance, City may be the rewarding club for Maja. He spent some time in City’s academy before joining Sunderland due to the Sky Blues’ unwillingness to offer him a scholarship.

However, if the list of strikers at Newcastle and Crystal Palace would cause Maja to rethink his decision to join them, then surely the situation at City is worse.

While Manchester City do not have as much centre forwards among their ranks like Newcastle and Crystal Palace, the competition for that spot at the Etihad Stadium is pretty much a two-way battle between Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, and it would take years before Maja can establish himself ahead of them.

It would be near impossible for Josh Maja to get ahead of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus at Manchester City

Just like Crystal Palace, Manchester City operates a three-man forward line, with Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez vying for the positions on the flanks to play alongside the centre forward.

This makes the competition even stiffer for Maja as he would have to get ahead of both Aguero and Jesus in order to play.

On the other hand, while Tottenham Hotspur may not be able to offer Maja the level of wages that City can, it would still be significantly higher than that of the rest of the clubs chasing his signature, and definitely higher than the £5000 per week offered by Sunderland.

Similar to Sunderland, Spurs typically plays with one man forward, mostly Harry Kane, a system that is familiar and suits Maja.

While Spurs still have Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen in their ranks, they are not trusted and are expected to depart the club in this January transfer window, allowing Maja to immediately enter as the second choice striker in the club.

The one man forward system at Spurs also mean that there are always opportunities for Maja to play alongside Kane in a two-forward system, be it in situations where Spurs have to chase the game or when Mauricio Pochettino just wants to break down the defence of the opponents.

Fancy Maja playing alongside Kane?

Spurs are also conveniently situated in the city of London, where Maja was born in, and this would definitely be a huge factor of consideration for the 20-year old.

Just like Manchester City, Spurs can also offer Maja Champions League football, and given Mauricio Pochettino’s reputation for developing youth players, Maja would find himself in good hands and even receive a Three Lions call-up and put on the England jersey.

Overall, in terms of location, wages and playing time, even from an unbiased point of view, joining Tottenham Hotspur will be the best choice for Josh Maja.

Match Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs Burnley (Premier League)

After an exciting UEFA Champions League final group stage match which saw Tottenham Hotspur draw with FC Barcelona to secure a spot in the last 16, it is back to Premier League action as Burnley awaits.

Spurs are the favourites to win this match, but a Burnley side pumped up by their win over Brighton & Hove Albion cannot be underestimated.

Burnley beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 to snap their winless run

Team Form:

Spurs have won 5 of their last 6 Premier League matches, with the only defeat coming against Arsenal at the Emirates.

On the other hand, Burnley has only won once in their last 6 Premier League matches, but with their winless run finally snapped in the last match against Brighton, Burnley’s fans would be dreaming of bigger things today against Spurs.

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Team News:

Spurs have no fresh injury concerns, with Mousa Dembele, Victor Wanyama, Kieran Trippier, Serge Aurier, Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth on the injury list.

However, the good news is that the latter 4 may come back today or would be closing in on a return with a fitness assessment lined up for them. With the Lilywhites thin on their defence, it would be welcoming to have these defenders back.

Burnley are missing Stephen Ward and Nick Pope, with Steven Defour and Johann Gudmundsson optimistic of a return today or in the near future.

Spurs target, Nick Pope, is out injured

Team Stakes:

With Manchester City losing to Chelsea last week, Spurs have closed the gap to the top to 6 points, and with league leaders Liverpool taking on Manchester United this weekend, any result other than a win for Liverpool should give Spurs the hope of further bridging this gap.

Burnley are 2 points off the relegation zone, and with 18th place Huddersfield Town taking on fellow strugglers Newcastle United (3 points off relegation zone) this weekend, Burnley will be looking for a strong result to leave this party.

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Previous Results:

*Only results from the last 2 seasons are displayed as Burnley was not in the Premier League in the 2015-16 season.

2017-18

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Burnley (Dele Alli, Chris Wood)

2016-17

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Burnley (Dele Alli, Danny Rose, Ashley Barnes)

Dele Alli has scored against Burnley in the past 2 seasons

Spurs Predicted Starting Lineup:

With the Carabao Cup against Arsenal next week in mind, Spurs may opt to rest the likes of Danny Rose and Son Heung Min.

Spurs Fan Prediction:

Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Burnley (Harry Kane to score first)

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Match Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea [Premier League]

Match Intro

After yet another international break, Tottenham Hotspur fans will finally see their club back in Premier League action as they host Chelsea at the Wembley Stadium.

This is one of the fiercest London derbies played in the Premier League, with clashes often inevitable between these two sides.

The 2016 match in Stamford Bridge caused a huge amount of mayhem as blows were exchanged, including Mousa Dembele’s infamous eye-gouge on Diego Costa. This incident was later coined the “Battle of the Bridge”.

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Match History

Tottenham Hotspur has only won this home fixture twice in the last five seasons, with the most famous one being the 5-3 victory in the 2014-15 season.

The other three seasons have yielded two draws and one victory for Chelsea, with the latter being last season.

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Team News

There are no injury concerns for Chelsea, but the same cannot be said for Tottenham Hotspur.

Danny Rose (groin), Kieran Trippier (groin), Mousa Dembele (ankle) and Davinson Sanchez (hamstring) remains out for Spurs, but there is good news in the return of Jan Vertonghen as the Belgian has already started training with the team.

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Predicted Starting Line-up

Harry Kane is a definite starter, with Son Heung Min and Lucas Moura both likely to start as they were not called up by their respective countries during the international break.

Spurs Fan Prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Chelsea

Harry Kane’s heroics inspire England to UEFA Nations League Finals

England faced a steep task in the UEFA Nations League yesterday, needing to defeat Croatia, whom they lost to in the FIFA World Cup seminfinals four months ago, in order to progress to the UEFA Nations League Finals.

Prior to the match, Spain was top of Group 4 of League A with 6 points, followed by England and Croatia with 4 points each.

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As Croatia and England had previously played out a 0-0 draw in Rijeka, Croatia, England needed either a win or a 0-0 draw to avoid relegation to League B.

However, the Three Lions conceded first in the second half, when Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric wriggled his way around in England’s penalty box, before unleashing a shot that was deflected by Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier and found its way into the back of the net, beyond the fingertips of Everton’s Jordan Pickford.

The pressure mounted on England as a 1-1 draw is not enough to prevent relegation, and the Three Lions ramped up their attacks to find the 2 goals that they need.

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, who is also England’s captain, had not scored in his last 7 matches for the Three Lions, but he was ready in this instance when his strong shot was blocked and found its way to the feet of Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard, who slotted it home from one yard out.

Kane would go on to score the winner just 7 minutes later when he met the freekick from Leicester City’s Ben Chiwell, giving England the winner that it needed to secure all 3 points, prevent relegation, and top Group 4 of League A.

Harry Kane and Jesse Lingard’s celebrate England’s win over Croatia

And they call Kane a One Season Wonder.

Match Preview: Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)

It is finally the last match of Tottenham Hotspur’s hectic schedule, and it is a trip to Selhurst Park to face fellow London side, Crystal Palace.

Spurs will be hoping for a 4th consecutive victory, following wins over West Ham United in the Carabao Cup, Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League and PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League.

Spurs will also be the more confident side entering this match as they have won their last 6 London derbies (Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Fulham, West Ham (twice)) while Crystal Palace have only won once out of their previous 6 London derbies (2-0 Fulham in August).

In terms of home and away records, Spurs have won 7 of their 10 away games this season, drawing once and losing twice. Crystal Palace have won none of their home games this season, drawing twice and losing thrice.

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Since Crystal Palace’s last promotion to the Premier League following the 2012-13 EFL Championship playoffs, the Eagles have only won one Premier League home game against Spurs (2-1 win in 2015), losing the other 4 matches.

Team News:

Crystal Palace have a quintet of injuries with Wilfried Zaha, Joel Ward, Connor Wickham, Scott Dann and Christian Benteke all out of today’s match.

Tottenham Hotspur will be relieved with the return of Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama while Danny Rose, Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele remains out.

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Tottenham Hotspur Predicted Starting Lineup:

With the international break just around the corner, Mauricio Pochettino may be tempted to play his strongest XI in order to maintain the chase on the league table.

Harry Kane is a definite starter, with playmaker Christian Eriksen also expected to pull the strings in midfield.

Harry Winks’ outstanding performance in recent times may mean that he will start the 4th game in a row, shielding the center backs of Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld.

Kieran Trippier is likely to start given that he still has Pochettino’s trust, but time may be running out for the Englishman.

Spurs Fan Prediction:

Crystal Palace 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Harry Kane to score first)

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Match Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs PSV Eindhoven (UEFA Champions League)

Tottenham Hotspur return to UEFA Champions League action tonight on the back of consecutive victories over West Ham United in the Carabao Cup and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

Despite their domestic success, Spurs have struggled in the European top-tier tournament, losing to Inter Milan and FC Barcelona before suffering a late draw against PSV Eindhoven.

Tottenham Hotspur were held to a draw after Hugo Lloris was sent off

Tonight’s match is a must-win for Tottenham Hotspur as they sit 8 points behind Barcelona and 5 behind Inter Milan.

Besides the need to pick up all 3 points against PSV, Spurs must also hope for Barcelona to beat Inter Milan again, as a victory or draw for Inter would present an uphill task for Spurs to chase a runners-up spot.

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Team News and Predicted Starting Lineup:

The Spurs first team is looking shattered right now, with Danny Rose, Jan Vertonghen, Victor Wanyama, Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele all out injured.

Hugo Lloris is suspended for this match following his red card at Eindhoven.

Juan Foyth and Georges-Kevin N’koudou, who were not named in Spurs’ Champions League squad, brings the first team absentee tally up to 8.

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Coupled with an injury to Luke Amos at the early stage of the season, Mauricio Pochettino only has Harry Winks left in the central midfield position behind the attacking midfielders.

Winks may, thus, partner with Moussa Sissoko in the center of the field with talented youngster, Oliver Skipp, who made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup, to be named on the bench.

Oliver Skipp may have another chance to play for the first team today

With Foyth not eligible to take part in tonight’s match, Spurs have only two center backs in Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld.

This could provide a chance for youngster George Marsh, who was pictured training along with the first team, to make it to the bench tonight.

Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli should both start, having not started against Wolves.

George Marsh may have his chance to make his first team debut today

Son Heung Min, who played the full match in the Carabao Cup, was substituted on for the injured Mousa Dembele in the opening matches against Wolves. However, the South Korean was replaced later in the match, implying that he may be rested with PSV in mind.

Given the importance of today’s match, Harry Kane should start once again, despite playing the full match against Wolves.

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Spurs Fan Prediction:

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 PSV (Harry Kane to score first)

Match preview: Wolves vs Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)

Tottenham Hotspur continues their hectic schedule as they travel to the Molineux Stadium to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

This match comes in the space of a few days after successive matches against Manchester City in the Premier League and West Ham United in the Carabao Cup.

However, Spurs will still not have a breather after this match as they will face a crunch match against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League in 3 days time again.

A crunch match against PSV at home awaits Spurs

Both the Premier League match against Wolves and the Champions League match against PSV are of utmost importance to Spurs at the moment as the defeat to Manchester City has forced Spurs to play catch-up in the Premier League while anything less than a win against PSV in 3 days time will almost certainly mean a Champions League exit for Spurs.

Team News:

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a blow in their recent 2 matches as Eric Dier was injured in the match against Manchester City while Victor Wanyama was injured against West Ham United.

This leaves Spurs with only two first choice central midfielders in Harry Winks and Mousa Dembele.

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Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen continue to be out.

On the other hand, Wolves have a complete squad to choose from with no injury concerns.

Predicted Starting Lineup:

With Spurs’ squad thin through injuries, Mauricio Pochettino could opt to pair Juan Foyth with Toby Alderweireld in central defence, allowing Davinson Sanchez to rest ahead of the PSV match.

The Colombian had played in the match against West Ham United alongside Juan Foyth. However, as the young Argentine was not named in Spurs’ Champions League squad, it will mean a Alderweireld-Sanchez pairing for the match against PSV.

Therefore, a Foyth-Alderweireld pairing for today’s match against Wolves would be an optimal option.

Juan Foyth’s strong display against West Ham could mean a start for him today

Kyle Walker-Peters could start along with Ben Davies in order to rest Serge Aurier and Kieran Trippier. Aurier has demonstrated his ability to play at left back and could play alongside Trippier against PSV.

With Harry Winks playing the full match against West Ham United, he could be rested, allowing Moussa Sissoko to start alongside Mousa Dembele.

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Georges-Kevin N’koudou was given rare playing time against West Ham, coming on for 26 minutes when Spurs were defending a 2-0 lead. Mauricio Pochettino would not bring on a player whom he distrusts when plenty of things can happen in 26 minutes.

This means that the young Frenchman could be afforded the opportunity for future matches, starting with the match tonight against Wolves.

Son Heung Min, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli all started against West Ham and could be rested today in view of the PSV match.

This implies an opportunity for N’koudou to start alongside Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura.

The Frenchman could yet have another chance at Spurs

Fernando Llorente may also start after a decent performance against West Ham. The Spaniard could play this game so that Harry Kane can be rested for the upcoming matches against PSV and Crystal Palace.

Hugo Lloris will almost definitely start against Wolves as he is suspended for the match against PSV following his red card in Eindhoven.

Spurs Fan Prediction:

Wolves 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Erik Lamela to score first)

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