Spurs at long last have every player with a reasonable claim to being ‘first choice’ available, the strongest group since hosting Chelsea last Autumn. It’s intriguing to see what combinations Ange Postecoglou goes with both in midfield and up front, with the bench certain to contain several players who can justifiably feel they should be starting.
With Son and Bissouma welcomed back into the fold, and Lo Celso the latest player to have fully convalesced, the Spurs manager will need to decide who to upset; a problem he’d far prefer to have. What will please the Australian will be the availability of strong options to introduce to the match for a range of circumstances given the recent trend to lose control in the latter stages.
Postecoglou will not be enjoying current spotlight on his sides’ record of most goals conceded after 90 minutes. However, with the talent available from the sidelines, Postecoglou has a great chance to answer that criticism.
Brighton have swapped places with Spurs when it comes to a thinning squad, with De Zerbi’s team now also without Joao Pedro following confirmation of a hamstring strain.
The young Brighton manager will be happy, however, that Mitoma is again an option after Japan’s surprise elimination from the Asia cup, and the exciting forward will no doubt want to make right his wrongly disallowed goal at this stadium last season.
Game Plans
Spurs Game Plan
Postecoglou has made it impossible to seem at all insightful when predicting his game plan. Everyone knows that the Spurs manager will be indefatigably loyal to a high defensive line, inverted full backs, playing out from the back and doubling up on the flanks. He all bus said in his pre-match press conference that goals late on, conceded and scored, are just something people have to get used to and the only judgement of it he values is where the team finish the season.
More of a question is around personnel, with Son returning to find his seat having been kept very warm by Werner, Bissouma and Sarr encountering a Bentancur who could occupy either of their positions, and neither Kulusevski or Johnson overly impressing recently from the regular right wing options. Ball retention and quick passing through the lines is going to be the demand put on whoever starts.
It would be a brave man to predict that Spurs’ returning captain won’t reclaim his spot, but the way Spurs build attacks will change depending on the other choices. There aren’t many stylistic similarities between any of Bissouma, Bentancur and Sarr, nor between Kulusevski and Johnson, and with none being able to point to great form recently, this week’s training sessions will guide Postecoglou’s decisions.
Brighton Game Plan
Brighton, like the North Londoners, will be aggressive both on and off the ball. Defenders will hold the ball and invite the press and as soon as there is space to get the ball into dangerous areas, Brighton will take it. Whoever starts in the full back positions will look to support the attack throughout, and in Pascal Groß Brighton has a player always able to break from midfield and add to the attack.
In attack, Mitoma (if starting) will run at the Spurs backline whenever he has the opportunity, and Spurs defenders will need to keep focus against a front three who will interchange and look to pull them out of position with quick interplay with a view to creating high percentage chances.
