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It was the best of times, but Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou really could be set to endure the worst of his reign in north London over the winter period, with the Premier League defeat to Chelsea last Monday exacerbated by a deluge of absences.
The Lilywhites had blitzed into title contention under their Australian manager and are just one point off table-toppers Manchester City after a two-man disadvantage against the Blues proved to be an insuperable obstacle in the end.
Micky van de Ven and James Maddison are both set to be sidelined until the new year, while Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie will serve respective three and one-match suspensions for their dismissals against Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Nonetheless, Spurs will be confident that victory could be secured tomorrow afternoon, with a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers awaiting in the English top-flight.
The Old Gold were touted for relegation but have been solid if unspectacular under Gary O’Neil, who have 12 points from 11 matches and a six-point cushion from the drop zone.
Spurs will be eager to put the recent malaise behind them and secure a galvanising victory at Molineux, but Postecoglou will now have to make changes, with four alterations likely…
1
GK – Guglielmo Vicario
An absolute monster between the sticks on Monday night – with three saves to his name – Guglielmo Vicario emerged victorious on an individual level despite shipping four against the Blues, having been a revelation since signing in the summer.
As per FBref, the Italian ranks among the top 10% of goalkeepers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for save percentage, underscoring his value and importance.
2
RB – Pedro Porro
Hailed for his “titanic” performance by reporter Charlie Eccleshare, Pedro Porro has grown into his skin with remarkable success since the summer.
The Portuguese right-back has been effective at both ends and will need to harness all of his robustness to evoke confidence in what is set to be a vastly-changed backline.
3
CB – Eric Dier
It would’ve been special. Eric Dier had not touched a blade of grass this season before Postecoglou threw him into the mix against Chelsea, desperate after Romero’s red card created a domino effect of sorts that toppled Spurs’ hopes of victory.
The England international’s excellent volley would have drawn Tottenham level in the second half but was agonisingly ruled out by a VAR check.
The 29-year-old will surely now receive his first appearance from the outset, with the next few months potentially definitive for a long-standing servant who has previously deemed expendable ahead of his contractual conclusion next June.
4
CB – Ben Davies
Having been hooked at half-time in his sole league start this season against Crystal Palace, Ben Davies will likely partner Dier in a cobbled-together defensive axis that few would have envisaged starting a Premier League fixture this season, but such is the severity of Spurs’ injury (and red card) crisis.
5
LB – Emerson Royal
Emerson Royal has divided opinion since joining Tottenham from Barcelona in a £26m deal, having previously been branded a “complete liability” by talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara.
The £40k-per-week Brazilian made four tackles and two interceptions off the bench against Chelsea and seems to be trusted with a utility role at left-back, and will likely start in Udogie’s absence with Davies required centrally.
6
CM – Pape Matar Sarr
One of the Premier League’s most exciting rising stars, Pape Matar Sarr, aged 21, was very much on the fringe last season but has been a revelation in the centre of the park this year, starting ten times in the Premier League.
His energy and distribution have been crucial to Spurs’ exploits and he will be one of the first names on the teamsheet ahead of the contest against Wolves.
7
CM – Yves Bissouma
The veritable engine to turbo-charge Postecoglou’s system, Yves Bissouma has been immense this season after flattering to deceive throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
Yves Bissouma: Key Characteristics |
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Strengths |
Weaknesses |
Passing |
Discipline |
Tackling |
Aerial duels |
*Sourced via WhoScored |
Finally acclimatised to life down the N17, the Malian midfielder has been integral so far and has completed 92% of his passes and averaged 3.3 tackles and 5.4 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.
8
RW – Dejan Kulusevski
Dejan Kulusevski has started every match in the Premier League under Postecoglou and will be expected to retain his role on the right flank, having scored three times.
Netting the early opener on Monday night, the Swede has now surpassed last season’s lowly tally of two and looks revitalised this year; he will be hoping to use his rekindled attacking verve to provide Spurs with some respite after a testing week.
9
AM – Giovani Los Celso
Maddison’s injury is a bitter pill to swallow. Signing from Leicester City for £40m in the summer, the 26-year-old has posted three goals and five assists in the Premier League this season, winning August’s Player of the Month.
But with the playmaker now set for a spell on the sidelines, Postecoglou might be inclined to hand Giovani Lo Celso his first start of the season, with the creative midfielder falling by the wayside and only earning 24 minutes in the league this term.
Described as a “flop” by The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke, Lo Celso had spent the past 18 months out on loan before the summer, and while he’s clearly not preferred, given that he ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 1% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, he might prove to be Maddison’s custom-made replacement.
10
LW – Brennan Johnson
On the left wing of the frontline, Brennan Johnson will be likely to earn his second successive start after recovering from a hamstring injury that has hindered the early phase of his Tottenham career.
Last season, for Nottingham Forest, the 22-year-old scored eight goals and supplied three assists in the Premier League to avoid the drop – notably scoring in the draw against Wolves at the City Ground – and he will be hoping to inflict misery on Molineux tomorrow.
11
ST – Heung-min Son
How Postecoglou must thank his lucky stars that Heung-min Son is not among the absentees.
Losing Maddison is a massive blow to the creativity and fluency in midfield; Van de Ven’s hamstring problem reignites past concerns over the resilience and reliability of the backline.
But in Son, Spurs have a talisman and a leader, capable of channelling goalscoring brilliance despite the spate of injuries and dismissals against Mauricio Pochettino’s side earlier this week.
Having scored eight goals from as many matches at centre-forward this season, Son’s Premier League goal tally is surpassed only by Erling Haaland’s 11 – and that’s not too shabby, is it?
The South Korean sensation has never scored against Wolves across ten matches – despite winning six of those – but given the importance of returning to winning ways this weekend, there’s every possibility that the 31-year-old will emphatically break his duck.
12
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