While the general feeling at Tottenham has been extremely positive so far this season, the good times have been halted by a run of five games without a win, dropping down to fifth in the Premier League table.
The injury absences of James Maddison and Micky van de Ven in particular have caused major problems for manager Ange Postecoglou, but Spurs have also completely lost the ability to defend a lead. The latest loss came against West Ham, having led in the first half.
With all of the injuries in mind, here is the team Postecoglou could choose to ensure Tottenham get back to winning ways when they take on Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday.
GK: Guglielmo Vicario – The winning goal for West Ham was not explicitly Vicario’s fault, but it was the sort of goal that made him look really silly. He will want a clean sheet after that.
RB: Pedro Porro – He was dangerous throughout the match against West Ham but the goal wouldn’t come. Porro is a player Tottenham will desperately want to keep fit.
CB: Cristian Romero – His return to the team after an injury lay-off started superbly, as he headed Spurs ahead in the first half. The defending in the second was not so impressive but Romero’s availability is a positive overall.
CB: Ben Davies – With Van de Ven still out of the frame, Davies is operating at centre-back. The Welshman has experience playing in the middle but Postecoglou will want Van de Ven back sooner rather than later.
LB: Destiny Udogie – His poor back-pass led to the winning goal for West Ham on Thursday night so Udogie will want to put in a solid display to make up for it.
CM: Pape Matar Sarr – The 21-year-old is expected to get the nod in midfield after recovering from injury, taking over from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who started the match against West Ham.
CM: Yves Bissouma – Bissouma has proven to have been a very smart signing but his performances have undoubtedly dipped of late. However, he is expected to hold his place in the starting XI with the real battle going on for the spot next to him.
RW: Dejan Kulusevski – The Sweden international was not able to build on that late equaliser against Manchester City but Newcastle will still need to pay close attention to Kulusevksi on Sunday afternoon.
AM: Giovani Lo Celso – Tasked with replacing James Maddison, Lo Celso is doing a better job than many would have imagined. If he can continue his goalscoring form after two strikes in three games, he will give Postecoglou some thinking to do when Maddison returns.
LW: Richarlison – Missed an incredible chance off the bench on Thursday which would have been his first goal for the club since September. The Brazilian could take Brennan Johnson’s place in the team here as he hunts for that goal.
ST: Son Heung-min – There are some doubts about the South Korean’s fitness ahead of this match but as things currently stand, he is expected to lead the line. If Son is absent, expect Richarlison to go up front with Johnson coming into one of the wing positions.
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