Tottenham vs. West Ham preview: 5 keys to the match

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LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 13: Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates as he scores their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at White Hart Lane on December 13, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

1. Tottenham’s defensive midfield

Mauricio Pochettino has a bit of a selection dilemma on his hands in his defensive midfield today. Eric Dier is a virtual certainty to start in one spot, but injury concerns over Dele Alli and Mousa Dembele have put the other spot up for grabs.

Alli could play, but will face a late fitness test to determine his availability. Dembele is a candidate to return versus Arsenal on the weekend, but isn’t expected to be fit today. That means Pochettino will likely turn to Ryan Mason in their absence.

The 24-year-old Tottenham Academy product has returned recently from his own injury absence. He put in a good starting performance in Spurs’ 3-0 drubbing of Fiorentina in the Europa League, but hasn’t started a Premier League match in quite a while. Stepping into the hornet’s nest at Boleyn ground today could prove a formidable challenge for him.

West Ham’s attacking midfield will look to put a lot of pressure on whoever Pochettino chooses as his defensive midfield pairing. The aforementioned Payet and Lanzini are enough to cause anyone nightmares, especially a partnership that hasn’t played together much this season. The outcome of the match might very well boil down to how well Dier and Mason are able to hold up against West Ham’s talented attackers.

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