Toby Alderweireld vs. Per Mertesacker
As I mentioned previously, I think Mertesacker might have been the one to start on the bench if Koscielny were fit. As it stands, he will be tasked with stopping Harry Kane and the Tottenham attack.
Mertesacker is an experienced, solid centre back, but he can be exploited with real pace. He has shown a propensity to get beaten with balls in behind this year, and Tottenham will certainly try to take advantage of his lack of foot speed. He is very solid in the air and defending set pieces, but he can be caught out on the break.
On the other side, Alderweireld has been one of Tottenham’s best players all season long. He’s rarely put a foot wrong in defense and has the added benefit of being an excellent distributor of the ball from the back. He’s played even better football since his partner Vertonghen went out injured.
I don’t see any reason why his form will dip at all this weekend. Tottenham enjoy a significant advantage in this match-up. Mertesacker isn’t a bad player, but he isn’t in Alderweireld’s class at this point in his career.
Advantage: Tottenham
Next: Right back