Dele Alli vs. Francis Coquelin
Young Dele Alli has arguably been Tottenham’s most important player this season. Whether he’s lined up as a defensive midfielder or an attacking one, he influences the match on both ends. His flair and creativity have sparked Spurs all season long.
His Arsenal counterpart Coquelin has also been hugely important to his squad. While he isn’t nearly the attacking threat of his Tottenham counterpart, he is crucial to the Gunner defense. He provides his side a real steel in the midfield that is obviously missing when he’s on the bench.
You have to believe that Arsenal are going to need that sort of toughness in a big way Saturday. It will be a testy, physical match in the midfield and Coquelin will need to assert himself early and often. Alli isn’t one to hide from physical play either, there is some question as to whether or not he’ll be fully fit for the match though.
The questions regarding Alli’s fitness and the fact that his best position is as a more advanced midfielder, lead me to give the slight edge to Arsenal here. It would be a different matter if Alli was fully fit, but the questions about his availability for a full 90 minutes swing this match-up the way of the Gunners.
Advantage: Arsenal
Next: Right defensive midfielder