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5 Tottenham players that must step up against Sunderland

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Fabinho of AS Monaco tackles Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Fabinho of AS Monaco tackles Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Djibril Sidibe of AS Monaco is challenged by Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Djibril Sidibe of AS Monaco is challenged by Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images) /

3. Moussa Dembele

The Belgian midfielder made his triumphant return to the Tottenham lineup against Monaco, but only as a halftime substitute. Expect to see him back in the starting XI on Sunday.

He’ll likely be paired with a much more defensive-minded partner in the double-pivot. That means we need to see him carry the ball forward with real purpose this weekend. Fortunately, that’s one of Dembele’s real strengths.

He doesn’t need to be the man who finishes off any of the offensive attacks. His job is to get the ball into a dangerous area, and then move it on to one of Tottenham’s talented attackers. His presence on the pitch could be huge for someone like Erik Lamela or Sissoko.

The other hope for Spurs fans is just that Dembele can show his ability to play a full 90 minutes. He just needs to show he’s ready to be an every week starter again if Tottenham are going to challenge for a Premier League title.

Next: 2. Vincent Janssen

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