Tottenham vs West Brom: 5 key matchups for Saturday's match

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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 02: Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at White Hart Lane on October 2, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images) /

Tottenham face a tricky test at West Brom

Last season Tottenham were unable to solve the puzzle of West Brom. If Spurs are going to be legitimate Premier League title contenders, they’ll need to earn three points on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the Hawthorns can be a house of horrors for even the most talented attacks. Spurs will face quite the challenge in trying to break down Tony Pulis’ consolidated defense. That will be Mauricio Pochettino’s challenge for the afternoon.

Of course, managers can only pick the teams and tactics. The results on the field are largely determined by the stars playing the match. That means we should look at several important matchups when we examine who may win this intriguing encounter.

In this piece, I’ll break down the five matchups most likely to determine the victorious side. Usually that means discussing an equal number of offensive and defensive players from each side. Given Tottenham’s expected advantage in time of possession this breakdown will focus heavily on how Spurs’ attackers can break down the stodgy Pulis defense.

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