Tottenham projected starting XI v Leicester: Janssen to the bench

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BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 22: Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur stops Adam Smith of Bournemouth during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur at Vitality Stadium on October 22, 2016 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images) /

The Defensive Midfield

Some Tottenham fans will spend a lot of time wondering whether or not Spurs will set up with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 formation this week. In all honesty, it doesn’t matter. The same 11 players are going to start the match either way.

No matter how you slice it, Victor Wanyama is going to end up as the deeper lying of the pair. It will be his job to shield the back four from trouble. Specifically, he’ll need to break up Leicester’s attempts to hit Tottenham on the break.

Moussa Dembele should get the start alongside the Kenyan. He should spend an equal amount of time pushing the ball forward. His ability to glide elegantly past the opposition will be crucial in Spurs’ attempts to penetrate a conservative Leicester defense.

The match may very well rest on the broad shoulders of these two players. Both will find themselves in a position to stifle Leicester’s lightning quick counter attack. If they’re successful, Tottenham will be in great shape. If they leave the back four on an island, it could be disastrous for Spurs.

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