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Tottenham v Leicester City: 5 Spurs talking points

By Rucker Haringey

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20 : Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur during the Emirates FA Cup match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at King Power Stadium on January 20, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20 : Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur during the Emirates FA Cup match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at King Power Stadium on January 20, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 25: Eric Dier of Tottenham in action during the EFL Cup fourth round match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on October 25, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 25: Eric Dier of Tottenham in action during the EFL Cup fourth round match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on October 25, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) /

4. Can Eric Dier hold up?

It’s expected that Eric Dier will start another match in place of Alderweireld. There will be intense pressure on the young defender to stand up to the pressure of Leicester’s talented attackers.

It’s not as if Dier can win a foot race with the likes of Jamie Vardy or Riyad Mahrez, so his positioning is going to need to be excellent. He’ll need to fight the urge to go too far forward in attack. Staying at home will be key for Dier.

Tottenham will probably enjoy long spells of possession during the match, but Dier and Vertonghen are going to be tested mightily on several occasions via the Foxes’ vaunted counter attack. If Dier can hold up on those occasions, he’ll give his chance an excellent opportunity to win.

On the other hand, if Dier can’t break up Leicester’s fast break when he’s called upon, it could be disastrous for Spurs. One or two individual errors from the young Englishman could be enough to send the Foxes home with all three points.

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