Tottenham v Burnley projected Spurs XI: Pochettino poised to change things up

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 20: Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur controls the ball while under pressure from Willian of Chelsea and Tiemoue Bakayoko of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on August 20, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) /

Defensive Midfielder-Mousa Dembele

For my money, Dembele was Tottenham’s best player against Chelsea. He was playing out of position in a midfield three but still managed to control the centre of the pitch. The Belgian played well enough to earn all three points.

This week, look for Dembele to play in the double-pivot. That will allow him more space to carry the ball forward into the opposing defense. Expect to see Dembele get forward early and often on the afternoon.

Defensive Midfielder-Harry Winks

This is one of the massive changes I’m predicting Pochettino to make. The conventional wisdom would put Eric Dier or Victor Wanyama in this spot, but I believe Spurs will need to make a stronger offensive choice.

If Winks is fully fit (which is a valid question) he could be the perfect partner for Dembele in this match. His passing ability will help make sure the attack doesn’t get bogged down in the event that Burnley choose to park the bus. Starting a midfielder capable of moving the ball quickly could give Tottenham’s attack just the jolt it needs.

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