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Tottenham starting XI at Swansea: Spurs missing three massive stars

By Rucker Haringey

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - MARCH 11: Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his sides second goal with Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur at Vitality Stadium on March 11, 2018 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - MARCH 11: Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his sides second goal with Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur at Vitality Stadium on March 11, 2018 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – MARCH 11: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Lewis Cook of AFC Bournemouth during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur at Vitality Stadium on March 11, 2018 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – MARCH 11: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Lewis Cook of AFC Bournemouth during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur at Vitality Stadium on March 11, 2018 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

Attacking midfielder-Christian Eriksen

With Son slated for a start at strike and Dele Alli nailed to the bench, Christian Eriksen will be Pochettino’s only first-choice attacking midfielder in the starting XI. That will heap a ton of pressure on the Danish maestro to really control the match.

It’s no secret that I believe Eriksen’s future lies deeper in the midfield. Now isn’t the time for Pochettino to make that change though. Given the personnel available for Pochettino today, Eriksen is the right choice to deploy just behind Son.

Eriksen can’t afford to have an off match. He must be engaged and involved in the match from the opening whistle. The more time and space he enjoys on the ball, the better off the Tottenham attack will be.

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Attacking midfielder-Erik Lamela

Sorry to all the Lamela haters out there, but Pochettino will be giving him the start today. His defensive work rate and his ability to keep the ball ticking on offense make him a great choice for Pochettino.

Look for Lamela to really try to put pressure on Swansea’s defender when they have the ball. Without Kane and Dele, Tottenham will look to create opportunities on the counter. Lamela picking the ball off of a Swansea centre back may be the easiest route to that type of success.

Make no mistake, this is an important match for Lamela. A brilliant performance could force him into Pochettino’s first choice XI for the rest of the season. A struggle could see him fall to the squad’s periphery.

Attacking midfielder-Lucas Moura

Part of me believes Pochettino will go with Moussa Sissoko in this spot. In the end, I’m selecting Tottenham’s newest acquisition by a very slim margin.

The rationale behind starting Lucas is pretty clear. Tottenham’s midfield needs offensive punch to replace Kane and Dele. Lucas is more than willing to run at Swansea attackers all match long. Spurs may need that kind of direct, attacking verve in the starting XI to put the Swans on the back foot.

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