Tottenham want to start their Premier League campaign off right with three points against Aston Villa. Here’s how Spurs should line up.
If Tottenham want to be legitimate Premier League title contenders this season, they have to beat the likes of Aston Villa at home. As such, it’s imperative for Mauricio Pochettino to get his starting XI right against the newly promoted Villains.
Unfortunately, Spurs are already dealing with significant injury issues heading into Saturday’s match. Dele Alli, Juan Foyth and Ben Davies are all certain to miss the match due to various maladies. As a reminder, Heung-Min Son must sit out the fixture as he continues to serve a three-match ban for a reckless red card at the end of last year’s domestic campaign.
That doesn’t mean Pochettino doesn’t have enough firepower to win this match comfortably. If he starts the following starting XI, Tottenham should win with some degree of comfort. Read on to discover our predicted lineup for Spurs.
Striker-Harry Kane
There will be no doubts here. Kane looks to be in the shape of his life coming into the season. Don’t be surprised if he opens up his goal scoring account on the first weekend of the season
Attacking midfielder-Erik Lamela
The injury-prone Argentine attacker was a standout for Spurs during the preseason. The absence of both Son and Dele makes starting him a rather easy choice for Pochettino. Expect Lamela to see a lot of the ball in the middle of the pitch against the Villa defence.
Attacking midfielder-Lucas Moura
The Brazilian is the most recent Tottenham player to ink a new contract with the club. Per TalkSport, he’ll be staying with Spurs for another five seasons. While he may not survive quite that long, he’s in a great position to start on Saturday. He’ll want to use his pace to stretch the opposition both laterally and vertically.
Attacking midfielder-Christian Eriksen
Eriksen may be sold before the European transfer window closes, but he’s still a good bet to start this fixture. Spurs need his creativity to help cope with the absence of several key attackers. Time will tell if this match serves as time in the shop window for the talented Dane.
Defensive midfielder-Harry Winks
Winks has enjoyed a reasonably productive preseason campaign as well. Perhaps more importantly, he’s fit to start the campaign. It would be a major surprise if Pochettino doesn’t trust him to keep the ball moving in the club’s Premier League opener.
Defensive midfielder-Moussa Sissoko
Tottenham fans will be disappointed not to see Tanguy Ndombele’s name here. It’s just not Pochettino’s style to throw a new transfer right into the starting XI. It’s possible Ndombele can squeeze in the starting lineup if Sissoko makes a rumoured switch to the right back position. If not, Sissoko will be Winks’ partner on Saturday.
Left back-Danny Rose
Rose is something of a cult hero amongst Tottenham fans due to the sheer will he displays on the pitch. There were rumours that he’d be sold this summer, but it’s clear he’s staying put for now. The injury to Davies makes him the clear starter at left back to begin the season.
Right back-Kyle Walker-Peters
This is Pochettino’s biggest call to make against Aston Villa. Walker-Peters had a very inconsistent preseason. He’s a brilliant attacker, but is still prone to fatal mental errors in defence. Look for Pochettino to give him the first shot to claim the right back spot for his own.
Centre back-Toby Alderweireld
Like Eriksen, there are persistent rumours of other club’s interest in Alderweireld as well. Unlike Eriksen, the Belgian centre back looked very committed to the club on the pitch during the preseason. Starting him is an easy choice for Pochettino.
Centre back-Jan Vertonghen
Vertonghen was pretty quiet during his preseason action, but he didn’t have anything to prove to the club. Barring some sort of catastrophic injury or decline in form, he should be a regular member of the club’s starting XI all season long.
Keeper-Hugo Lloris
Illness cost Lloris some work during the preseason, but like Vertonghen, his place in the squad isn’t under any sort of pressure. Paulo Gazzaniga is a nice option as a No. 2 keeper, but he’s nowhere near replacing the Frenchman in Pochettino’s goal.