Chris Sutton highlights why Thomas Frank’s side will struggle ahead of Leeds United vs Tottenham
Tottenham are going through their first challenging spell under Thomas Frank.
The Lilywhites started the season in fine fettle, with their usual victory over Man City the statement result in the Premier League.
However, Spurs’ draw with Bodo/Glimt means that Frank’s side have drawn three of their last four, with their only win coming against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup.
Now, Chris Sutton has pinpointed a key factor that could stand against the North London club when they visit Elland Road on Saturday.
Chris Sutton predicts Tottenham to draw with Leeds United
While most of Spurs’ players struggled against Bodo/Glimt, there are a few who are guaranteed a starting place for the trip to Yorkshire.
Micky Van de Ven, Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha all have their reputations intact and will play integral roles at Elland Road.
- Kudus completed 90 per cent of his passes
- Completed five of his nine dribble attempts
- Made one key pass
Leeds have performed admirably this campaign and would arguably have even more points if it were not for their habit of conceding late goals.
Sutton has been predicting the results of this round of Premier League fixtures and thinks that Tottenham will struggle against Daniel Farke’s side.
“Tottenham have had a difficult week, having to fight back to rescue draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt, and this is going to be another tricky game for them,” he said via BBC Sport on 2 October.
“I can actually see it ending in another draw for Spurs. At least they played in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday night rather than Wednesday, but a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday is still far from ideal, and this Champions League campaign is going to stretch their squad.”
The Peacocks have been going strong at home and are yet to lose a game, having recorded one win and two draws.
What changes could Thomas Frank make to his Spurs team?
Frank is likely to heavily rotate his Tottenham team after what transpired just north of the Arctic Circle.
Brennan Johnson’s place is under serious threat after he failed to deliver any real quality against the Norwegian minnows.
| Stats | Total |
| Minutes | 60 |
| Expected goal (xG) | 0.07 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Touches | 21 |
| Accurate passes | 10/13 (77%) |
| Key passes | 0 |
| Dribble attempts | 0 |
Kudus will almost certainly take his place on the right, while Xavi Simons will be hoping to regain his place, either centrally or on the left.
If Frank has Cristian Romero fit again, then he will surely replace Kevin Danso, who had a night to forget in the Champions League.
While supporters have been calling for Frank to play a more attacking game, there is reason to be cautious ahead of the journey to Elland Road.
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