Ange Postecoglou to axe Dejan Kulusevski in three changes – Tottenham predicted XI v Manchester City

Ange Postecoglou could make three changes to his Tottenham starting lineup for the visit of Manchester City to north London on Tuesday (14 May).

The Lilywhites claimed a 2-1 win over Burnley at the weekend to keep their hopes of Champions League football alive, while Aston Villa’s 3-3 draw with Liverpool on Monday (13 May) means a win over City would take the race to the final day of the season.

But Pep Guardiola’s side are looking to make history by winning four Premier League titles in a row, and must win to keep their destiny in their hands, so Postecoglou must find a way to stop a team who haven’t lost in the league since December 6.

Ange Postecoglou to axe Oliver Skipp and Dejan Kulusevski vs Manchester City

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is the undisputed number one at the club and after a solid performance at the weekend he should keep his place.

In defence the boss doesn’t have many options with all of Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies and Ryan Sessegnon ruled out for the rest of the season.

Young midfielder Oliver Skipp got the nod at left-back against Burnley and turned in a strong performance, winning five of his eight ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels in an unfamiliar position [via Sofascore].

He also completed 91% of his passes (30/33) in his 78 minutes on the pitch, but against such a ball dominant team in City Postecoglou is likely to go with a more natural option, meaning Brazilian Emerson Royal should come back into the side.

Pedro Porro had a fine performance on the right as usual, while the pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven will continue at the back after winning 100% of their ground duels combined in the game.

Tottenham predicted XI v Manchester City
Tottenham predicted XI v Manchester City

In midfield Yves Bissouma has been ruled out through injury, so Pape Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur should start in the middle but there could be a slight change to the system due to injuries and opposition.

Dejan Kulusevski had an absolute “nightmare” against Burnley, completing none of his three dribble attempts and completing just 11 of 17 passes to a teammate. That should be enough to see him drop out of the team, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg coming in to add more steel to the middle.

James Maddison could be moved out to the left wing as a result, with the playmaker having registered his first goal contribution in eight games against Burnley, while Brennan Johnson impressed with four key passes in the game although he will need to more clinical after ending up with no goals despite accumulating an xG of 1.12.

Up front Heung-Min Son will undoubtedly continue to lead the line with Richarlison ruled out for the rest of the season.

In other Tottenham news, fans should be buzzing as a deal for one “Excellent” teen star was finalised.

For more Tottenham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.