Tottenham predicted XI v Manchester City: Ange Postecoglou to make three changes
Tottenham will be looking to return to winning ways when they take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, 3 December.
After a flying start to the season which saw many call them Premier League title contenders, Ange Postecoglou’s men have slipped up, suffering three defeats in three games amid a worrying injury crisis.
The last thing they would’ve wanted at this stage would be to take on a Citizens side gunning for their fourth straight Premier League title.
Premier Injuries note that as many as 10 players may be ruled out of this game.
While Spurs played a 4-2-3-1 system against Aston Villa and lost 2-1, Postecoglou may go for a more measured approach against City.
This could see him playing three in midfield to offer the side steel in the middle of the park and ensure that Pep Guardiola’s side does not run rings around them.
The first change the Australian may make is at the heart of defence where he could bring in Eric Dier instead of Emerson Royal – a natural full-back.
While he had a decent outing against Villa, he’s unlikely to be offered the same amount of time to complete 94 of his 97 passes against City – one of the best teams out of possession.
According to fbref, Dier ranks in the 85th percentile for blocks compared to centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues and the 89th percentile for aerial duels won.
Both these traits are going to come in handy against the Citizens and it makes the world of sense to bring him into the eleven.
Rodrigo Bentancur started the game against Villa but injured his ankle and had to be substituted. Injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar has assessed footage of that twist and has revealed the timescale of his return exclusively to Tottenham News.
The Uruguay international is bound to sit this one out and Postecoglou will be lucky he can welcome back Yves Bissouma who’s been one of his players of the season.
Bissouma missed the Aston Villa clash due to suspension after picking up five yellow cards, but he’ll now be back in action for this one.
He’s in the 98th percentile for passes completed compared to other midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, 90th in terms of tackles and 93rd for take ons – showcasing just how complete he’s been for Spurs.
He’s certainly going to be the main man at the heart of midfield offering some energy to the visitors.
Pierre Hojbjerg came off the bench to replace Bentancur and is unlikely to be named in the starting eleven as Giovani Lo Celso bagged the only goal in the last game and will keep his spot.
Moving to a 4-3-3 would mean dropping one of the attacking players and Postecoglou is expected to axe Brennan Johnson and move Dejan Kulusevski to the left wing.
According to Sofascore, Johnson completed none of his two attempted crosses against Villa (0%) and just one of his five attempted dribbles.
The City fixture may be too big to deal for him and he’s likely to be dropped from the playing eleven.
Oliver Skipp may start as the deepest midfielder to serve as an anchorman for Tottenham, break up play and control tempo when Spurs are in possession.
Postecoglou is a manager who likes to dominate possession and is unlikely to change his tactics even against City.
In other Tottenham Hotspur news, a player is mooted to have suffered a setback in his rehabilitation and now may be out for longer than first expected.