With Manchester City running away with the league title, Tottenham Hotspur should be looking to target a good run in the FA Cup and on Sunday, they are due to face AFC Wimbledon at the Wembley Stadium in the third round tie.
Mauricio Pochettino is expected to shuffle his side to a significant extent, for he needs some of his main men like Harry Kane and Dele Alli to get a much-needed breather. Of course, Pochettino can’t rotate too much as they’ll need enough firepower to avoid a potential shock. Here’s how the side could line up against Wimbledon tomorrow.
Defence
Hugo Lloris has been the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for Spurs in the league, but Michael Vorm is more than a decent deputy who can hold his own between the sticks. Thus, the FA Cup fixture should provide Vorm with the chance to get some game time under his belt.
In front of him, we expect to see a four-man defence comprising of Kieran Trippier, Juan Foyth, Eric Dier and Kyle Walker-Peters. The latter impressed when he was given his chance early on in the season and will hope to take this opportunity with both hands.
Dier and Foyth should be able to provide enough resilience at the back and Pochettino must use the duo in order to put the theory of squad rotation into practice.
Midfield
The central midfield is anticipated to be marshalled by two quality players in the shapes of Victor Wanyama and Harry Winks. These two have to not only shield the backline but will also have to dictate the tempo of the game, knit the side together with their passes and push the game forward.
From the central attacking midfield slot, Moussa Sissoko will be a handy option with his drive. He might not be the most creative of players but expect him to start nevertheless against lowly Wimbledon.
Attack
We expect Erik Lamela to start on the right wing, as an inverted winger, to offer some attacking tooth in the final third and to also put in some good deliveries into the box. On the left-wing, Georges-Kevin N’Koudou should start and he’ll want to impress after a slow start to his Spurs career.
Right up front, we expect to see Fernando Llorente as the no.9. The Spaniard has been handed just one start in the Premier League so far and if he is afforded the opportunity to start, he must leave no stone unturned to make a point.
