Mauricio Pochettino’s side fell to their first loss since late last year against Manchester City last weekend, as they slightly loosened their grip in the race for the top-4. They are still seven points above Chelsea, who are in 5th but are now chasing Liverpool, who are now 3 points ahead, having played a game more. Spurs can reduce that gap this mid-week when they travel to Falmer Stadium, to take on Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion.
Fresh from a loss to Crystal Palace, the Seagulls have not won any of their last five games in all competitions and will look to make amends in front of their home crowd this weekend. They are 7 points above the relegation zone and will look to finish the season on a high but Tottenham Hotspur cannot give Chelsea a sniff of a place in the UCL next season and will fight for all three points in this game. Here is the predicted lineup Pochettino might field for this tie:
Team News:
In early team news, Harry Winks is the only player ruled out of this game for Spurs. Kyle Walker-Peters is back in training and will be in the squad while Danny Rose is still nursing his calf strain and will undergo a late fitness test.
Expected lineup (4-2-3-1):
Defence:
Hugo Lloris had a game to forget against City and will look to get back to winning ways this weekend. He will start under the bar while Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen will continue as the CB pairing for Spurs. Both players will certainly be tested at Falmer Stadium.
With Rose still not fully fit, Ben Davies should keep his place on the left flank while Serge Aurier could replace Kieran Trippier at right-back to add some creativity on the flank.
Midfield:
Mousa Dembele did not last the entire game against City but is crucial for Spurs’ chances in this game. He will start at the heart of the midfield alongside Victor Wanyama, who was an unused substitute in the previous game.
Attack:
Harry Kane missed out on a goal and is lagging behind Mo Salah in the race for the Golden Boot. He will be desperate to find the back of the net and will be assisted by Dele Alli from the no.10 role.
Erik Lamela was not effective last weekend and could be replaced by Son Heung-Min on the left flank while Christian Eriksen will continue from the right flank in the attack.
Here is how they might line up:
