Tottenham Hotspur will play their first game on their new home turf when they host Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a few hours.
The Lilywhites are winless in their last five Premier League matches but will be hoping for an upturn of fortune at their new stadium.
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Mauricio Pochettino will have a couple of injury-related absentees going into this game, with Eric Dier and Serge Aurier ruled out. Harry Winks has returned to training and has a slim chance of featuring. Eric Lamela and Fernando Llorente are major doubts though.
Predicted Tottenham Hotspur lineup vs Crystal Palace (3-4-1-2)
Defence
Pochettino is likely to retain the three-at the back formation he used in the defeat to Liverpool, meaning the defensive trifecta of Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez will be starting at the heart of the backline.
Kieran Trippier is expected to occupy the right wing-back role, with Aurier ruled out even though Kyle Walker-Peters offers another option. Ben Davies could get the nod ahead of Danny Rose in the opposite flank. Both these players, however, need to improve their defensive work-rate, especially against the likes of Wilfried Zaha and co.
Hugo Lloris, on the other hand, will retain his place in between the sticks. He will be looking for his tenth clean sheet of the campaign but could face a stern test against a tricky Crystal Palace attack.
Midfield
With Dier ruled out, Pochettino might once again have to rely on the services of Moussa Sissoko in central midfield. The Frenchman will be tasked with the responsibility of disrupting Palace’s flow and will be partnered by Christian Eriksen in Spurs’ 3-4-1-2. Harry Winks offers another option if Pochettino looks to play a 4-4-2 diamond.
Eriksen will operate in a slightly advanced role and will look to bridge the gap between midfield and attack. It will be interesting to see how he fares against the challenging figure of Luka Milivojevic.
Attack
Dele Alli could return to his customary attacking midfield role after featuring on the flanks against Liverpool. The England international should occupy the lone number ten role and will look to link up with the likes of Son-Heung Min and Harry Kane in the final third.
Speaking of Son, the South Korean international might replace Lucas Moura even though the Brazilian put in a decent shift against Liverpool. The change might simply come down to rotation with Spurs requiring all their options during a busy April.
