Tottenham Hotspur will aim to snap their two-game losing run in the Premier League when they travel to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth on Saturday.
Antonio Conte’s men have lost their last two Premier League games against Manchester United and Newcastle United, but they still remain third in the table. They head into this game off the back of a 1-1 draw with Sporting CP in the Champions League—a game highlighted by VAR controversy.
Conte knows his side have primarily underperformed in the last few games and will expect a better show against Bournemouth, who are 14th in the table.
Tottenham Early Team News
Tottenham remain without Dejan Kulusevski (hamstring) and Richarlison (calf), but Cristian Romero and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg returned to action against Sporting CP on Wednesday after minor injuries had kept them out of the Newcastle game.
Predicted Tottenham Lineup vs Bournemouth (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
Hugo Lloris was at fault for both the Newcastle goals last weekend and could have done better to keep out Sporting midfielder Marcus Edwards’ strike in midweek, so the Frenchman will be desperate to redeem himself with a solid display against Bournemouth.
Defence
Conte used a 3-4-2-1 system against Sporting CP in midweek and is expected to stick to it. A back three of Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies should retain their spots in central defence in the Tottenham lineup from the Sporting game.
Spurs’ defensive trio will need to be on their toes throughout the 90 minutes to blunt Bournemouth’s attacks.
Midfield
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg recovered from a minor knee complaint to start alongside Rodrigo Bentancur in the centre of the pitch against Sporting, and the duo must keep it’s places in the Tottenham lineup. Hojbjerg and Bentancur will be tasked with ticking things in midfield while stopping Bournemouth midfielders from getting control over the game.
We can expect a couple of changes in the wing-back positions, as Ivan Perisic and Matt Doherty prepare to make way for Ryan Sessegnon and Emerson Royal in the Tottenham lineup.
Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp will provide cover for the midfield position.
Attack
Lucas Moura received his first start of the season against Sporting in the Champions League, enjoying an 80-minute runout. In the injury absence of Kulusevski and Richarlison, Conte may hand Moura another start in the Tottenham lineup to add some flair and energy.
Ivan Perisic is also an option for one of the attacking spots.
Son Heung-min and Harry Kane are guaranteed starters for Spurs, responsible for creating and scoring most of the team’s chances. Son, Kane and Moura’s trio possesses the quality to cause all kinds of problems for the Bournemouth defenders.
Bryan Gil, who came on as a substitute against Ruben Amorim’s Sporting, could get involved in the latter stages of the game if needed.
