Wednesday night’s win has left many of the Tottenham faithful, including myself, in high spirits.
A semi-final draw with Sheffield United made things all the more sweeter, as Spurs now look to have a good chance of returning to Wembley.
Advancing to the final four would have made enough people happy, but the manner of the performance vs Newcastle was outstanding. The team had drive, desire and an attacking intent, something that’s been missing from White Hart Lane for far too long.
However, one concerning factor was the amount of regular starters making appearances in that tie. Five players remained in Wednesday’s line up from the win against Swansea, when really we could have made wholesale changes- starting players in the Eurpa League and following Premier League game has proven costly before.
Harry Kane, once again, put in a superb shift that night, bagging a goal and making himself a nuisance to Newcastle. Unfortunately, his high work rate usually means he will only play well once a week.
Source: tottenhamhotspur.com
Federico Fazio and Jan Vertonghen also started once more in the heart of defence, but both had little to do. Further up the field, Christian Eriksen worked his socks off in the hole, and was able to cover well for Harry Kane when he pressed elsewhere.
Onto Saturday, and to many Spurs fans, this game has 0-1 written all over it. Very rarely does it occur that Tottenham play majestically in midweek and the same at the weekend. It should also be noted that Burnley are currently 4th in the Premier League form table…
We have to win. The festive period sees us take on Manchester United and Chelsea, so gaining maximum points before these games is a necessity.
The Tottenham Hotspur we all know and love should be winning this game, no excuses. Burnley do not pose enough of a threat to even theoretically score at White Hart Lane. Of course, with Spurs though, theory goes out of the metaphorical window.
Injury-wise, we have no concerns. None. Zero. Praise be to Jesus.
Emmanuel Adebayor could be back in the frame after Roberto Soldado’s lacklustre performance last week, and Nacer Chadli is likely to return to the starting eleven.
Sean Dyche’s side have lost just one of their last six- their best run all season. Whilst the Clarets don’t boast stellar names or an exciting brand of football, they have a great team ethic.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean they should be leaving north London with any points whatsoever.
A Tottenham win could send us as high as 5th, back into the mix for the top four. Whilst we shouldn’t be aiming that high this season, it would be nice to see the team performing well and taking the plaudits.
Predicted XI: Lloris; Walker, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Bentaleb, Mason; Chadli, Kane, Eriksen; Soldado
Sean Walsh
Latest posts by Sean Walsh (see all)
- Swansea City vs Tottenham Hotspur – Preview - October 4, 2015
- AS Monaco vs Tottenham Hotspur – Preview - September 30, 2015
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City – Preview - September 25, 2015