Predicted Tottenham XI to face Southampton – Mathys Tel and Archie Gray start
Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League against Southampton, just days after the chaos at Stamford Bridge. Let’s take a look at our predicted Tottenham XI to face Southampton on Sunday.
Tottenham Hotspur are set to return to Premier League duty just three days after their narrow 1-0 defeat to Chelsea — a night that was anything but uneventful.
While the scoreline remained tight, the real headlines were snatched by Ange Postecoglou’s antics on the touchline.
The Tottenham boss sparked controversy when he cupped his ear towards the travelling Spurs fans, following a hostile reception after his second-half substitutions.
With tensions bubbling, Postecoglou will be hoping for a quick shift in mood as the club gears up for a season-defining run, including a Europa League quarter-final clash looming on the horizon.
Before that, though, they’ll need to take care of business against Southampton. Let’s take a look at our predicted Tottenham XI to take on the Saints.
Predicted Tottenham Hotspur XI to face Southampton in the Premier League
Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario: It wouldn’t be completely out of the blue to see Antonin Kinsky handed a chance in goal this Sunday, but we’re backing Postecoglou to avoid tinkering too much with the backline just yet.
Right-back – Pedro Porro: It’s a bit of a toss-up between Djed Spence and Pedro Porro here, especially with limited depth at right-back, but given the Spaniard’s late cameo against Chelsea, he’s likely to get the nod again.
Centre-back – Ben Davies: With Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven having already endured lengthy spells out this season, don’t be surprised to see Postecoglou play it safe and keep them on ice this weekend.
Centre-back – Archie Gray: Postecoglou confirmed van de Ven’s injury scare wasn’t anything serious, but it still makes sense to rest him. Expect Archie Gray to come back into the side for this one.
Left-back – Destiny Udogie: It’s between Udogie and Spence again, but considering Spence has clocked up a serious number of minutes recently, and Udogie is still building rhythm, we expect the Italian to start.
Pivot midfielder – Yves Bissouma: Lucas Bergvall clearly wasn’t 100% against Chelsea, coming off early after recovering from illness. With that in mind, Bissouma should return to anchor the midfield.
Central midfielder – Pape Matar Sarr: Sarr was the epicentre of Thursday night’s controversy. His introduction was met with boos, and his disallowed goal triggered Postecoglou’s reaction — but on merit alone, Sarr deserves his spot in the XI.
Central midfielder – Rodrigo Bentancur: It wasn’t a standout night for Bentancur, but it wasn’t a disaster either. Given Maddison might be due a rest, the Uruguayan could keep his place in the middle of the park.
Left midfielder – Mathys Tel: After a decent spell with France’s U21s during the international break, Tel was tipped by fans to feature against Frankfurt. If he’s to make a real case, he’ll need to shine here first.
Striker – Dominic Solanke: Wasn’t too involved over the international break and Ange Postecoglou will want to get him a confidence-boosting goal – it’s been a while.
Right midfielder – Brennan Johnson: Johnson was left out against Chelsea, but he’s likely to come back in here. Wilson Odobert could be rotated with an eye on keeping things fresh ahead of Frankfurt.
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