Tottenham’s start to the Premier League season has been one of the most impressive ever, and Antonio Conte has a chance to break a big record tomorrow night.
It’s felt like years since a Tottenham home game in the Premier League, the last one coming just under a month ago against Leicester City in that thrilling 6-2 thumping. This weekend is a big chance against an Everton side that should not be underestimated, having picked up some great results this year and have massively improved on last season, where they just managed to escape relegation.
Everton’s league position may be deceiving, but they have already played three of the traditional top six in their first nine games. Frank Lampard’s side has been picking up some decent results, and have certainly been losing less, picking up draws and away wins which they were struggling for last season.
Tottenham certainly need to be weary of Everton’s physically dominant midfield of Andre Onana, Idrissa Gueye and newly rejuvenated Alex Iwobi, who has been a revelation for the toffees this year in central midfield, providing creativity and solidity, meaning Everton have been able to create more and concede less. Luckily for Spurs, the rapid Anthony Gordon is out after suspension, and the rapid winger won’t be giving problems to Matt Doherty, who is likely to start a second consecutive Premier League game since Emerson’s red card in the North London Derby.
It is hard to ignore Spurs’ recent form against Everton in the league, especially at home, where Spurs have avoided a defeat against the toffees at home for countless years, and last year’s 5-0 thumping was one of Spurs’ easiest games of all of last year, where Everton barely had a sniff and Harry Kane scored a spectacular brace, including a masterclass from Matt Doherty.
Everton are a club that relies on chances, and moments to happen, and are happy to sit in a low block this year, and the suicidal high line played by Lampard at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March will not happen again, and Spurs may have to get a bit scrappy, and rely on the trusty counterattack again.
Antonio Conte will be hugely grateful to have Dejan Kulusevski back this weekend, who picked up a minor injury with Sweden on international duty. The winger may provide the creativity and composure from the right which the team has been missing and was missing particularly in the North London Derby and the away game against Frankfurt. His goal contributions were greatly missed, and the team will hugely benefit from his return.
If Spurs win this weekend and reach 23 points out of the first ten games, it will be a record for the highest number of points reached by a Tottenham team in the Premier League era, which is a huge statement considering the golden year under Mauricio Pochettino in the 2016/17 season where Spurs finished runners up behind Conte’s Chelsea.
Team Prediction
Formation: 5-2-3
1 Hugo Lloris
2 Matt Doherty
17 Cristian Romero
15 Eric Dier
33 Ben Davies
14 Ivan Perisic
5 Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
30 Rodrigo Bentancur
21 Dejan Kulusevski
10 Harry Kane
7 Heung-Min Son
It is easy to say this is just another game, but for Tottenham a chance to break a record is enough motivation to beat Everton, as the games start to disappear as the Winter World Cup edges closer, 3 points would be huge.
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