Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi could make several changes to his starting lineup after Spurs were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool.
Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory at Anfield on September 15, with goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai. Conor Gallagher scored Tottenham’s only goal as Spurs now shift their attention back to the Premier League.
Tottenham currently sit 17th after four league matches, increasing the pressure on De Zerbi despite the club spending more than £300 million during the summer on players including Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Savio. None of the trio started against Liverpool, although Fernandes and Savio were introduced from the bench.
Mathys Tel endured a difficult night at Anfield and came under criticism after reportedly losing possession 15 times, according to Sofascore data, making him one of Tottenham’s biggest sources of turnovers during the match.
Rodrigo Bentancur also had a night to forget. After receiving a first-half yellow card, he was replaced by Fernandes in the 57th minute. FotMob statistics show that Bentancur lost possession six times, recorded just 0.02 expected assists, was dribbled past once, won only 50% of his ground duels and committed two fouls.
De Zerbi could therefore make targeted changes rather than completely reshaping his team. Omar Marmoush could be moved to the left, with Dominic Solanke operating through the middle, while Mohammed Kudus may be gradually reintroduced from the bench as he continues to regain full fitness.
At the back, the potential returns of Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke could also see Marcos Senesi and Tosin Adarabioyo drop out of the starting XI.
With Tottenham desperate to improve their league position, De Zerbi now faces some important selection decisions ahead of the upcoming clash with Aston Villa.
