Tottenham Hotspur were handed a late heartbreak by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday as they threw away a 2-0 lead to lose on penalties, but they have a quick turnaround with league action to look forward to.
The Premier League is back at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Burnley the visitors on matchday one. With the Lilywhites determined to do much better in the English top flight than last season, here is how they could line up for their opening fixture.
Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario is expected to retain his place in between the sticks.
Defenders – Tottenham employed five defenders against PSG but will be expected to switch to a back four this time. Kevin Danso could consequently drop out, with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven potentially playing in the heart of defence.
Pedro Porro is expected to continue at right back, whereas Destiny Udogie’s injury might see Djed Spence get the nod once more.
Bergvall in midfield
Midfielders – Joao Palhinha had a decent match against Paris Saint-Germain but against a defensive outfit like Burnley, Lucas Bergvall, a player who is more superior on the ball as compared to the Portuguese might be given the nod. He could pair with Rodrigo Bentancur in the double pivot in midfield.
Pape Mata Sarr may feature as the number 10, although him and Bergvall might interchange positions often during the game. Brennan Johnson is likely to return on the right wing too, thereby seeing Mohammed Kudus revert to the left flank.
Striker – Richarlison did not have his best outing against Paris Saint-Germain, so he could be replaced by Dominic Solanke as the leader of the offensive department.
Here is a look at how the hosts for today may feature on paper.