Tottenham go to Leeds United on Saturday 7 November looking for a fourth straight Premier League win, and Roberto De Zerbi is expected to name Omar Marmoush up front in a 4-2-3-1 at Elland Road, with Archie Gray keeping Pedro Porro out at right-back.
Spurs beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at home on Saturday 31 October to make it three league wins in a row and climb to eighth on 12 points, as covered in our player ratings from the Palace win. Leeds lost 2-0 at Bournemouth on the same day. The Premier League fixture list has Leeds v Tottenham at Elland Road on Saturday 7 November, kick-off 12:30pm.
The right-back call
Gray scored the opener against Palace, heading in a Mohammed Kudus corner on 25 minutes, and was taken off at half-time. That change was about his early yellow card, not his performance. De Zerbi said he didn’t want to risk a second yellow, and Porro got 45 minutes in his place.
Porro is ready to start. He hurt his hamstring against Aston Villa, missed about a month, and De Zerbi has said the decision to hold him back against Palace was taken with the player, because the season is 38 games rather than one. With a full week before Leeds, though, the form pick is still Gray. He has started all three wins in this run, he is returning to his former club, and his calm use of the ball suits a game where Spurs expect to have most of the possession.
The rest of the back four should stay as it was against Palace. Antonin Kinsky continues in goal, Andy Robertson starts at left-back ahead of Destiny Udogie, who only got a few minutes against Palace, and Micky van de Ven partners Jan Paul van Hecke in the middle. Keeping that unit together has brought two clean sheets in the last three league games, a base Spurs didn’t have during their poor start.
Marmoush in, Solanke out
Up front, Dominic Solanke started against Palace and had a poor afternoon, and Marmoush is the better fit for what De Zerbi will need at Elland Road. Leeds defend in numbers at home and leave space behind their midfield when they step out, and Marmoush runs into that space rather than waiting with his back to goal.
Behind him, James Maddison should start at No.10. Maddison was available against Palace but did not get on, with the game already won, as noted in our predicted XI for the Palace game. Leeds have a strong screen in Anton Stach, and Spurs will need a player who can receive between the lines and turn, rather than another runner. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes should again form the double pivot, with Tonali setting the tempo and Fernandes doing the pressing work ahead of him.
On the wings, Kudus starts on the right after setting up the opener against Palace, and Mathys Tel starts on the left. Savio is still not back, so Tel keeps the place he has made his own in recent weeks. His movement inside, with Robertson overlapping outside him, was a regular route forward against Palace.
The predicted XI
De Zerbi is expected to keep the 4-2-3-1 that has produced this run. The shape gives Spurs two holders when Leeds break, width from both wingers when they have the ball, and Maddison free to find space behind Marmoush.
Tottenham predicted XI (4-2-3-1)
What Leeds will test
Leeds are a different test from Palace. They lost 2-0 at Bournemouth last time out, in a game where Bournemouth’s press punished goalkeeper James Trafford, but at Elland Road they play with more energy and they will press Kinsky and the two centre-backs from the first minute. Spurs have to be clean with their first pass out, which is one reason Tonali’s position matters: he drops between the centre-backs to give them a spare man against the first wave.
At the other end, Dominic Calvert-Lewin gives Leeds a direct option, and Van de Ven and Van Hecke will have to defend crosses rather than a striker running in behind. That suits Spurs more than the Palace game did. If Spurs control the middle with Tonali, Fernandes and Maddison, the wide players should get the one-on-one situations De Zerbi wants.
Team sheets are confirmed about 75 minutes before kick-off on Saturday. A fourth straight win would move Spurs further away from the bottom places they occupied a fortnight ago and keep them in the top half before the international break.
The lineup in full
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Gray, Van de Ven, Van Hecke, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali; Kudus, Maddison, Tel; Marmoush.