Tottenham Hotspur must respond after a damaging defeat against Sunderland, and we expect several changes to the starting XI this weekend as Spurs take on Brighton and Hove Albion.
Tottenham Hotspur now need to pick themselves up after their 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on Sunday afternoon.
That loss leaves Spurs in the bottom three for the first time this season, with just six games left as they fight to avoid relegation to the Championship.
As the season reaches its end, Tottenham will be aiming to pick up at least ten more points as they push to hit the 40-point mark, which could guarantee their safety.
The clash against Brighton this weekend presents an opportunity to begin that push, and we have highlighted the XI we want to see Roberto De Zerbi put out.
Tottenham XI vs Brighton as Pedro Porro and Richarlison decisions made
Of course, Injuries remain a factor for Spurs, and that will affect the players De Zerbi can field on Saturday. Guglielmo Vicario is still recovering from hernia surgery and is a doubt, which should allow Antonin Kinsky to retain the goalkeeping spot after a solid display on Sunday afternoon.
However, lining up in front of him, we expect to see a back four comprising Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Destiny Udogie.
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While Porro at times struggled and was caught out in the first half against Sunderland, the full-back still put in a solid shift, offering attacking threat, and we would like to see him continue on the right.
Danso is expected to come in for Cristian Romero – who is set to miss the rest of the season, and given that he is more reliable than Radu Dragusin, it is almost a no-brainer.
Van de Ven still has qualities that are valuable to Spurs, so he should start, while Udogie was good against Sunderland, offering both defensive and attacking cover, and should retain his role at left-back.
Midfield balance and attacking tweaks needed
In midfield, Spurs surely need more defensive cover, so Joao Palhinha should return to the side, replacing Connor Gallagher, who was far from perfect against Sunderland.
Alongside him in the pivot role is Archie Gray, who was among the highest-rated players, according to Jamie O’Hara, and given his form, it is hard to see who would bench him.
Rounding off the midfield three should be Lucas Bergvall, who still brings energy and allows Tottenham to press from the front.
Now, in the front three, we want to see something different from what was attempted against Sunderland, where De Zerbi played all three of his strikers.
We would like to see natural wingers come into this game and, to accommodate that, Mathys Tel should be shifted to the right to offer width and a greater threat from that area.
Leading the line should be Richarlison, who had a couple of good chances against Sunderland but fluffed his lines; he still remains the most prolific option for Spurs.
On the left, a more fluid setup is needed, with Xavi Simons coming into the side. He is most dangerous in central areas, and if deployed on the left, he should be given the licence to drift inside, where he can do the most damage.
That will allow Udogie to hold the width on the left, overlapping the midfielder to give Spurs an added attacking outlet.
Tottenham starting XI: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Gray, Bergvall; Tel, Richarlison, Simons.