The magical start to the season, for Tottenham Hotspur, came back down to Earth on Monday night, via a crushing blow from the hands of Chelsea FC. The Blues, in the Mauricio Pochettino homecoming game, thrashed Spurs (who were down to nine men at the end) 4-1, knocking the North Londoners from the top of the table.
How will this team playing Angeball respond in the Nuno Espirito Santo Cup (they’re visiting Wolves) on Saturday?
Tottenham at Wolves FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Nov. 11, 12:30pm, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, UK
Spurs Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Premier League Form: Tottenham LWWWW Wolves LDWDW
Premier League Standing: Tottenham 2nd 26 pts Wolves 14th, 12 pts
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Half of Spurs’ starting back line is suspended for this match, and a third member of the back four is now on the shelf for the long-term, so that presents itself as a major challenge, to say the least. Ange Postecoglu has really gotten it done so far this season, despite all the injuries.
He has led his side to one of the best starts in club history, but now he’s faced with a really big selection headache.
Can he adjust to keep the good times rolling? Will he have no choice, but to insert an 18-year-old Ashley Phillips into the center of his defense in his 4-2-3-1 formation?
Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction at Wolves
Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Eric Dier, Ashley Phillips, Emerson Royal; Yves Bissouma, Pape Matang Sarr; James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson; Heung-Min Son
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.