Ange must now unleash Spurs “magician”

In what’s starting to feel like familiar territory, Micky van de Ven is out of action until the middle of December. Tottenham Hotspur will endure. They have to – the patchy form of recent months must be improved.

Spurs lost at home to newly-promoted Ipswich Town before the November international break, meaning that Ange Postecoglou‘s tenth-placed side have lost five of their opening 11 Premier League matches of the season.

Consistency is paramount, but luckily, Chelsea, who are third, only hold a three-point advantage over their London rivals.

More unluckily, Tottenham meet Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this evening, with Pep Guardiola‘s side hunting a fine vein of form themselves.

It’s going to be tough, not least because Van de Ven is unavailable. Even so, the Lilywhites dumped the Cityzens out of the Carabao Cup last month and know they have the tools to inflict damage on the Premier League’s imperial champions.

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Van de Ven’s pace and athleticism provide something unique to Tottenham’s backline, but Radu Dragusin is a talented young defender himself and will likely be placed alongside the veteran Ben Davies, for Cristian Romero, who hasn’t quite hit his stride yet this season, is also sidelined.

Daunting. But Postecoglou will double down on his tactical philosophy and hope that his team can expose the chinks in the hosts’ armour.

Rodrigo Bentancur begins his seven-match suspension, so will almost certainly be replaced at the anchor of the midfield by the tough-tackling Yves Bissouma.

Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are longer-term absentees and the exciting teenager Mikey Moore is also out due to illness.

Rodri’s absence comes as a small sliver of respite for Spurs, but City are still capable of dismantling the finest outfits in the world and will be desperate to put pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool, who are five points clear at the top.

How Spurs can defeat Man City

The thought of quelling the threat of Erling Haaland without Postecoglou’s preferred defensive axis is worrying, no two ways about it. The Norwegian goal machine has scored 12 goals from 11 top-flight matches this season but only two from his past six games.

Given the brilliance of City’s frontline and assessing the likelihood of keeping a clean sheet, it could perhaps be surmised that Tottenham will need to focus their efforts at the front of the ship, rather than attempting to shut up shop. Postecoglou is sure to subscribe to this idea.

Due to the visitors’ absences, it’s likely that Heung-min Son and Brennan Johnson will flank Dominic Solanke at the Etihad, which makes for a lively and dynamic attacking trio that of course can cause City problems.

After all, Tottenham have scored more goals than any other side in the division this year.

To maximise their chances of success, though, the Lilywhites might want to enforce an alteration not borne from injury strife. James Maddison was benched as the Tractor Boys drove away from the N17 with three points, and his creativity could be crucial.

Why James Maddison could be crucial

In February 2023, as the winter transfer window wrapped up, The Daily Mail revealed that Manchester City were interested in signing Maddison that summer. The England playmaker was the star of the show at Leicester City, but the Foxes were imperilled and heading for the Championship.

Newcastle United also wanted the 27-year-old, but it was Postecoglou’s Tottenham who succeeded in taking him from the King Power in a deal worth £40m. Winning the Premier League’s Player of the Month for August 2023, he looked to be a real steal and indeed flourished as Spurs rode the crest of a wave.

Injuries and a consequent protracted struggle for form have pulled Maddison away from the limelight, but he’s got the quality to damage Man City this evening and must be handed a starting berth, only playing around 14 minutes across Tottenham’s past two Premier League matches.

As per FBref, Maddison ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for passes attempted, the top 1% for progressive passes and the top 15% for crosses per 90.

Dejan Kulusevski is a bundle of energetic joy and must start. The Swedish ace has probably been Tottenham’s player of the season, so far. Pape Sarr works well as a counterbalancing force, but with Bissouma in the mix, Maddison might work better.

Once hailed as a “magician” by analyst Statman Dave, his pitched drives down long-stretching lanes are perfect for the quick-paced Johnson, the intelligent Son.

It would be foolish not to start him, in fact. Maddison hasn’t reclaimed those giddying levels from his first few months as a Tottenham player, but such performances prove that he can perform with a flair that is nearly unreplicable, certainly among Postecoglou’s current brood.

Start him, Ange. Tottenham’s frontline is as talented as it has been for the past several years, but City’s suffocating style could leave them isolated. Trapped.

Maddison’s passing range could be the key to unlocking City’s defence. Guardiola once wanted him at his outfit, and might just be silenced by his former target on Saturday evening.

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