Tottenham Hotspur will travel to Greater Manchester to take on Manchester United at Old Trafford hoping to continue their winning record in the new Premier League campaign. Spurs have been far from their best and yet they have managed to come away with all three points from their encounters against Newcastle United and Fulham respectively.
Mauricio Pochettino won’t have the services of Heung-min Son to rely upon as the South-Korean is currently representing his nation in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Victor Wanyama is also set to miss out on this clash at Manchester on Monday night. Tottenham Hotspur needs to be at their best to have any chance of bagging a win at Old Trafford against a wounded United team who have been beaten 3-2 away at Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend.
Here are three tweaks that Pochettino could look to make if Spurs are to gain a positive result from this Premier League gameweek tomorrow.
Go With A Bit More Protection In Midfield
Pochettino should bring in someone like Eric Dier to add some more protection to his backline. The English midfielder can operate alongside Mousa Dembele in the middle of the park and match the United midfield strength which could be the key to unlocking the door to victory.
Change Tottenham’s Formation To A More Familiar 4-2-3-1
Pochettino decided to go with a 3-5-2 formation against Fulham last weekend. However, he should change Spurs’ formation to a more conventional and tested 4-2-3-1 so that the away side can win the midfield battle and dictate proceedings on Monday night.
The Red Devils are likely to go with a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation so matching them would be the best course of action for the North London outfit. Moreover, the Tottenham players are currently performing at a higher level than some of the United players, and they might get an advantage if both teams play the same formation.
Bring In Dembele For Alderweireld
Spurs should start Mousa Dembele in midfield if they want to enjoy more possession at Old Trafford. Winning the 50-50 midfield battles would be integral thus opting to start with someone as experienced as Dembele should give Tottenham Hotspur the edge at the centre of the field.
