Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to lift their first major silverware in quite some time as they take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. The Lilywhites are in a bit of disarray at the moment having fired Jose Mourinho in the aftermath of the ESL debacle. Things won’t be made easier by the league leaders who are being widely regarded as the most in-form team in Europe.
Here, at the 4th Official, we will take a look at how Tottenham can lift the Carabao Cup this weekend, in what will be only Ryan Mason’s second game in charge of the club.
A Deep Defensive Scheme
Tottenham Hotspur simply cannot hope to win against Manchester City by breaking away from Mourinho’s defence-oriented method and taking the game to the opponents. The Citizens are simply too strong out of possession, boasting the presence of pressers like Rodrigo and Ilkay Gundogan who are well capable of creating turnovers.
Instead, Mason needs to employ a deep defensive line and invite pressure from their opponent in an attempt to not only retain the clean sheet but also frustrate them out. A successful execution could lead to Man City taking more risks in possession, thus ideally paving the way for Spurs to potentially penetrate the lines easier on the counter.
Midfield Masterclass
While Tottenham must be content with Man City dominating possession, they simply cannot allow the opposition to run over them in midfield. That is where the combination of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele could be key, with the former, in particular, set to play a vital role heading into this fixture.
The Dane’s performance could be crucial once again if Spurs are to have any hopes of salvaging anything from this game. The midfielder’s aggression, work-ethic as well as ability to offer those crucial passes forward does indeed make him a vital cog in Tottenham’s second line of press, and his contributions could go a long way in shaping the fate of his team in the Carabao Cup final this weekend.
Use Son Heung-Min As A Runner
Tottenham will be crippled in the attacking department by the absence of Harry Kane. The Englishman is struggling with an injury, which would naturally force any manager to deploy Son Heung-Min in the central attacking role.
Mason, however, should instead use the South Korean international in his preferred wide attacking role. This is primarily because Son is excellent when it comes to making runs in behind the defence, so he might thrive more if Tottenham have someone like Lucas Moura operating in the number nine role – someone who can hold up the play and release balls in behind the Man City backline.
It could be a valuable source of chances for Son, whose partnership with Gareth Bale out wide will be a crucial element in Tottenham’s offensive play this weekend.
