The English Premier League is nearing yet another intense end to the season with Chelsea running away with the league title. However, their fellow London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, are maintaining a challenge for the top spot and to continue the same, Mauricio Pochettino would be looking forward to outclassing Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium later today.
Paul Clement and his company have done a massive job of pulling themselves out of the doldrums of helplessness but the axe of relegation is still very close to falling on their neck. In a game where a lot could possibly be decided, here are three key battles which would hold paramount importance in dictating the flow of the game.
Gylfi Sigurdsson vs. Eric Dier
Sigurdsson is undergoing a stunning campaign in the Premier League this season, with 8 goals and 11 assists to his name already. The Swansea City’s playmaker would be a threat to Dier who would need to shut him out on a constant basis. The Iceland international would be aiming to create yards of spaces, look for killer balls and even aim at the opponents’ goal from a considerable distance and Dier, alongside his side’s holding midfielders, do have a massive task of keeping Sigurdsson quiet by dispossessing him, marking him all the time and physically challenging him to force him to make errors.
Jordan Ayew vs. Toby Alderweireld
Ayew’s style of play like dribbling and cutting inside to create goal scoring chances and to damage the opponents will be relied upon heavily by the Wales-based outfit, but then, facing a defender like Alderweireld is arguably one of the last things Ayew could possibly ask for. The Belgian international is unarguably one of the finest defenders which Premier League has on offer and his absolutely impeccable defensive methods are likely to have a massive say in turning the tides in favour of the North London based outfit.
Federico Fernandez vs. Son Heung-min
Son is seemingly likely to spearhead Spurs’ attack ahead of Vincent Jansson at the Liberty Stadium, which implies that Fernandez needs to stay alarmed all the time, considering that the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen would be aiding the South Korean by dishing out juicy balls and killer passes. Clement should advise Fernandez to mark Son constantly and try not to let him utilise his pace or deadly finishing techniques by monitoring his movements meticulously so that his impact is minimal.
