Tactical pattern
There is a growing sense we are in late stage Jose Mourinho, but even if Tottenham are to recover under his guidance then it most likely won’t happen until Harry Kane returns. Without him, they lack a discernible shape or playing style, highlighting the central issue with Mourinho’s approach in the modern game; his expectation that his players will form their own patterns without coaching is not in keeping with the tactical detail of the elite game in 2021.
And so West Brom’s extremely defensive setup in north London this weekend ought to succeed in preventing Tottenham from creating chances. The visitors will compress space and make this an infuriatingly slow game as the hosts, unsure of how to string moves together, fail to play with enough rhythm to pull Sam Allardyce’s team apart. That’s what happened in the reverse fixture until Spurs grabbed a late winner – courtesy of the now absent Kane.
Back the draw at 7/2 (Betfair)
Key battle zone
Tottenham used an ultra-narrow 4-2-2-2 against Chelsea, a strange selection that saw them man-mark the midfielders and leave the wings completely open. They certainly won’t repeat that for this game given that West Brom are most vulnerable down their right flank. This is the zone Tottenham need to target whether it’s Lucas Moura, Gareth Bale or Erik Lamela given the nod.
Six of the 12 goals West Brom have conceded in their last five Premier League games have come from the right wing, and more specifically from opposition players being left entirely open to cross, or pass, across goal. Allardyce’s inability to improve this part of West Brom’s defence is accentuated by how often he changes his left midfielder. So far nobody has adequately supported Kieran Gibbs.
Keep an eye on… Mourinho’s next throw of the dice
After a 1-1 draw with Fulham, Mourinho dropped the 4-2-3-1 he had finally settled on in the first half of the season (in which Tanguy Ndombele was played out of position as a number ten) in favour of a 3-4-3. A win at Sheffield United gave the illusion that the switch had worked, only for the flaws of a two-man central midfield to be exposed by Liverpool and Brighton in their next two matches.
A 4-2-2-2 against Chelsea on Thursday night proved unsuccessful, too, and it seems Mourinho is unable to shake Spurs out of their slumber no matter the system chosen. Keep an eye on the next configuration to be trialled. Perhaps a 4-3-3, with two quick touchline-hugging wingers instructed to run at the back line, is the way to go given West Brom’s weakness on the flanks.
One to watch… Matheus Pereira
West Brom’s number ten has scored five goals in his last six games in all competitions, and playing as the free man in Allardyce’s 4-4-1-1 Pereira is arguably the most improved player under the new manager. Some of that excellent ball control and ability to manoeuvre in tight spaces has come to the fore, which ought to worry a Spurs defence that are weakest when holding a high line. It is certainly easy to envisage Pereira slipping into space between the lines of Spurs’ sluggish formation, acting as the fulcrum in West Brom’s counter-attacks.
Back under 2.5 goals at EVS (PaddyPower)
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