Spurs v Watford: The four key battles set to determine which club loses their 100% record this weekend

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Watford host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday with at least one of the two sides set to lose their 100% record after 3 wins from 3 this season.

The Hornets have kicked off their 2018/19 campaign in style with a 2-0 win over Brighton, as well as 3-1 and 2-1 wins over Burnley and Crystal Palace, respectively.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have registered 2-1 and 3-1 wins over Newcastle and Fulham, before that 3-0 mauling of Manchester United at Old Trafford.

We’ve taken a look at the four key battles that will define who loses their 100 per cent record for the season so far.

Harry Kane & Lucas Moura v Christian Kabesele & Craig Cathcart

Tottenham have scored eight goals already this season, with only Manchester City conceding fewer.

Meanwhile, Watford have only conceded two goals in their opening three games – only Liverpool, who have conceded just once in their first four, have done better.

After a slow start to life at Spurs, Lucas Moura has got off to a flying start to this campaign having already registered three goals. He has also formed a formidable partnership with Harry Kane, dropping into spaces and pulling defenders out of position to allow Kane, who has two goals so far, a free run in behind defensive lines.

With Lucas Moura having more than enough pace to exploit these spaces himself, it is important that Christian Kabesele and Craig Cathcart maintain their discipline in defence while marshalling the midfield in front of them to help counter this threat.

Christian Eriksen v Abdoulaye Doucoure & Etienne Capoue

With Lucas Moura and Harry Kane trying to drag Watford’s defence out of position, attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen is likely to play a vital role in this game.

The Dane has already created eight chances for his teammates in this campaign, with one of those turning into an assist. His range and weight of pass is among the best in Europe and has lead to his name being linked with some of the continents biggest clubs.

Abdoulaye Doucoure and Etienne Capoue will have a tough job on their hands to try and stop Eriksen providing for Tottenham’s deadly forward line. However, they have been very proficient in protecting their defence in previous matches and have made a combined 14 interceptions this season. However, they’re yet to face anyone with the creative talents of Christian Eriksen so far.

Roberto Pereyra v Eric Dier/Mousa Dembele

After showing glimpses of his brilliance in a campaign thwarted by injuries last season, Roberto Pereyra has put his foot right to the floor at the start of this one. Three goals scored and four chances created for his teammates only tell a fraction of Pereyra’s contributions so far this season.

His habit of starting from the left before drifting inside is a nightmare for opposition players when trying to decide who should pick him up, although the burden generally falls on the holding midfielder.

Pochettino has used Mousa Dembele from the bench twice this season, while partnering him alongside the ever-present Eric Dier against Manchester United.

It is highly likely that it will be Dier who takes up the holding role again but whoever it is, they will play a key role in nullifying Watford’s biggest attacking threat and stopping Pereryra will also go a long way towards keeping Troy Deeney and Andre Gray quiet up front.

Javi Gracia v Mauricio Pochettino

Javi Gracia has deployed a very flexible 4-2-2-2 system this season, dropping into a 4-4-2 when Watford are out of possession.

This has allowed their star man, Roberto Pereyra, to flourish as he moves in from the left to take a central position. The Argentine international has repaid Gracia for allowing him so much creative freedom and his aforementioned stats show just how much he is enjoying his free role. Will Hughes has also been very effective with a similar role from the right-hand side, scoring in their win over Burnley and also creating four chances this season.

With the wingers tucking inside, the full-backs, Jose Holebas and Daryl Janmaat, have the freedom to roam forward, safe in the knowledge that Abdoulaye Doucoure and Etienne Capoue are covering them in midfield. Holebas and Janmaat need no second invitation to bomb forward and have created nine chances between them so far this season.

By contrast, Mauricio Pochettino has chopped and changed his system regularly this season, depending on the opponent. Their 3-0 win over Manchester United saw them revert to a back-four, while they played a reserved midfield diamond that included both Moussa Dembele and Eric Dier. It is unlikely that Pochettino will be so cautious in this game but one thing that is for certain is the way he will use Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Christian Eriksen.

In Lucas Moura, Tottenham seem to have found a perfect partner for Kane, as mentioned above. The Brazilian is very adept at dropping deep and drawing out a defender, allowing Kane to run into the vacated space, and Christian Eriksen is the perfect playmaker to find him in that space. Not only that, Moura, as shown against United, has the pace to run into these spaces himself and cause havoc in behind defences.

With two managers that favour high energy, pressing football, Sunday’s fixture should provide a very watchable, tactical battle.

The post Spurs v Watford: The four key battles set to determine which club loses their 100% record this weekend appeared first on Squawka News.



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