Alongside Johnson, Spurs could unleash a star who has made zero starts in 23/24.
Tottenham could surpass Mauricio Pochettino’s team and maintain their lead in the Premier League with a convincing win.
Monday night marks Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League comeback as they take on London rivals Chelsea at home. Mauricio Pochettino, the former manager of Spurs, is leading the Blues.
Given Ange Postecoglou’s remarkable success in bringing the north London club back to life since the summer, there won’t be much controversy surrounding the Argentinian manager’s choice of stomping ground, but there will be more focus on picking up another win anyhow.
Even though Tottenham had a terrible season the previous year, they have completely turned their fortunes around since Postecoglou took over. Even with the August sale of club record scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, there was no longer any reason to fear that the team would descend into the dog days.
Tottenham’s Premier League efforts, which have included eight wins and two draws so far, stand in sharp contrast to Chelsea’s faltering efforts. Chelsea finished in the lower half of the division last year and are still not among the top teams in the division despite spending heavily.
A victory would maintain Spurs’ unbeaten start to the 2022–2023 season and their top spot in the Premier League table, despite a potential defensive dilemma.
Chelsea vs. Tottenham team news
Although Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie are both questionable regarding their fitness, it appears that a late decision will have to be made.
Ivan Perisic’s extended absence, who is out of contract at the end of the season and may never play in London again, makes the situation worse.
Despite the continued absence of Manor Solomon and Ryan Sessegnon from the lineup, the Lilywhites should be able to field the majority of their winning squad this season, having avoided any major long-term injuries thus far.
After recovering from an injury last week, Brennan Johnson set up Heung-min Son’s game-winning goal against Crystal Palace. Postecoglou will now have to decide how Richarlison will play against Chelsea on Wednesday night.
The numerical arguments in favor of Brennan Johnson starting against Chelsea
Johnson joined the club from divisional rivals Nottingham Forest in August for a reported £47.5 million, but his early days in white were marred by a knee injury suffered against Arsenal on his debut. Johnson had not yet been given a second starting position.
The £70,000-per-week attacker, who can compete all over the front line, would infuse the Tottenham front line with energy and directness. He is a perfect replacement for Richarlison, who has improved since faltering during the 2022–2023 campaign but is still not at the level he was at when he was at the top with Everton.
Ally McCoist of talkSPORT has called the Brazilian “very frustrating” to watch and believes he isn’t reaching his full potential despite spending £60 million to sign from Everton last summer. Despite this, he has scored two goals and provided three assists so far this season, compared to just one Premier League goal the previous year.
According to FBref, Johnson’s explosiveness and robustness are demonstrated by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% of positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for both progressive carries and tackles per ninety.
Although Johnson has done enough to merit an opportunity from the outset and could be the difference against Chelsea, Postecoglou obviously prefers stability and cohesion in his starting XI rather than any real disruptions.
Rodrigo Bentancur, who has been out since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee back in February, has returned to action off the bench against the Eagles last time out, giving Spurs a boost in the middle of the park.
The numerical arguments in favor of Rodrigo Bentancur starting against Chelsea
In January 2022, Tottenham paid roughly £21.5 million to Juventus for Bentancur, and Dejan Kulusevski joined on loan before making the transfer permanent.
The 54-cap Uruguay international has made 45 total appearances for his current club, recording six goals and four assists apiece. The £75k-per-week Bentancur impressed in the early stages of his Spurs career and started 16 Premier League matches – creating four assists – in the latter half of the 2021/22 year as Antonio Conte’s side secured Champions League football with a top-four finish.
Naturally, moving one of Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr right now would require an enormous amount of work, as Postecoglou’s dynamic pair would be turbocharging the engine.giving the seasonal ascendancy room and a major role.
Despite his team’s overall poor performance last season, 26-year-old Bentancur is a proven Premier League player who was previously praised as “technically immense” by broadcaster Adam Smith.
According to Sofascore, the former Old Lady star played in just 17 Premier League games last season, but he still managed to score five goals, dish out two assists, complete 85% of his passes, make 2.5 tackles per game, and successfully dribble 66% of the time.
In terms of goals, successful takeaways, and tackles per ninety, the six-foot midfielder ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the previous year, according to FBref, highlighting a well-rounded, dynamic threat that could be suitable for upsetting the Blues.
Naturally, Bentancur’s availability will depend on whether or not he passes fitness tests during the week. It would be a risky move if he makes his season debut against the Blues after a protracted injury layoff.
Naturally, Bentancur’s availability will be contingent upon his performance on weekly fitness tests. If he plays his first game of the season against the Blues following a lengthy injury layoff, it would be a risky move.
