Tottenham Hotspur will look to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League at Wembley to 13 matches when they host Arsenal in the latest version of the North London derby on Saturday.
Spurs were beaten by Chelsea in their first home league game in their new home back in August, but they have since won eight and drawn four at England’s national stadium, scoring 27 goals and conceding on just seven occasions in 12 fixtures since then.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men followed up an impressive 2-0 win against Manchester United at Wembley last week with a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, with Harry Kane’s last-gasp penalty rescuing a point for his side when it looked as though Mo Salah’s injury-time goal looked to have won it for the hosts.
Pochettino will be well aware of the importance of the encounter against the Gunners on Saturday both in terms of the bragging rights and positions in the table, with Spurs currently one point adrift of the top four and four points above their arch-rivals.
The Argentine saw a couple of his players struggle on Merseyside last time out, and he is asking for trouble if he fails to make a couple of alterations to his XI.
Here are two changes Pochettino must make to his Tottenham team when they host Arsenal…
Toby Alderweireld for Davinson Sanchez
Sanchez has generally been an impressive performer at the back for Tottenham since joining the club from Ajax during the summer, but he really struggled in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield last Sunday.
The Colombia international failed to cope with the intensity and speed provided by the likes of Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane for the Reds, while he was poor in possession and made general errors on the pitch.
Meanwhile, Alderweireld returned to action against Newport County on Wednesday night having been on the sidelines with a hamstring injury since the end of October, and he looks to be closing in on a Premier League return.
The Belgium international has the quality and experience to play a key role against Arsenal on Saturday, especially with the Gunners now boasting the dangerous Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in attack, and Pochettino should select the 28-year-old ahead of Sanchez at Wembley.
Victor Wanyama for Eric Dier
Like Sanchez, Dier endured a bit of a nightmare against Liverpool – especially in the first-half – and it was his under-hit back-pass in the third minute that saw Mo Salah give the hosts an early lead.
The England international was poor on the ball and struggled to deal with the Reds’ attacking players throughout, and with Victor Wanyama now approaching full fitness his place in the team could be under threat for the latest episode of the North London derby on Saturday.
The Kenya international made an instant impact from the substitutes’ bench with a stunning goal, while he reignited the impressive partnership he had with Mousa Dembele previously.
With Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil both likely to be key players for Arsenal at Wembley, Pochettino should bring in Wanyama for Dier to boost his side’s chances of picking up what could prove to be a crucial three points in the long run.
Do you agree, Spurs fans? Let us know below.
