The Tottenham Hotspur starting XI against Brentford in the Premier League could look very different from the side that lined up last season.
The Premier League kicks off this weekend with Tottenham Hotspur’s bitter rivals Arsenal getting things on the way with a clash against newly promoted Coventry.
Following the Gunners’ opener, Tottenham then wrap things up with the final game on Saturday when they take on Brentford at the Gtech Stadium.
Roberto De Zerbi and his side will be hoping to get things off to a winning start as the Italian takes charge of Spurs in what is his first full season in north London.
Tottenham pre-season hints at major XI changes for De Zerbi’s opener
The starting XI is definitely one thing many Tottenham fans will be keeping an eye on ahead of Spurs’ Premier League opener.
Tottenham have made several changes to their squad since the last campaign, with ten sales completed and six new signings joining the north London side this summer.
Based on their transfer dealings, the Tottenham side set to take to the pitch this weekend will surely look very different.
Pre-season preparations will also play a part in De Zerbi’s team selection as the Italian makes a decision based on his players’ fitness.
Taking all these into consideration, we have now picked the starting XI we expect De Zerbi to name on Saturday evening. Our predictions are mainly based on the pre-season performances of the Spurs players.
In goal, we have Antonin Kinsky. The Czech international is now De Zerbi’s number one choice. Guglielmo Vicario is edging closer to a move away from Tottenham, while Spurs extended Kinsky’s contract this summer, highlighting the trust they have in the young goalkeeper.
Spurs will most definitely line up in a back four this weekend. And for the first time in over two seasons, we think it could be a completely different backline for the Lilywhites.
We do not expect any of the usuals, Pedro Porro or Micky van de Ven, to feature. Of course, there is no Cristian Romero either, with the Argentine having been sold to Atletico Madrid.
Djed Spence is also not an option for De Zerbi following the Englishman’s departure to Inter Milan. As for Destiny Udogie, he is a big doubt. The Italian full-back was one of five players not to get any minutes in pre-season.
As a result, we expect a backline comprising Gray (C), Van Hecke, Senesi, and Robertson. These four players were heavily involved in pre-season for Tottenham and are in a prime position to start on Saturday.
Spurs midfield and attack shaped by pre-season involvement
Moving into the midfield, it could still look different from what it was last season. We do expect to see new signing Sandro Tonali at the heart of the Tottenham midfield.
The Italian showed his quality in pre-season, even scoring a goal in Spurs’ clash against Chelsea. Accompanying him will be Tottenham’s second record signing, Mateus Fernandes.
The Portuguese’s pre-season preparations were far from the smoothest, with injuries heavily impacting his minutes. Still, the 21-year-old managed a solid 163 minutes of game time and could be named alongside Tonali as a number eight for Tottenham. Should he miss out, Lucas Bergvall could come in.
In the ten we have Conor Gallagher. The Englishman ranks in the top five for most minutes played in pre-season and was used in the number ten role throughout.
James Maddison remains an option, but it is unlikely he starts against Brentford, having only played once during the Lilywhites’ summer camp.
Up top, we could see the same front three that lined up against Hoffenheim at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend.
De Zerbi had a front three of Mikey Moore, Richarlison and Mathys Tel. The trio leading the line against the German outfit looked sharp in front of goal.
Moore scored a brace, Richarlison grabbed a single goal, while Tel assisted twice on the afternoon. Tottenham also do not have many options at the top end of the field with Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski out injured.
The front line, however, could still change should a new signing come through the door before the season kicks off. Spurs are heavily linked with a move for Gakpo and Savinho, while there is talk that a forward could also be signed.
Tottenham’s first XI of the season will likely look like this: Kinsky; Gray (C), Van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali, Gallagher; Moore, Richarlison, Tel