20-year-old Tottenham youngster may have a genuine chance of starting against Arsenal on Sunday – opinion

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Tottenham Hotspur will be watching the FA Cup closely tonight to see how rivals Arsenal get on.

Not only to see if they can overcome League One opposition of their own, but because they face off against each this weekend.

One player who received plenty of praise at the weekend from Christian Stellini was Pape Matar Sarr.

After going 18 months without a first-team appearance for Spurs, Sarr has now played in each of Tottenham’s last three games.

He made his debut as a late substitute against Aston Villa, before being given a longer cameo in their win against Crystal Palace.

Sarr finally earned his first start at the weekend against Portsmouth and played brilliantly.

Statistically, he was one of the best players on the pitch, and really impressed in central midfield.

There’s now a chance that Sarr could start against Arsenal at the weekend.

It would be the biggest game of his relatively short Tottenham career, but there are already signs that he would be up for it.

TBR View: Sarr could start against Arsenal

In an ideal world, Conte will have Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur available together on Sunday.

However, Bentancur’s fitness is still a concern and there’s no guarantees he’ll be able to play.

Football London journalist Alasdair Gold said this with regards to the Uruguayan: “There’s also a hope that Rodrigo Bentancur should be involved as well, which is a really good thing.

“I guess with him you’ve got to decide whether, is he fit enough to start the game, or does he have to come back to the bench.

“You would imagine, if he gets any training sessions under his belt, he’s probably going to start that game.”

If Bentancur isn’t fit, then Conte will have to choose between his other central midfielders to see who lines up with Hojbjerg.

Yves Bissouma dropped out of the match on Saturday with an ankle issue, but he should be fine.

The Malian is a very similar to Hojbjerg though, and they’ve not played brilliantly together so far this season.

Interestingly, Sarr was set to start alongside Bissouma at the weekend, suggesting he may be ahead of Oliver Skipp in the pecking order now.

If this is the case, then Sarr really could start against Arsenal on Sunday.

His calmness and control on the ball will be vital against a team who press as relentlessly at Arsenal.

Sarr isn’t afraid of a big challenge either, which is typical of such a feisty derby.