Mauricio Pochettino has said he will not ‘panic’ and bring Harry Kane back too early despite Spurs failing to win their last three Premier League games. Tottenham remain unbeaten in the league, but have two tough tests this week as they host Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League prior to travelling down Seven Sisters Road to face Arsenal on Sunday.
No team had more draws than Spurs in the Premier League last season, a record that cost them finishing above fierce rivals Arsenal if not the league title itself. Pochettino’s side have only scored one goal from open play in their last five games, but the Argentinian has said he will not be rushed into making a rash decision:
“Maybe on Monday he can be in the group. We will assess him and see if he is available to be selected, but he will not be involved in the starting 11.
“Me, I never panic, not in football. Sometimes I am scared to walk on the street because you never know if there are crazy people out there, but in football never.”
Heung Min Son was in a rich vein of form in Kane’s absence, but the goals have dried up from the South Korean forward of late. Vincent Janssen got his first league goal against Leicester, but has struggled to establish himself during his first season in England.
Of course, scoring goals is not just down to the form of your strikers; Pochettino needs to find a solution to make Spurs more creative. Moussa Dembele was outstanding last term, but has been less integral this season.
The Belgium international is one of the most underrated midfielders in the league, and uses and protects the ball extremely well. He can drive with the ball from deep which opens up gaps for others to exploit.
Elsewhere, Moussa Sissoko has explained he chose Spurs over Everton because they are a bigger club. Eyebrows were raised when Tottenham paid £30 million for the French midfielder, and he has been a little inconsistent since joining the club.
He had an excellent game against Manchester City, but is currently suspended for violent conduct following is elbow at Bournemouth. Speaking to Canal + Sissoko said:
“Tottenham came in next. In my head it was clear I absolutely wanted to sign for them. Without wishing to offend Everton, Tottenham in my opinion are a bigger club than Everton. So for me it was better to go here. And I didn’t think more about it. I signed.”
Finally, speaking to the club’s official website Dele Alli was critical of his own performance in the 1-1 draw with Leicester and admitted he should have scored at least a goal and lost the ball too many times. The former MK Dons midfielder has played plenty of football in the last 12 months, and doesn’t quite have the same sparkle that we saw last season.
That said, he is still a player who gets in the team without fail and the return of Kane up front should help him. The two appeared to have an excellent understanding.
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