Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Brom: Key Issues That Will Shape Premier League Game
A return to winning ways is on the agenda for Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League this Sunday.
Tottenham were close to securing all three points at Sunderland last time out, before an unfortunate Harry Kane own goal saw them end up with a 2-2 draw.
"It’s two points dropped and in a way, it even feels like a defeat," left-back Danny Rose told Spurs' official website.
Despite a frustrating few weeks for Spurs since they lost to Liverpool, they at least have a couple of wins on the board.
West Brom have yet to win in the league this season, and have not scored since an opening day 2-2 draw with Sunderland.
Spurs and the Baggies drew both meetings last season, so something does not necessarily have to give. Given both team's desire to record a morale-boosting win, surely something will.
Read on for a look at some of the key issues that might shape this weekend's game.
Dealing with Berahino Could Mark Kaboul's First Official Game as Captain
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Saido Berahino spoke to West Bromwich Albion's official website this week about the challenges facing the team, and the improvements they need to make.
One of the forward's call to arms was how the Baggies must "learn how to punish teams."
This is undoubtedly a team-wide issue given Berahino is the only player to score for them in the league this season—a brace in the previously mentioned match against Sunderland. Even their goal in the Capital One Cup was an own goal by Oxford United's Johnny Mullins.
It has been difficult for Berahino to do more himself, as much as he will have liked to. Deployed out wide at times this season, the benefits of different angles to work with from there can quickly turn into isolation and peripheral contributions at best.
Played with up-front with Brown Ideye last week, Alan Irvine has to decide whether to use his dangerous young striker leading the line. Or opt for a more cautious approach away from home that utilises his energy in a possibly more restricted role.
Either way, Tottenham would be wise to keep any eye on the lively Berahino.
There is a good chance he will come up against centre-back Younes Kaboul and could pose the biggest threat to the Frenchman enjoying a good start to life as the official Spurs captain.
The two crossed paths in their clubs' 3-3 draw last April after Berahino came on for the last 20 minutes. By that point Spurs were putting West Brom under an enormous pressure and he saw little of the ball.
Berahino will hope for more opportunities to get at Kaboul and his colleagues this time around.
Will Dembele Drive on and Cement His Place in the Spurs Midfield?
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Mousa Dembele's late return to pre-season after his summer at the World Cup has required him to feel his way into this season. Brought on as a substitute in the games against Queens Park Rangers and Liverpool, he got his first league start at Sunderland.
It was a big opportunity for the Belgium international.
As one of the midfielders Mauricio Pochettino decided to keep, he already knew there was a certain amount of faith in him. But with Nabil Bentaleb enjoying a decent start to the season, and new signing Benjamin Stambouli now added to the mix, he had to show he could be a productive part of his new boss' plans.
A good all-round display at the Stadium of Light followed. Dembele's passing was near impeccable (tallied at 94 percent completed by Squawka), and he more than held his own against the athleticism of Jack Rodwell, and the shrewdness of Sebastian Larsson and Lee Cattermole. He almost scored too, rattling the woodwork with a first-half shot.
Rested for the Europa League match with Partizan Belgrade on Thursday, he should start versus West Brom. The technically gifted but somewhat soft Baggies midfield could be the perfect opponent for Dembele to assert himself even further.
"Craig Gardner, Graham Dorrans, Chris Brunt and [James] Morrison are all decent players—but they can't all play at the same time," bemoaned ESPN FC's Matthew Evans after West Brom's loss to Everton. Even if Irvine corrects the lack of width mentioned by Evans in that quartet, Dembele will still fancy his chances of getting in and amongst them.
Spurs missed a more forceful presence like Dembele in midfield the last time the two sides met. Nacer Chadli and Paulinho had their moments as a central partnership, but they were overwhelmed by West Brom as they raced into a 3-0 lead.
As Pochettino's team begins to take shape, Dembele could establish some valuable individual momentum this weekend.
Spurs and West Brom Both Need to Start Playing the Concentration Game
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Tottenham looked to have countered the threat of bad starts becoming a habit for them again last week. Nacer Chadli gave them the lead at Sunderland within a couple of minutes and things were looking rosy, a world away from their costly negligence in the opening of their loss to Liverpool.
Then Sunderland went down the other end and scored almost straight away. Cue a disappointed Pochettino.
"We switched off after we scored the first goal and conceded an equaliser," admitted the Spurs head coach to his club's official website. "The stats are all there for us today, but we’ve only got one point. It’s a shame but we need to look forward."
Adam Johnson's equaliser had a touch of brilliance about it, but Spurs looked disorganised and unprepared in the aftermath of going ahead.
There was a touch of misfortune about the way Sunderland drew level for a second time—the ball bounced off Harry Kane and into his own net. Yet the way the Spurs defence just looked on as the free-kick came across the box without an attempt to get to it, again did not speak well of their focus.
West Brom have had their own issues with concentration.
Last week Jonas Olsson egregiously passed it straight to Everton's Romelu Lukaku before Ben Foster uncharacteristically allowed Kevin Mirallas' shot to squeeze under him. Their marking has been shaky at various points this season too.
Humans make mistakes, so these moments are going to happen on a football pitch. Minimising them is a must at any level, though.
The way both these teams have been going, it would not be a surprise to see one of them suffer because of their own doing again.
Can Irvine Keep the Mask on If Things Go Wrong?
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Speaking to the Express & Star this week, Baggies boss Irvine indicated how he intended to refocus after the Everton defeat.
"So, no, I don’t move on quickly. But, as far as the players, are concerned I will move on quickly because there’s nothing to be gained by dwelling on this, other than thinking about positives.
As a manager and a coach, you put the mask on and you try to get everybody back to where you need them, because I’ve never seen it working when a manager has come in and still been grumpy on Thursday.
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It is an admirable attitude from Irvine amid a tough start to life at West Brom. No wins from four in the league and supporters are already getting on his and the team's back.
The good news ahead of the trip to Tottenham was the prospect of a fully fit squad to choose from getting closer. Though he did note some of his players were not quite ready to play.
"For the first time, we will have all 25 training and that is great news for us," he told WBA.co.uk. "It means we’re getting closer now to having the full range of options open to us."
Irvine and his coaching staff will be working to turn these hints of positivity into a frame of mind among his players suitable for the challenge posed by Spurs. While the north London club have issues themselves, they remain confident in their ability to beat sides like West Brom, and have the talent to back it up.
How Irvine reacts should things go wrong at White Hart Lane will make for an interesting watch. The intent to keep a happy, or at least strong mask on can quickly give way if his team stumble or worse.
Losing the plot any further is something neither the West Brom manager or players can afford to do in a situation that could easily descend from precarious to a full-blown crisis.
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