Tottenham vs. Everton: How Spurs Should Line Up in Premier League Game

Regular challengers for a top-four place in recent seasons, the respective Champions League aspirations of Tottenham Hotspur and Everton for the current campaign have been dealt setbacks by slow starts.

Despite their shared inconsistent form, the 10th- and ninth-placed sides are still only two points off fourth heading into the Premier League weekend. A win for either on Sunday would see them back among the contenders with ample opportunity to build on further during a packed December fixture list.

Off the back of a much-needed 2-1 win over Hull City, Tottenham will also want to record a first home league win since October 5. Here is how they should line up in their attempt to do so.

Goalkeeper and Defence

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Federico Fazio playing against Everton would help bring some much-needed consistency to the Spurs defence.

Hugo Lloris is set to pull double duty again this week—starting for Tottenham in the Europa League and Premier League.

Back-up goalkeeper Michel Vorm will not have been too pleased the Frenchman was selected ahead of him against Partizan Belgrade. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino will be be satisfied with his decision after Lloris made a late save to maintain Tottenham's solitary-goal lead over the Serbian side.

Lloris may be required to make some similar stops against a strong Everton attack possibly featuring the likes of Samuel Eto'o, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas. While there is no reason he should not play on Sunday, there is more to argue about the defence in front of him.

On Friday it was confirmed on Spurs' official website that defenders Younes Kaboul and Danny Rose "are being closely monitored to ascertain if they’re ready to come back into the fray." As captain, the former especially would expect to take up his place back in the team.

Pochettino may think so, too. Then again, he may opt—and certainly should—to stick with the defence that started against Hull and build some much-needed consistency in the position.

Spurs have suffered over the last couple of months from unnecessarily moving pieces around at the back. Neither Kaboul or Rose was performing so well before that they absolutely must come back in anyway.

Last week's back four of (right to left) Eric Dier, Federico Fazio, Jan Vertonghen and Ben Davies were not flawless against the Tigers. But the balance was decent enough that the chance for them to establish even more of an understanding together should not be passed up.

Fazio certainly looked more comfortable alongside the less frantic Vertonghen than he did with Kaboul. Davies grew into his first league Spurs start, while Dier's familiarity with the right-back position makes him the more sensible option up against the Toffees' considerable wide threat with Kyle Naughton suspended and Kyle Walker likely still out (BBC Sport reports Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar are possible returnees for Everton).

Midfield

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Christian Eriksen played a big part in Tottenham turning around a slow start at Hull last weekend.

Gaston Ramirez's sending-off undoubtedly helped Tottenham's comeback against Hull. The way the away side were playing in the first half, though, they might not have capitalised on the extra-man advantage had Pochettino decided not to move Christian Eriksen back into central midfield.

From there the Dane had the room and wider view of the pitch to shape Spurs' play in a way he had been unable to nearer to the more crowded final third.

His quick, precise passing freed the likes of Harry Kane, Erik Lamela and substitute Aaron Lennon between the lines in positions they could use their movement, speed and skill. It upped the pressure on Hull to the point they eventually succumbed.

Eriksen's starting point being further back did not prohibit him getting forward either. He was just able to better judge when he was better off holding back and when to make a telling run. The best example was his 90th-minute winner when he capitalised on a nice exchange between Kane and Lennon.

Eriksen's deeper position worked in beating a Hull team who became more inclined to sit back as their situation changed. It can work against a more adventurous Everton outfit, too.

Key to doing so against the likes of Ross Barkley, James McCarthy and Leon Osman—who will not want to let such an influential threat to them have it all his own way—will be who Pochettino would field with Eriksen in this proposed midfield.

The industrious Ryan Mason is a must here. He will happily work to get at the Toffees and will ensure Eriksen has a passing option in closer confines if a forward ball is not immediately obvious.

With Etienne Capoue a doubt, and Mousa Dembele and Paulinho still underwhelming, it surely has to be time for Benjamin Stambouli to get his first league start.

It would be a test against the quick-thinking and slick Everton midfielders mentioned. Even so, Stambouli has grown in confidence with every cup game he has played and showed against Partizan Belgrade how effective his aggressiveness on both sides of the ball can be.

The 24-year-old would clearly oblige in doing as much dirty work as possible so Eriksen does not have to.

Attack

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Roberto Soldado and Harry Kane together in attack will be worth another look on Sunday.

"My partnership with Harry is good," Roberto Soldado told Tottenham's official website. "I always like to play with someone close to me and Harry is now at the top level."

Kane's equaliser vs. Hull was his 11th goal of the season. The 20-year-old continues to score and—while accounting for most of his match time coming in the Capital One Cup and Europa League—has arguably been Spurs' most consistent attacking performer this season.

This is obvious to Soldado and he will understandably be keen to hitch himself to Kane's gathering momentum. Working with the young striker may help his own game and prove a solution to his ongoing finishing yips.

It has to be worth another look, though, especially back at White Hart Lane where Spurs have struggled to cause too much concern for Newcastle United and Stoke City in their last two league games there.

Playing Erik Lamela with them would ensure it is a very forward-thinking front trio indeed. One that might mean in certain situations their midfield is doing an awful lot of work to combat advancing Toffees who have gone unchecked up to the halfway line.

But similarly, Roberto Martinez's defence would face a handful themselves—Lamela's runs are free-kick bait while Kane and Soldado have the nous to get in and around centre-backs and give them barely a moment's rest. From those points there are goals in all three.

Aaron Lennon's good performances in the past two games would make him a likely first option off the bench here. If either or both of Emmanuel Adebayor and Nacer Chadli prove to be fit in time, then that would give Pochettino options to change things if needs be.

Soldado has been crying out for a run of games to prove himself in while Kane has truly earned his spot right now. It is undoubtedly the time to see what they can do.

The Team

Bleacher Report

Confirmation of that proposed starting XI in full:

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris (captain).

Defence (right to left): Eric Dier, Federico Fazio, Jan Vertonghen, Ben Davies.

Midfield: Benjamin Stambouli, Christian Eriksen, Ryan Mason.

Attack: Harry Kane, Erik Lamela, Roberto Soldado.