Leicester vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape EPL Game
Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur have not met in the Premier League since February 2004. On that occasion they played out a back-and-forth, 4-4 thriller marked by its sloppy defending.
Leicester were relegated at the end of that campaign, so Foxes fans would undoubtedly prefer a repeat this week of the result the last time they met Friday's opponents—a 3-2 FA Cup win over an ascendant Tottenham back in January 2006.
Given their similar top-four aspirations to those days, and the visit of Manchester United and Chelsea in the days to follow Friday's Leicester match, the north Londoners will be keen to avoid a slip-up against the division's bottom club.
Whether a Christmas cracker is in store, or something a little more relaxed and low-key, here are the key issues and decisions set to shape this Boxing Day clash.
Not Getting Caught by a Leicester City-Shaped Trap
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Tough tests of Tottenham's recent good form await post-Boxing Day, when they host third- and first-placed Manchester United and Chelsea successively. Although those are big fixtures, head coach Mauricio Pochettino does not plan on overlooking Leicester.
"I think the most important game is the next," Pochettino told his press conference on Tuesday. "In this type of period you need to believe that the most important game is the next."
Despite the fact the Foxes sit bottom of the Premier League, five points from safety, the Argentinian believes they have been unlucky.
"You never know, but the reality is they play well, maybe not reflecting their performances with their results. But it’s a very good team, they have very good players."
Nonetheless, compared to the glamour of the Red Devils and the local rivalry with the Blues, Leicester's on-paper status as a more winnable game could prove a trap if Spurs are not careful. They need the win and do have players capable of punishing their visitors (more on whom later).
Pochettino described his team as "focused and ready," and confirmed they will be training on Christmas Day afternoon before heading north.
The players have largely done well over the last month and will not want to slip up. Approached with the same desire and hard work with which they dispatched Burnley on Saturday, this match is one from which they are well capable of securing three points.
An understanding of the difficulty of taking points from their subsequent opponents might prompt an even greater effort to get some safe in the bank at the King Power Stadium.
Time to Mix Things Up in Midfield?
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Pochettino also revealed on Tuesday that Ryan Mason, who suffered a painful twisted ankle against Burnley, could be in contention to face Leicester.
"Yes, he’s better now. He is better, maybe tomorrow he will start to train in the normal way with the group. We were lucky because it wasn’t bad the problem."
A decision on Mason will naturally be made closer to game time. However, even if he is fit, it might be a good opportunity to rest the 23-year-old.
A fixture in the team since late-September, this has been his first proper Premier League campaign. Even considering for the physical capabilities of a person his age, such sustained football can take a toll.
Algeria international Nabil Bentaleb is set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, and he only recently returned from a lengthy injury layoff himself. Pochettino can make the most of him while he is able to, and he can also look at one of his other midfielders in the process.
Benjamin Stambouli is overdue a first Premier League start. He demonstrated his abilities to procure the ball and use it well after he replaced Mason during last Saturday's win. Given it's the Frenchman's first Christmas spent on the pitch—his first season without taking a midseason break—it will be an apt test of his capabilities.
The other option would be Mousa Dembele. It has not been the most cohesive or impressive of campaigns for the 27-year-old, but he quietly impressed in the Capital One Cup win over Newcastle United last week.
His more refined style compared to that of Mason and Stambouli perhaps does not go as well with the increasingly stylish Bentaleb. But should Dembele find some genuine good form, he may be the best choice to replace the Algerian when he departs for Equatorial Guinea next month.
Pearson's Ongoing Attempt to Balance Graft and Flair
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Pochettino might decide to change things up elsewhere in his team with the demands of the festive season in mind. Then again, Harry Kane this week talked up Tottenham's fitness being so good as not to necessitate such alterations.
"The manager got us really fit, got us ready, kept everyone on their toes and playing for a place," the striker said, via the London Evening Standard's Tom Collomosse. "That helped us and you’re starting to see the results now. Christmas is normally a time when teams get tired."
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson will still be without the injured Kasper Schmeichel, while Matthew Upson (ankle/foot) and Chris Wood (illness) face late fitness tests (the latter revealed by the manager on Tuesday via the club's official website).
After Leicester grafted but ultimately lost to Manchester City and West Ham United in recent weeks, Pearson may be looking to rest one or two more of his own too. The likely greater prompt of changes, though, will be the need to inject some flair and vitality into his own attack.
The front trio of Riyad Mahrez, Jeff Schlupp and Jamie Vardy started both those games. The tireless Vardy was a lead candidate for the team's hardest worker, while Schlupp and Mahrez showed on a couple of occasions why the Hammers were right not to grant them too much freedom.
However, Leicester only really threatened with the introduction of David Nugent and Leonardo Ulloa around the hour mark. The latter immediately provided more of a presence in the penalty area while the former England international got off a few shots at goal.
It is a tough call for Pearson, wanting to balance the kind of running that helped ensure they only lost by one goal to champions Manchester City with the greater attacking threat they decidedly lacked away from home at Upton Park.
Ideally Leicester would have both. But neither way of thinking has worked out with any consistency so far this season.
Foxes Need to Give Their Fans Some Festive Cheer
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The need to provide a little Christmas cheer around the King Power Stadium might influence Pearson favouring a more adventurous approach.
Without a league win since the fantastic 5-3 dismantling of Manchester United in September, Leicester's struggles have contributed to a tricky atmosphere.
Informed as it was by the poor results, a recent argument with a fan after the Liverpool loss has seen Pearson receive a one-game touchline ban. As noted, the team worked hard against West Ham, but they also contributed to their own downfall. Notably Paul Konchesky's awful back pass that led to Andy Carroll's opener.
Many Foxes supporters continue to back the man who oversaw their return to the top flight after a decade (as seen in the above picture), but more losses could see that change.
The opposite is a much-needed win on Boxing Day—especially against an in-form top-half team like Spurs—would provide a timely morale boost.
"What would be a success for us would be to get the elusive win," Pearson said on Tuesday, per BBC Sport. "This period throws up a lot of fixtures in a short period of time."
"We'll be doing everything we can to change our fortunes on Boxing Day first and foremost."
Whether the momentum would shift off the back of a win, of course, remains to be seen. But Leicester will not get a chance to find out if they do not get the ball rolling with a win over Spurs.
On that note, this writer wishes to take the time to wish Bleacher Report readers a merry Christmas and a peaceful, happy holiday season. Enjoy the football!
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
