Tottenham vs. Norwich: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City will look to ensure Christmas spirits remain high well into the closing days of 2015 with a victory on Boxing Day.
Both clubs secured their first wins of December last weekend. Norwich boss Alex Neil is unsurprisingly keen for his team to carry on where they left off after beating Manchester United, 2-1, at Old Trafford.
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"We've managed to be in games where we could have possibly won them, but we didn't manage to get across the line, so it was really pleasing to go to that type of place and pick up the three points," Neil told Norwich City TV, per their official club website's Ben Mouncer.
"We've put in some good performances throughout the season and didn't get our rewards, and we needed to get one of those over the line."
Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino told his pre-match press conference he was not surprised the Canaries recorded such an eye-catching win. Describing Saturday's visitors as a "very tough team," he believes it is up to his side to transcend what is proving a tumultuous and extremely competitive Premier League this year.
"In the Premier League all games are difficult and it’s for that the most important thing is how we work, how we take the game and I suppose it’s more important for me to be focused on our performance."
Nearing the halfway point of the season, league positions for both are beginning to count for even more now.
Victory over Tottenham could see Norwich push further away from the relegation zone depending on how 18th-place Swansea City do at West Bromwich Albion (champions Chelsea could also be jumped if they drop points against Watford).
Currently fourth on goal difference ahead of Manchester United and Crystal Palace, Spurs could go third if Manchester City are shocked by Sunderland at home.
Date: Saturday, December 26
Time: 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET
Venue: White Hart Lane, London
TV Info: No live UK broadcast but extended highlights from 10 p.m. on Sky Sports 1/Premier League Extra Time (U.S. only)
Live Stream: No live UK stream/NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Form Lines
| Tottenham Hotspur | Norwich City |
| Premier League, December 19: Southampton (A)—Win: 0-2 | Premier League, December 19: Manchester United (A)—Win: 1-2 |
| Premier League, December 13: Newcastle United (H)—Loss: 1-2 | Premier League, December 12: Everton (H)—Draw: 1-1 |
| Europa League, December 10: Monaco (H)—Win: 4-1 | Premier League, December 5: Watford (A)—Loss: 2-0 |
| Premier League, December 5: West Bromwich Albion (A)—Draw: 1-1 | Premier League, November 29: Everton (H)—Draw: 1-1 |
| Premier League, November 29: Chelsea (H)—Draw: 0-0 | Premier League, November 21: Chelsea (A)—Loss: 1-0 |
Team News
"Only Clinton Njie and Alex Pritchard still out," was the news relayed by Pochettino on Wednesday.
He later confirmed Njie will probably miss at least a couple of months, but he was pleased to say Ryan Mason was back training with the team, and Danny Rose had recovered from the illness that sidelined him last weekend.
Norwich's only doubt is Andre Wisdom, whose availability will be a "last-minute decision," according to Neil. Matt Jarvis remains out with his longer-term knee problem.
Predicted Lineups
Asked this week whether he intended to rotate his squad over the main bulk of the Christmas and New Year's period, Pochettino cited his approach from a year ago.
"It’s all how we assess the player after the game," the Spurs boss said. "If we detect some players that are tired and need to rest, maybe we change because we believe in our squad and trust in our squad."
As it is, a full week between Norwich and last Saturday's 2-0 win at Southampton should mean it is virtually a case of same again for Spurs.
The most likely change may see the healthy-again Rose replace Ben Davies at left-back. The latter's good display at St. Mary's may have been enough to keep him in the starting XI, but Pochettino has brought Rose back in previously in similar situations.
Otherwise it will be a defence of Kyle Walker out right, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen at centre-back, with Hugo Lloris manning the goal behind them.
Mousa Dembele was restored to his defensive midfield position to good effect and will be back alongside Eric Dier.
Ahead of them, the trio of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela seem likely to keep their places in support of Harry Kane. Though keep a close eye on where they set up at any one time—their fluidity of position at Southampton certainly kept Ronald Koeman's Saints guessing.
It could be same again for Norwich too after their defeat of Manchester United.
Even if Wisdom is available, Neil may opt to stick with a defence that, though more reactive than proactive, ultimately did enough to keep the Red Devils out. Backed by in-form goalkeeper Declan Rudd, Ryan Bennett, former Spur Sebastien Bassong and full-backs Russell Martin and Martin Olsson, they will look to do the same against Spurs.
Out wide, Robbie Brady and Nathan Redmond put in tremendous shifts shuttling back and forth down the Old Trafford flanks. They are likely to be similarly assigned at White Hart Lane, providing outlets for the central midfield three of Gary O'Neil, Alexander Tettey and Wes Hoolahan.
Leading the line for Norwich will be Cameron Jerome, scorer and creator of their two goals against Man United.
The striker was at his unplayable best, exposing Louis van Gaal's ill-prepared and disorganised defence. Quick, strong and showing impeccable spatial understanding.
Jerome will be eager to see if he can cause Tottenham just as many problems.
Tottenham Hotspur Player to Watch: Hugo Lloris
Jerome will do well to find a way past the Lloris who crucially denied Southampton’s Sadio Mane after just eight minutes. That timely save was followed by another late on that stopped Spurs being caught up in a nervy finale.
Lloris came in for baffling scrutiny following Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United a week earlier. Several commentators criticised his failure to keep Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ayoze Perez’s goals out, conveniently overlooking the numerous instances in the buildup to both in which his team-mates had egregiously left him exposed.
The Spurs captain left no room for doubt against Southampton.
In addition to the aforementioned saves, he was a commanding presence throughout, angrily chastising his defence at one point during Saints’ bright start. They did not defend so laxly again.
With Norwich’s Rudd proving similarly vital of late, Saturday’s clash could prove a fine showcase for the two goalkeepers.
Norwich City Player to Watch: Sebastien Bassong
The Tottenham Bassong was part of feels a long time ago now.
A valuable member of the 2009-10 squad that qualified for the Champions League, Bassong eventually fell out of favour. Manager Harry Redknapp brought in the more experienced William Gallas to augment and compete with the likes of Michael Dawson and Ledley King.
Experience is something Bassong now has in abundance after an eventful three-plus years in East Anglia.
It is credit to the 29-year-old he has come through some difficult times. Following relegation and a brief spell on loan at Watford last season, he is firmly back as first-choice at Norwich now.
After struggling early on two weeks ago against Everton, Bassong and his fellow defenders were as instrumental as anyone in earning that draw. Though still forced back frequently, they came out after the interval better prepared for the assaults of Gerard Deulofeu, Romelu Lukaku and Co.
Bassong cleared his lines well against Man United too. Another dependable rear-guard effort back at the Lane would not go amiss.
Key Battle: Can Norwich Make Their Counter-Attacking Threat Count?
"They defend deeper, and they counter-attack and have very good players," Pochettino said this week of Norwich. You suspect Neil will agree with that straightforward assessment given the plan he outlined for taking on his counterpart's team.
"It's about making sure that when Tottenham have got it, we work hard and we're nice and organised, and when we've got the ball we've got to show quality and make sure that we break with pace," the Scotsman told his club's official channel, again per Mouncer.
The quality that was lacking at home to Everton came to the fore against Man United. Not anticipating Norwich's forceful engagement of them in the centre of the pitch, the Red Devils were swiftly caught out of position by a Canaries' attack intent on showing greater composure in the final third.
Behind that, Neil's men were indeed well-organised and happy to challenge United to try to get past them. Anthony Martial succeeded, and Chris Smalling almost did in a couple of rare moments of ball-watching neglect. Ultimately, though, it was a satisfying all-round effort for the visitors.
Spurs struggled with similar, if not quite identical, approaches from West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle in recent weeks. Pochettino is at least saying the right things about how he hopes his side can solve the issue moving forward.
"It’s about quality, because the team that play deeper reduce the space and you need more quality in one-v.-one [situations] and to be more clinical in the action that you have," the Argentinian said, going on to highlight the need for "high tempo in the game, to move the ball quick and after have quality and be clinical in the box."
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Tottenham win: 2-5
Norwich win: 7-1
Draw: 15-4
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
