Stoke vs. Tottenham: Team News, Live Stream, TV Info, Ticket News

Leicester City's draw with West Ham has handed Tottenham the opportunity to close the gap at the top of the Premier League to five points. 

To do that, they'll need to do what Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have failed to do this season and win away against Stoke City. 

The Potters sit in familiar territory at this point in the season. Easily safe from relegation but far short of the European places, Stoke are in the very definition of middling form, having won two, drawn two and lost two of their last six matches. 

Spurs must win this match if they are to retain hopes of catching the Foxes in the final weeks of this season. 

Desperation will see Mauricio Pochettino abandon caution if his team are unable to seize an advantage. 

Stoke are more than capable of exploiting them in that situation.

Team News

Tottenham are almost at full strength following the return to fitness of Clinton Njie. Only Nabil Bentaleb is unavailable for Spurs' title chase. 

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Potters full-back Erik Pieters is suspended for this match, and his understudy Marc Muniesa remains under a cloud after a training ground mishap, according to Stoke City manager Mark Hughes, per the team's website.

Form Lines

Spurs 

Tottenham 3-0 Man United

Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham

Tottenham 3-0 Bournemouth

Tottenham 1-2 Dortmund

Aston Villa 0-2 Tottenham

Potters

Liverpool 4-1 Stoke

Stoke 2-2 Swansea

Watford 1-2 Stoke

Stoke 1-2 Southampton

Chelsea 1-1 Stoke

Predicted Formations

Potters

Goalkeeper: Jakob Haugaard 

Defence: Phil Bardsley, Ryan Shawcross, Philipp Wollscheid, Marc Muniesa (Geoff Cameron)

Midfield: Ibrahim Afellay, Giannelli Imbula; Xherdan Shaqiri, Bojan, Marko Arnautovic

Attack: Joselu

Spurs

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris 

Defence: Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose

Midfield: Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Erik Lamela

Attack: Harry Kane

Player to Watch

In the reverse fixture, Spurs led 2-0 and were seemingly on their way to a comfortable win. Harry Kane was shining, making things happen all over the pitch. 

His substitution directly coincided with the home side's collapse, proving just how important Kane is to his team. 

Kane will be the key main at the Britannia, too. 

With Stoke hell bent on blunting Spurs' creativity and hitting them on the break, Kane must stand up yet again. 

Jamie Vardy has also drawn level with Kane in the race for the Golden Boot with both strikers sitting on 22 goals. That personal bauble should provide a little more motivation for Tottenham's main man.

Marko Arnautovic has been the most consistent player for Stoke this season, and and he also left his influence on the first meeting between these two sides this season. 

The Austrian's penalty sparked the unlikely comeback, and his nous will be needed again here. 

With 10 goals and another five assists, Arnautovic has been the most effective of Hughes' damaging attacking trio and is the man to watch for Spurs in this must-win match.

Key Battle

Dan Mullan/Getty Images

This will be a tactical clash with Spurs seeking to dominate the ball and the space while the hosts set up to counter through their able wide attacking players. 

With Imbula and Afellay providing the energy in front of the back four, Spurs may get frustrated and resort to wasteful shooting from distance or side-to-side passing. 

The game plan is predictable enough but, as Leicester showed twice in January, Tottenham do not possess a foolproof solution to that particular approach.

Live Stream, TV Info

UK: Sky Sports 1/HD UK, 8 p.m. BST

USA: NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Extra, 3 p.m. ET

Odds

Tottenham are big favourites to win this match, with most bookmakers offering near enough to even money, according to Odds Shark.

The home side are 12/5 outsiders with a draw paying the same odds. 

Given their situation, Spurs should win this match, but Stoke's potential to act as spoiler makes them a better value bet.

Ticket News

For ticket information on all Premier League games visit the official site or go to the ticket page on the home club's official website.