Tottenham vs. Stoke City: 5 Things to Look for in Carling Cup Match-Up

Tottenham is flying high after last weekend's 4-0 trouncing of Liverpool. New acquisition Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice and Luka Modric will be on the highlight reel for the rest of the season after his goal in the upper corner just seven minutes into the match.

But before Spurs fans see their team try and take another leap in the league table, they'll get to watch their team in a mid-week match-up with Stoke City in the third round of the Carling Cup. 

The Carling Cup may be less prestigious than the FA Cup and the league championship, but winning the tournament guarantees a place in next year's Europa League. It's taken less seriously by first-tier English clubs, which is why teams like Birmingham City (who won last year's final over Arsenal) can have success.

Even though both sides are very obviously more concerned with winning in the Premiership (and therefore will sit a lot of starters) Tuesday's game will show the depth of either side. Here are some things Spurs fan can look for in Tottenham's mid-week match-up with Stoke City.

Does Heurelho Gomes Still Deserve to Start?

Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who is unhappy about falling down to third-choice at goalkeeper, said he wants to leave the team in January.

Gomes has been first-choice at Spurs in recent years, but made a number of errors last season. Redknapp, not confident in Gomes' ability, moved to bring in 40-year-old Brad Friedel from Aston Villa in the summer.

Since then, Gomes has started just one game—Tottenham's 5-0 Europa League victory at Hearts—and has not even traveled with the squad for the last three matches. Carlo Cudicini has moved in as the backup keeper.

Tottenham's mid-week matchup with Stoke City gives Heurelho Gomes the perfect opportunity to show that he still deserves to start. How well he handles the rest of his time with Spurs will be indicative of the kind of interest he drums up from clubs this winter.

Is Sebastien Bassong Ready to Take over for Ledley King?

Given Tottenham defender Ledley King's fitness this season, I don't see any reason why he should start against Stoke City just two days after playing 84 minutes against Liverpool. That means that Sebastien Bassong will most likely get the start.

The 25-year-old Bassong, who plays on the Cameroon national team, transferred to Tottenham in 2009 for a reported fee of £8 million. He was a rising star in Harry Redknapp's squad, making a total of 38 appearances in the 2009/10 season. He was played a little less frequently last year, appearing in only 22 games for Spurs.

Bassong is a gifted player who will be partnered one day with Younes Kaboul in the center of Tottenham's strong defense. King signed a contract through the end of this season, but how long can those knees hold without any cartilage?

Redknapp wants to keep Bassong, and Tuesday's matchup with Stoke City will show why the Cameroonian deserves to be the first-choice on that back-four.

Can Andros Townsend Play Well Enough to Earn Inclusion in Final-18?

Andros Townsend was made to play at White Hart Lane.

After graduating from Tottenham Hotspur academy, he went on loan to several second-tier English soccer clubs, such as Ipswich Town, Watford and Milwall. He's also been included on England's U-16, U-17 and U-19 teams.

For most other clubs, Townsend would regularly be on the sidelines, making appearances every so often. But on a Tottenham team that is stacked at the midfield and forward position, he's a good player supporting great players.

Harry Redknapp likes to feature the gifted attacking midfielder in non-league matches. He will most likely start against Stoke City and be able to show Redknapp if he can do well for a full 90 minutes against Premiership teams.

What Will Someone Pay for Roman Pavlyuchenko?

This is a big game for Roman Pavlyuchenko. After transferring to Tottenham in 2008 for a £13.8 million deal from Spartak Moscow, the Russian forward scored 13 goals for Spurs. His goal total dipped to nine the following year, but last season he improved, making 39 appearances and scoring 12 goals. 

This year he finds himself behind new acquisition Emmanuel Abedayor, Jermain Defoe and Rafael van der Vaart.

Pavlyuchenko is a good player, scoring in most of the games he's started since arriving at White Hart Lane. But he's (rightly) unhappy with the amount of playing time he has received at Tottenham. He requested a transfer in August when the club signed Abedayor on loan, but that was when Peter Crouch was still with the team. Now with Crouch gone and Abedayor only a temporary solution, Tottenham must decide whether to re-sign the Russian international or allow him to transfer.

If Pavlyuchenko makes use of the chances he's given in non-league matches as well as substitute appearances in the Premiership, he'll command quite a transfer fee. If not, Pavlyuchenko may come at quite a bargain for Tottenham when his contract runs up.

How Does Harry Kane Perform?

Harry Kane is an interesting prospect for Tottenham. After playing for their reserve team, he was loaned out to third-tier Leyton Orient. He made 18 appearances for the O's, scoring five goals. Not bad for a 17-year-old.

Now he's found himself being shuffled in and out of manager Harry Redknapp's 18-man roster. He's played in Tottenham's Europa League campaign, but hasn't managed to do much good, only managing one shot on goal in two starts.

Against Stoke City, he'll get a chance to play against some fellow reserves and show if he's ready for more playing time, or if he's no better than an infrequent substitute.