Tottenham Hotspur's thrilling 3-2 victory over Brentford on Wednesday evening secured a return to the top four, but now Ange Postecoglou will know that winning against Everton tomorrow is imperative to cement their place in the Champions League berths.
Above fifth-placed Aston Villa only on goals scored (47 vs 44), Spurs will need to earn their first win in six years at Goodison Park to ensure that Unai Emery's outfit – away to Sheffield United on Sunday – remain behind in the Premier League table.
The London club have navigated multiple hurdles since Postecoglou's appointment last summer but there is now hope that a team bolstered by additions of Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner in January and the returns of several key players from injury will ensure that a purple patch is crafted across the remainder of the campaign.
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Everton currently languish below the dotted line but have been blighted by a ten-point deduction and will be confident that a return to winning ways can be found against the Lilywhites.
However, Spurs will play to win and Postecoglou could make three changes from the team that sank the Bees…
1 GK – Guglielmo Vicario
Signing from Italian club Empoli for an initial fee of £17m in the summer, Guglielmo Vicario stakes a good claim to the Premier League's best goalkeeper this season.
A commanding and athletic presence between the sticks, the 27-year-old has been a "revelation" – as per pundit Jamie Carragher – and will be vital once again tomorrow.
2 RB – Pedro Porro
Pedro Porro, of course, will start at right-back tomorrow, having posted eight assists from 21 top-flight fixtures this term and dazzled with his all-encompassing performances.
#
Player
Club
No. of Tackles
1.
Joao Palhinha
Fulham
93
2.
Vinicius Souza
Sheffield United
77
3.
Pedro Porro
Tottenham Hotspur
64
4.
Emerson
West Ham United
61
5.
Joao Gomes
Wolverhampton Wanderers
58
Source: Premier League
3 CB – Cristian Romero
Cristian Romero is undoubtedly one of the best centre-halves in the Premier League and will be crucial in beating the Everton attack into submission, with three goals from 17 Premier League appearances highlighting his effectiveness on the other side of the pitch too.
As per FBref, the 2022 World Cup winner ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for pass completion and progressive passes, the top 4% for tackles and the top 14% for interceptions per 90.
4 CB – Radu Dragusin
Rogue shout? Perhaps. But then Spurs fought and fought hard to outscore Brentford mere days ago and now is as good a time as any to hand Dragusin – who signed from Genoa for £27m in January – his first starting berth.
Aggressive and imposing, the Romanian defender has been hailed for his "complete & dominant" defending in Italy by talent scout Jacek Kulig and will be key in nullifying the Toffees attack.
It's worth noting that Dragusin would replace Micky van de Ven, and not Romero, given that the latter dons the captain's armband in Heung-min Son's absence, so is sure to start.
5 LB – Destiny Udogie
Destiny Udogie has been so so good this season and has led the likes of journalist Hunter Godson to state that he "gets into nearly every team in the world already", such has been the brilliance of his performances.
Only 21 years old, Udogie thrives both offensively and in protecting Vicario's goal and his elite level of dynamism could be Everton's undoing on Merseyside.
6 CM – Rodrigo Bentancur
2023 was not a year of prosperity for Rodrigo Bentancur, not by half. But then the Uruguay international has rebounded from incessant injury issues with a bang over the past several matches and is starting to rekindle his best quality in the Spurs engine room.
With Yves Bissouma still competing at the African Cup of Nations, he will be expected to produce an energetic and controlled display – lightwork for such a technically immense machine.
7 CM – Pape Matar Sarr
Pape Matar Sarr will return to the starting line-up after Senegal's untimely exit from AFCON; Sarr played 120 minutes only a few days ago as the continental champions lost on penalties to hosts Ivory Coast, but will be raring to make a mark for Tottenham, and should start.
Heralded for his “ridiculous” innate ability by correspondent Alasdair Gold, Sarr makes a massive difference when in the mix and could be the difference-maker against Everton.
8 RW – Dejan Kulusevski
Possibly the most reliable and energetic member of Postecoglou's squad, Dejan Kulusevski's pace and persistence will be crucial against Sean Dyche's men.
If Tottenham produce a convincing performance, the Swede is sure to have played a central role, with Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir remarking that he "covers every blade of grass" for his team.
9 AM – James Maddison
James Maddison returned to the starting line-up following a two-month injury layoff on Wednesday but there was scarcely a sign of rustiness, with the England international creating three key passes, winning nine of his 13 ground duels, making three tackles and taking 110 touches, as per Sofascore.
10 LW – Brennan Johnson
Werner impressed against Brentford and racked up his second assist from as many Premier League matches in Tottenham colours but will be rested for Brennan Johnson at Goodison Park.
The Wales international scored off the bench against Thomas Frank's side and will be bursting to make an impact and reclaim his starting spot.