Are Spurs in the title race? Sitting two points behind reigning champions Man City on Christmas Day would certainly suggest so. Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has been keen to down-play Spurs’ title credentials but with a few winnable fixtures over the festive period, such as Boxing Day’s home tie against Bournemouth, Spurs’ chances of closing the gap to leaders Liverpool looks very likely.
As does the form of Pochettino’s side. Seemingly in response to seeing their coveted manager heavily touted as the man to take the reins at Manchester United, Spurs spent their December 23rd afternoon dishing out a footballing masterclass to Everton at Goodison Park in a 6-2 win. Their forwards have been fit and firing, an unwelcome sight to a currently indifferent Bournemouth team.
The bookies’ favourite to take over at Spurs should Pochettino leave is none other than Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe. Given the rife speculation surrounding this story in the last week, this game was billed by some as a test of Howe’s credentials for the Spurs job.
Team setups
The game began at an anticipated fast pace and went from end to end as both teams started brightly. Howe’s instructions seemed clear, The Cherries’ defensive shape was 4-1-4-1 without the ball and their defensive line was rather high. This left a lot of space between themselves and their goalkeeper, perhaps feeling they could match the Spurs’ forwards for pace should through balls be attempted by the home side.
Also evident above is Spurs’ attacking shape which would be seen throughout the match. Harry Winks has dropped deep into the defensive line, seen on the far side of the pitch, both he and Sissoko would do this often to both aid build-up play and cover their advanced full-backs should Bournemouth counter with the dangerous Wilson, Brooks, Fraser and Stanislas.
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