25-year-old should be omitted: Three things we learned about Tottenham in win v Middlesbrough
COMMENT By Harvey Byrne
Football Insider analyses three talking points from Tottenham’s 1-0 win against Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
Rose is a miss
Star full-back Danny Rose suffered a knee injury in midweek against Tottenham and the north London club have scored just once since. The left-back offers a lot out wide in terms of attack, while he can also perform his defensive duties to a high level. Now, Ben Davies would be a good left-back for most teams in the Premier League due to his defensive solidity. However, the way that Spurs play with their two wing-backs requires more of an attacking influence that Davies is unable to give. Fans will now be hoping that Rose can make a quick recovery with an important clash coming up against Liverpool next.
Wanyama not needed for matches like this
Victor Wanyama is very good in matches against the bigger clubs when Tottenham need to do more defending. However, when players are looking to defend over the 90 minutes then the Kenya international is just not necessary. The 25-year-old offers next to nothing going forward and it’s as though Spurs are playing with 10-men when in possession. Wanyama should be omitted from matches like the one against Middlesbrough for a midfielder who can offer more going forward such as Harry Winks andd Moussa Sissoko.
Title race still wide open
Many were quick to hand Chelsea the title after their win against Arsenal earlier in the day. However, Tottenham’s victory means that the race is still far from over. With 14 matches left in the league the nine-point gap between the top two can be easily reduced, as Spurs experienced last season with their own collapse. Tottenham have now won eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions and are unbeaten in those fixtures. Chelsea are in stunning form themselves with five wins from their last six matches, but the title is still not yet decided.
In other Tottenham news, this young sensation was part of the first team squad ahead of the match.
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