Tottenham Hotspur will host Luton Town at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, looking to boost their hopes of a top-four finish.
Tottenham Hotspur lost their last league game against Fulham, and the home fans will be expecting a strong reaction when they welcome Luton Town to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Tottenham cannot afford to drop points at this stage of the season, especially with Aston Villa ahead of them in fourth place. This will be a must-win contest for the North London club. Meanwhile, Luton Town are 17th in the league table, and they could be dragged into the relegation battle soon if they continue to drop points.
The Hatters have failed to win the last six league matches, and this will be a massive challenge for them. Luton Town are likely to struggle away from home against the motivated Tottenham side. Tottenham managed to pick up a 1-0 win over Luton the last time these two sides met in October, and they should be able to grind out a similar result here.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Ryan Sessegnon and Fraser Forster are long-term absentees, and they are unlikely to play again this season. Manor Solomon misses out with a knee injury, and Micky van de Ven misses out with a thigh injury.
Spurs will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will continue as the full-backs, and they will look to help out in the attack and protect the central defenders. January signing Radu Dragusin will start alongside Cristian Romero here at the heart of the defence.
In the midfield pivot, Pape Matar Sarr will start alongside Yves Bissouma. The two players will look to protect the central defence and break up opposition attacks. James Maddison will start in the no. 10 role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson will start in the wide areas. Son Heung-min will lead the line for Tottenham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Dragusin, Romero, Udogie; Matar Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson; Son
Luton Town
The visitors have several issues heading into this contest. Tom Lockyer, Amari’i Bell, Marvelous Nakamba and Elijah Adebayo are long-term absentees, and they might not play again this season.
Dan Potts, Chiedozie Ogbene, and Albert Sambi Lokonga will miss out with thigh injuries. Gabriel Osho misses out with a knee injury, while Mads Andersen has a calf injury and Joe Johnson misses out with illness. Jacob Brown is likely to return after his knee surgery next season.
Luton Town will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Thomas Kaminski in goal. In the back three, Issa Kabore will start alongside Teden Mengi and Reece Burke. Daiki Hashioka and Alfie Doughty will start as the wing-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
In the midfield, Jordan Clarke will start alongside Ross Barkley, and the two players will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Andros Townsend and Tahith Chong will start in the attacking midfield roles, and they will look to add creativity in the final third. Finally, Carlton Morris will lead the line for Luton Town against Tottenham on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kaminski; Kabore, Mengi, Burke; Hashioka, Clarke, Barkley, Doughty; Townsend, Chong; Morris
Key Stats
- Tottenham Hotspur have scored in each of their last 23 league matches at home.
- Luton Town have scored in 25 of their 29 league matches this season.
- Tottenham have been without a clean sheet in their last 10 league outings at home.
- The reverse fixture ended 1-0 in favour of Tottenham.
- Luton Town have not beaten Tottenham since 1987.
Player to Watch
Son Heung-min
The South Korean international has been in impressive form this season, and he will look to add to his goal-scoring tally here. The 31-year-old has 14 goals and eight assists in 25 Premier League games this season, and he is our key player to watch out for. Luton Town have been quite vulnerable defensively and they will struggle against the Tottenham captain.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Luton Town
Tottenham are undoubtedly the better team, and they are full of confidence here. They will be desperate to secure Champions League qualification and they cannot afford to drop points in these games.
On the other hand, Luton Town are on a winless run, and they might be devoid of form and confidence. The Hatters will struggle against the Tottenham attack, and they are likely to come up short once again. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Ange Postecoglou and his charges.