Mauricio Pochettino must be extremely pleased with his Tottenham side, the team are in the top four of the Premier League and could well end up finishing higher than that based on their performances this year.
Spurs are one of the form teams in the league and go into the FA Cup against Leicester, the same team that knocked them out last season and this year’s surprise package. Spurs would have been worried had Jamie Vardy been fit but the England striker misses out due to an injury and that could well shift the tie in Tottenham’s favour.
Claudio Ranieri will expect to start Okazaki and Ulloa as his attacking pair and the Tottenham defence need to be wary of the movement and work rate of the duo. This is one of the tastiest FA Cup ties in the third round and here are the three battles which would be crucial in the game.
The England striker has found his scoring boots and would be the man that Tottenham would hope will break the deadlock. The 22-year-old has 13 goals to his name and his unrelenting work rate could well be a difficult task for the Leicester defence.
Robert Huth would have to be at the top of his game and although he seemed to be past his best when he was sold by Stoke, the German has found a new lease on life under Ranieri and will have to play out of his socks if he has to keep Harry quiet in the tie.
2. Dele Alli vs. N’Golo Kante
Two rising stars in the Premier League go head to head while everyone knew about the promise and potential of Dele Alli, his growth in the Tottenham team has been accelerated thanks to his incredible performances. He scored a great goal against Everton in the league a few days ago and could well be looking to get on the scoring sheet again.
He will be opposed by another player who has burst into the limelight, Kante was an unknown quantity before he moved to the Premier League but his tackling and passing in midfield has made him stand out in this Leicester squad and whoever wins this battle could well win the battle in midfield.
3. Christian Eriksen vs. Riyad Mahrez
Eriksen was one of the most impressive players for Tottenham last season and he has carried that vein of form this season as well, though a lot of good work has been done by almost every Spurs player which has helped Eriksen quietly do what he does best, play down the wings and link up with Kane.
The Dane will be up against another winger who has taken the league by storm, Riyad Mahrez. The 24-year-old Algerian could well be the go-to-guy for Leicester due to the absence of Vardy and he would be looking to add to his tally of 14 goals this season.
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