Stoke versus Tottenham: A Preview
Alas, Stoke City won’t be the same accommodating hosts they were back in mid-April, as Pochettino’s title-hunting side made a farce of the old proverb about inclement weekday evenings at the Britannia. By most estimates, Spurs’ young whips had a lovely time in blustery Staffordshire. A four-goals-to-zip stroll in the park, with braces each for Harry Kane and Dele Alli.
Of course, Mark Hughes and his cohorts were already dreaming of poolside cocktail bars before Spurs rolled into town; their minds thousands of miles away, on some albino white beach where the sand is made from parrotfish sh*t.
‘We couldn’t get close to them’, Hughes confessed after the game, his Hawaiian shirt clearly visible under his suit.
The Potters were cemented tightly in 9th at the time; no real hope of clawing back Liverpool above them, and, equally, little danger of slipping below Chelsea in 10th. Their work all but done. Their watch ended.
Now, though, at the foot of the table, without a win, Stoke can’t afford to just go through the motions on Saturday. They need points. Fast.
The chances of bump-starting their campaign drastically improved on Deadline Day, with the addition of Ivorian siege weapon, Wilfried Bony— who joined Stoke on a season-long loan form Man City. There are moments during the hare-brained lunacy of the Transfer Window’s final few hours, amongst all the panicky hurling of cash at players you’ve barely heard of, when a potential deal just chimes. The many flywheels and pistons synchronise perfectly and you’re left with one thought: yeah, that seems about right.
Wilfried Bony to Stoke is one such transfer. Always an awkward fit for Manuel Pellegrini— and certainly no child of Pep Guardiola— you get the impression he’ll thrive in a Mark Hughes team that tries to merge the technical and physical aspects of the game. And, having scored in each of his last two starts against Spurs, there’s every reason to think his impact at Stoke will be felt immediately.
For Tottenham, there’s cause for quiet optimism. Hugo Lloris has recovered from his hamstring troubles, so is expected to hotfoot into the side ahead of Michel Vorm. Ah the life of a substitute goalkeeper. The reward for having the game of your life before the international break? A place on the bench, naturally. The Dutchman can count himself mighty unfortunate after his heroics against Liverpool.
Christian Eriksen scribbled his name on a new contract this week, after a summer of idle gossip concerning his next career move. Pochettino has hinted that the conclusion of this mini-saga, might well prod the Dane into something resembling form.
‘Maybe the speculation can affect you when you’re in process to negotiate your future’, the Spurs coach pondered. The theory is, with the hardship over, we might see an improved Christian Eriksen in the coming weeks.
Arsenal fan Moussa Sissoko is also expected to feature at some stage of the afternoon against Stoke. He returned from international duty in good shape, according to Pochettino, and will at least be included in the squad. With Mousa Dembélé still suffering from an acute case of the Banned For Violent Conducts, the French midfielder is perhaps the most like-for-like proxy.
