Tottenham v Coventry: Premier League - live
Key events 1h ago Teams 2h ago Preamble 5 minIt looks like Spurs are indeed playing a back three, Robertson the left wing-back and Kudus nominally on the right, but not really. 3 minWhat colour are we saying this Coventry away kit is?
1 minFrom kick-off, Coventry go backwards then load up their right-hand side, a long punt flicked on by Rudoni and Thomas-Asante latches on, but he's pretty wide in the box, lashing a cross-shot that Kinsky gathers on the dive. Or, in other words, the plan worked pretty well, but needed a man in the middle to profit from the ball in.
1 minThe players take the knee and off we go. It's strange that Spurs paid so much for Mateus Fernandes, but have used him so sparingly.
My guess is that tactically, he's not doing what De Zerbi wants, but he's a class above their other options, so I'm surprised we've not seen him stuck into the no 8 position and allowed to settle. Our teams are tunnelled… I'm looking forward to seeing Rudoni and Cherif tonight.
Rudoni is one of those personalities whose belief is so strong it's almost a skill, and he'll relish the chance to show what he can do tonight. He'll be looking to run off Maddison, I imagine, while Cherif will fancy himself to win the physical battle with Van Hecke and shoot quickly with little backlift.
De Zerbi tells Sky that Spurs have injuries and he likes putting players in their best positions, so Gray and Maddison will both play midfield. Savio and Bergvall played well in Manchester but are injured, while Udogie felt his knee so they didn't want to take a chance on him.
Spurs had a training camp in Marbella last week, which was important for his vision to create relationships and mentality in the team. Coventry, meanwhile, will know Van Hecke lacks pace, so I'd expect Cherif to play on him while, in behind, Rudoni takes chances, gambling with ambitious passes and shots.
If Tosin is indeed at right-back but even if he isn't, Dasilva and Sakamoto will look to double-up down the left, while Yirenkyi and Grimes restrict the central spaces Spurs will be hoping to control. If their wide players are brave enough to keep the width, they can make chances tonight.
Spurs will look to dominate possession, with Gray and Tonali dictating play, so Maddison, Kudus and Marmoush can buzz about behind Solanke. The absence of a proper winger means they'll probably look to create centrally, Solanke attacking space for little balls in behind, before going wide to put crosses into a well-populated box.