Harry Kane vs Nathan Ake the key to Tottenham-Bournemouth as Spurs look for their first home win of the season
AFTER England’s drab 1-0 win over Slovenia, Tottenham hope to provide some entertainment at Wembley when they host Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have yet to win a league game at their temporary home this season but have only lost once – to rivals Chelsea on the second weekend of the campaign.
Despite that the North Londoners are flying high in third spot, five points shy of early pace-setters Manchester City and Manchester United.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, head to the national stadium looking to kick-start their season.
The Cherries have tasted victory just once this season, beating Brighton 2-1 in September, and are yet to pick up a point away from home.
Our friends at Football Whispers provide the ultimate preview of the game, which kicks off at 3pm, including the key battles and where the match will be won and lost.
Key battle: Harry Kane v Nathan Ake
Spurs striker Kane cannot stay off the back pages.
After an August drought he scored a career-best 13 times in September – as many as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have managed in a single month – before scoring twice for England to secure wins over Slovenia and Lithuania.
Debate continues to rage over whether the 24-year-old is world class or not but Kane delivers despite the background noise.
He notched a deadly double in Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Huddersfield prior to the international break meaning he has now scored with six of his 16 shots on target in the Prem.
A further five in the Champions League – including a hat-trick away to APOEL – mean he has scored with 38 per cent of his on-target efforts in Europe too.
Those stats will make unenviable reading for Cherries centre-back Nathan Ake.
The Dutch international was hugely impressive during the first half of last season which he spent on loan at the Vitality Stadium
Recalled by Chelsea in January, Ake did not feature often for Antonio Conte’s side and made just five appearances for the Blues in the second half of the season.
Having enjoyed a successful loan stint at Watford, Ake was ready to move away from Stamford Bridge in search of regular minutes and re-joined Bournemouth for a club-record £20m.
This season the left-footer has averaged 1.6 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 6.3 clearances per game for the Dorset side.
Potential match winners: Christian Eriksen and Jermain Defoe
As integral to Spurs as Kane is, the England forward needs those behind him to maintain a consistent supply line.
Luckily, in Eriksen and Dele Alli he has just that. Danish midfielder Eriksen has already laid on two assists for his Spurs teammates this term, as well as scoring two of his own.
Last season the former Ajax playmaker made six of Kane’s 29 league goals. No-one made more goals for a single teammate than Eriksen.
The 25-year-old is imperative to Spurs and this season he is averaging 2.7 key passes and 2.9 shots per game – second only to Kane.
Bournemouth’s big threat comes from an ex-Spurs star.
Veteran striker Defoe re-joined the Cherries in the summer, 16 years after a profitable loan spell at the club in which he bagged 18 in 27 games.
Now 35, the England international notched 91 Premier League goals in two stints at White Hart Lane before leaving for Toronto FC in July 2014.
Defoe, who inked a three-year contract with the Cherries after leaving relegated Sunderland over the summer, has yet to repeat that form on the South Coast.
But, given he managed 34 from 82 league starts in two-and-a-half seasons with an abysmal Black Cats side, the goals are bound to come sooner or later.
Managers’ tactics
Everyone knows what to expect from Pochettino’s Spurs who are one of the most entertaining teams in the Premier League to watch.
The North Londoners press high, move the ball quickly and attack at speed. Stopping them is the part few teams have figured out yet.
Set up in a 3-4-2-1 system, Spurs have a settled back three and front three but it’s in midfield where Pochettino could make changes.
For Eddie Howe and Bournemouth it’s a similar story.
The Cherries have started in a 4-4-1-1 formation recently with Josh King, reportedly a Spurs transfer target over the summer, playing off of Defoe.
England Under-20 skipper Lewis Cook started in midfield for the goalless draw against Leicester last time out. He could do so again at Wembley after showing promise.
Likely lineups
Pochettino’s big decision will be over whether to start Harry Winks or Moussa Sissoko alongside Eric Dier in the centre of midfield.
Winks shone on his England debut against Lithuania at the weekend but French powerhouse Sissoko might be preferred after he scored his first Spurs goal in the 4-0 Terriers demolition.
There is good news on the horizon for Spurs with long-term absentees Erik Lamela and Danny Rose, subject of Manchester United transfer rumours, returning to training.
Moussa Dembele (ankle) and Victor Wanyama (knee) are both still sidelined.
For Bournemouth, the big decision is over who will start in midfield.
Ryan Fraser (hamstring) is out and Jordon Ibe was benched for the Foxes’ visit prior to the international break.
That should mean Junior Stanislas continues on the right although Marc Pugh could give way on the left.
Tyrone Mings (back), Brad Smith (muscle strain), Callum Wilson (knee) and Adam Federici (knee) are all out.
Key stats
Former Spurs star Defoe is one goal away from 200 league strikes in England and America. He scored his first for the Cherries in a 2-1 defeat at Stoke City in Division Two (now League One) in October 2000. His current boss, Howe, started in defence that day.
This is Bournemouth’s worst start of each of their three Premier League seasons. The Cherries have just four points. At this stage last term they had twice as many.
Spurs hitman Kane has now scored against 25 of the 26 Premier League opponents he’s faced. Only Cardiff have survived unscathed.
