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da jogodeouro： Throughout Mauricio Pochettino’s time in charge of Tottenham, Christian Eriksen has been one of the first names on the team sheet.
But with Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura performing so well this season, the Spurs gaffer has a difficult decision to make for Chelsea’s trip to Wembley this Saturday – needing to narrow down six potential starters in attacking midfield to just three.
So, should the Danish international be included as part of the trio supporting Harry Kane? Football FanCast look at the arguments for and against…
The Case Against Starting Eriksen
Something just isn’t quite right with the 26-year-old at the moment. There was the whole debacle with the Danish FA at the start of the campaign over commercial rights, which was subsequently followed by a mysterious abdominal injury that the Denmark manager suggested could be a chronic issue.
That allegation was swiftly denied but it took a long time – six games – for the attacking midfielder to return to the fold and his overall form has been a long way off what it was in previous seasons. This term he’s averaged just two shots, 1.4 key passes and 0.1 dribbles per match; last season, those returns finished up as 2.6, 2.6 and 0.8 respectively.
It’s since been claimed Eriksen is a target for Real Madrid, no doubt linked with the fact his contract expires at the end of next season, but it can only be speculated whether the ultimate problem is a turned head.
In any case, if Pochettino forgets about quality on paper and focuses on current form, Eriksen is a long way down the list right now – behind Moura, Lamela and arguably even Moussa Sissoko – and in terms of Saturday’s game, he’s arguably not the best-suited candidate for his usual No.10 role anyway. Ideally, Tottenham need someone physical who will put pressure on Chelsea’s key orchestrator, Jorginho.
The Case For Starting Eriksen
While Eriksen may not be able to hassle Jorginho and catch him out in possession in the same manner we saw from Everton’s attacking players before the international break, there’s always more than one way to skin a cat and the Danish playmaker’s ability to keep Tottenham on the ball could be equally if not more effective than winning it off the Italian in dangerous areas.
Chelsea have become a possession-based team under Maurizio Sarri but if Tottenham dominate the ball instead, something Eriksen would be pivotal to, they’d force Saturday’s opponents into playing a less familiar, less favoured game. The longer they do that, the more chances they’ll have to put Chelsea’s backline under pressure.
If you haven’t seen Patrice Evra’s bizarre new Instagram post then you need to check out the video below…
The other key factor working in Eriksen’s favour that defies this season’s form is his impressive track record when facing the Blues. Despite beating Chelsea just thrice throughout his Spurs career and only once before the turn of 2017, the former Ajax man has bagged two goals and five assists in 11 outings versus the West Londoners.
That includes an unforgettable wonder-strike from the last time these two sides met in the Premier League – Tottenham’s 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge last season.
So, Spurs fans, would you include Eriksen in this weekend’s starting XI or boldly leave the Danish playmaker on the sidelines?