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da dobrowin： Tottenham scraped past Manchester City in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night, but how can they cope in the second leg if Harry Kane’s injury is as bad as first feared?
On the chalkboard
Mauricio Pochettino and the Lilywhites made it two wins from two in the new stadium on Tuesday, capitalising on some bizarre selections from Pep Guardiola as Son Heung-min scored the only goal in a 1-0 win.
The Spaniard left Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane on the bench until the final moments of the match, and while Pochettino outthought the City boss on the sidelines, his players outfought the men from Manchester on the pitch.
No one fought harder than Kane, who was the subject of targeted fouling by the Cityzens throughout the evening, and he eventually paid the price when he appeared to roll his ankle in a challenge with Fabian Delph.
So what can Pochettino and his side do if their talisman misses the next leg? Here are three things they could try…
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The straight swap
The first and most likely solution may also be the least inspiring if truth be told; setting up in an almost identical fashion at the Etihad Stadium but with Fernando Llorente up front.
Llorente would give the team a focal point to hold the ball up and escape pressure, but kicking long balls at a target man seems extremely desperate for a side that have just shown they can go toe to toe with England’s best.
However, if City commit their full-backs too high and too often then Llorente could be a crucial presence, as his flicks down to the wings for the likes of Son and Dele Alli to sprint on to could be what finds that all-important away goal.
The diamond
The second option is another formation Pochettino is familiar with – the 4-4-2 diamond, but with an extra injection of pace up front.
In fact, this system may actually be more effective without Kane if the boss decides his side should play on the counter-attack, as a strike force of Lucas Moura and Son would surely find a way through as City commit more and more numbers forward in the second leg. Don’t forget Lucas has already produced one epic striker showing in Manchester this season.
This would leave Harry Winks dictating play from the base of midfield, with Moussa Sissoko and Christian Eriksen presumably the men doing the dirty work either side of him. Alli of course, with his endless industry and knack of producing moments of magic, would play in the number ten role.
The false nine
Finally, and what is without a doubt the most intriguing possibility, Pochettino could take a page out of Jurgen Klopp’s book and use Alli in the Roberto Firmino role.
The Brazilian plays as a centre forward for Liverpool but is dubbed the “false nine” due to his tendency to drop into midfield, link-up play and leave space for his wingers to exploit, something Kane already does often but not quite to the same degree.
If there’s anyone in world football that comes close to replicating Firmino’s unique combination of versatility, durability, work ethic, flair and of course goals, it may just be Alli, and the 22 year-old would afford space to speedsters Lucas and Son to counter-attack by pulling the centre backs out of position.
So, Tottenham fans, what do you think should be the strategy if Kane is ruled out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…