10 novembre, 16:00. Londres. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Premier League. Day 11
Tottenham (London) vs Ipswich
Where to watch: Setanta Sports
Disqualified: Calvin Phillips (Ipswich)
Injured: Timo Werner, Micky Moore, Jed Spence (tous incertains), Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Mickey van de Ven, Wilson Odobert – Genoa Donacien, Axel Tuanzebe, Chidozi Ogbene, Jack Taylor, Jacob Greaves
Tottenham vs Ipswich: Cotes de Paris
Tottenham
Early last week, rumors began to circulate regarding the potential dismissal of Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou for the first time since taking charge of the team. However, the Australian quickly silenced his critics in the best way possible – with two resounding victories. Although the significance of reaching the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup has been downplayed, especially given Manchester City’s recent poor form and significant injuries which have led to Pep Guardiola fielding several academy players.
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In contrast, Aston Villa posed a different challenge. Journalists close to Tottenham have labeled the ‘Lions’ as one of the toughest opponents to face just four days after meeting Manchester City. Unai Emery’s team is characterized by good organization, discipline and physical strength – attributes that usually make it difficult for Tottenham. In London, the ‘Lions’ did everything to disrupt the play of Postecoglou’s team. The Birmingham team scored from a set piece and confidently controlled the game, even at 1-1, until the Tottenham coach made some daring substitutions. Postecoglou replaced Son Heung-Min, who was not 100% after injury, and Rodrigo Bentancur, bringing in Richarlison and Yves Bissouma. The changes allowed the ‘Spurs’ to speed up the game and exhaust their opponents who were not very fresh. In the final 15 minutes, the Londoners scored three goals, securing a well-deserved 4-1 victory that takes them closer to the top four.
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Manchester United vs Leicester: Match Preview and Predictions
In midweek, Tottenham’s winning streak in all competitions came to an end. In Turkey, ‘Spurs’ lost to Galatasaray 2-3, but Ange Postecoglou downplayed the importance of this match, favoring the meeting against Ipswich while he had used a semi-reserve team in Istanbul.
Ipswich
Since their return to the Premier League, the ‘Tractor Boys’ have never come closer to securing a victory than in the last round. Playing at home with a numerical disadvantage, Kieran McKenna’s men managed to maintain a narrow lead until the fourth minute of added time, when they conceded the equalizer (1-1).
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As such, Ipswich remains one of two teams who have yet to taste victory this season. However, ‘Tractor Boys’ fans do not consider this a significant problem. At the start of the season, they had no illusions about the team’s prospects, fully aware of the challenges they would face in staying in the Premier League. Therefore, even the five points accumulated in their first ten games exceeded expectations. “Yes, we did not win in ten matches. However, we did not lose five of them, and in eight we fought until the end to achieve a positive result,” said the Ipswich coach after the match against Leicester.
The ‘Tractor Boys’ are currently in the relegation zone. Although they are just two points behind in seventeenth position, each passing week offers less and less reason for optimism about their fight for survival. Competitors have recently found ways to take points from unfavorable positions, while Ipswich have lost points in win-win situations.
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Tottenham vs Ipswich: Author’s Prediction
The ‘Spurs’ usually succeed in matches like these. The Londoners have won 32 of their last 36 home Premier League games against teams newly promoted from the Championship. Furthermore, this season, Ange Postecoglou’s team have won four of their five home games, with their only defeat coming against Arsenal (0-1). In each of their winning matches, the Londoners have scored at least three goals. In contrast, Ipswich have lost their last two away games, conceding four goals each time. Only Wolverhampton have conceded more goals than the ‘Tractor Boys’, and in terms of xGA (expected goals conceded), Kieran McKenna’s side sit bottom of the Premier League. Therefore, I seriously doubt Ipswich can stop an in-form Tottenham. My prediction is a home win with a handicap of (-1.5).
