Tottenham vs Brighton: Why Mauricio Pochettino should play Ben Davies in a back-three and rest Jan Vertonghen
Brighton at home presents Mauricio Pochettino with an opportunity ahead of Tottenham's weekend trip to Manchester City.
Rest Jan Vertonghen, and play Ben Davies in a back-three.
With Toby Alderweireld expected to be sidelined until February, and with Davinson Sanchez suspended, Spurs could face the runaway Premier League leaders without their three first-choice centre backs.
That is because Vertonghen is on the cusp of a one-match ban.
Tottenham's Premier League bookings
| Player | Yellow cards |
| Jan Vertonghen | 4 |
| Toby Alderweireld | 3 |
| Eric Dier | 3 |
| Harry Kane | 3 |
| Dele Alli | 1 |
| Ben Davies | 1 |
| Mousa Dembele | 1 |
| Erik Lamela | 1 |
| Fernando Llorente | 1 |
Spurs have four league matches remaining before the turn of the year which, theoretically, could affect up to nine members of their first team squad.
The Belgian international has collected four bookings in the league so far this season, and faces suspension should he receive another before they are wiped on December 31.
Saturday’s match with Manchester City will be the final match of Sanchez’s three-match ban sustained for his red card against Watford, and Pochettino cannot afford to be without Vertonghen as well.
That would leave Spurs with only Juan Foyth and Eric Dier in terms of tested centre back options against the league’s top scorers.
With that in mind, step forward Ben Davies.
Davies was a regular in Wales’s back-three under Chris Coleman, and played every minute of their Euro 2016 campaign before being suspended for the semi-final.
Fielding the 24-year-old in a three alongside Eric Dier and Juan Foyth against Brighton would also provide Danny Rose with much-needed minutes as he builds up his fitness levels, whilst providing Spurs with more options for rotation during the busy festive schedule.
Naturally, such a move carries the risk of another slip-up at home against a so-called ‘lesser side’, but traveling to the Etihad without Vertonghen is a far heftier gamble.
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