Tottenham Hotspur have lost their last two fixtures in a run of matches which could have season-defining implications. After defeats to RB Leipzig and Chelsea, Jose Mourinho must ensure that the same result does not occur on Sunday when they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A trio of defeats would be catastrophic for Spurs’ season and would see Nuno Espirito Santo’s side leapfrog their London rivals and leave Spurs trailing in the race for Europe.
In order to prevent that from happening Mourinho must get inventive and try something Wolves will not expect. One option he has at his disposal is to bring Giovani Lo Celso into the attack and deploy the Argentinian playmaker as a false nine. Since joining Tottenham Hotspur, he is yet to register a Premier League goal or assist, but while he was making a name for himself with Real Betis, the 23-year-old was integral to their play in the attacking third. As per WhoScored, last term Lo Celso raked up 14 goals and five assists across the Europa League and La Liga in 40 appearances; the best-attacking output of his career to date.
Meanwhile, under Mourinho, the Argentine has often been stifled. He performed admirably as part of a midfield two, alongside Harry Winks against Leipzig, and received the highest match rating of any Spurs player, 7.7. But the deeper role clearly limits his creative and finishing abilities, which Tottenham lack without the injured Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane. If the 23-year-old was deployed as a false nine, he could draw out the Wolves backline, which is usually comprised of five defenders and make space for others in the process.
Furthermore, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn can be played in their natural positions, out wide, to stretch opposition defence and exploit any gaps created between the centre backs. Should Mourinho match Santo’s side and use a five-man backline once more, it is likely that without Son or Kane, Spurs’ goalscoring opportunities will be limited yet again. Since Son’s absence was confirmed no Tottenham player has found the back of the net, bringing Lo Celso further forward could change that for the North London side.
