Norwich City vs Tottenham Hotspur
Date: 28/12/2019
K/O: 17:30
Venue: Carrow Road
Referee: Kevin Friend
TV: Sky Sports Main Event
Norwich City host Tottenham Hotspur in the two teams’ final fixtures of the decade.
Norwich will be looking to clamber out of the bottom spot before the year ticks over to 2020 with Watford, who face fellow relegation battlers Aston Villa earlier in the day, being the only team the Canaries could overtake on Saturday.
However, Daniel Farke has a considerable points gap to close if they are to climb out of the relegation zone altogether, with seven points separating them and 17th placed West Ham as things stand. Inconsistent results have lead Norwich to where they are now, but having claimed points from Leicester, Arsenal and Manchester City, they will feel they have a fighting chance against a Tottenham side looking somewhat unconvincing under Mourinho.
The early-season form of Teemu Pukki meant that nearly half of Norwich’s 19 goals this campaign were scored in the first five of their Premier League matches. The Fin then went on a disappointing goal drought, but he is re-emerging as a potential top scorer with a few goals here and there. If the 29-year-old can break through a shaky Spurs defence, he has a good chance of putting the ball in the net.
Tottenham came away with an important three points on Boxing Day against a determined Brighton side. The Lilywhites rightly trailed in the first half but a complete change in attitude in the second half grabbed them a deserved win. Jose Mourinho will want to work on the first-half mentality that has plagued them a few times while under the reigns of the Portuguese manager.
Tottenham once again have the opportunity to move into the top four with a victory, with Chelsea playing Arsenal on Sunday. Spurs put out one of their worst performances of the season against the Blues last Sunday, missing the chance to leapfrog into the Champions League spots before Christmas Day.
Major questions will be asked of Spurs if they come away from Carrow Road with anything less than three points and fans will be beckoning for Mourinho to spend wisely in defensive positions in the upcoming January transfer window. The current Tottenham defenders have been criticised for keeping the ball in their own half for too long and the manager may recognise this and bring in some defenders with a more attacking mentality.
Team News
Norwich City
The Norwich squad have not picked up any extra injuries during or following their Boxing Day defeat to Aston Villa. Josip Drmic continues to recover from a serious hamstring injury he picked up in November.
Ben Godfrey and Timm Klose are also out due to long-term injuries, with the latter out of action for the season.
Tottenham Hotspur
Likewise, Tottenham have suffered no more injuries since Boxing Day, with Hugo Lloris and Ben Davis set to miss out until the end of January at least with their injuries.
However, on top of Son having to play out two more games of his three-match ban, defensive midfielders Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks both picked up their fifth yellow card of the season, meaning they are both suspended for the match against Norwich.
Predicted Starting XIs
Norwich City (4-2-3-1): Krul; Byram, Hanley, Zimmermann, Aarons; Trybull, Tettey; Cantwell, McLean, Buendia; Pukki
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Vertonghen, Sanchez, Foyth, Aurier; Dier, Ndombele; Alli, Eriksen, Lucas; Kane
Score prediction: Norwich City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Norwich will have to fight extremely hard to defend against an eager Spurs attacking lineup, but may end up with some promising opportunities themselves.
