Ange Postecoglou’s first competitive match in charge of Tottenham Hotspur is a trip to Brentford.
Spurs have shown real signs of promise in pre-season, even in matches in which they ended up the losing side.
The difference now is that Harry Kane has departed the club, completing his move to Bayern Munich on Saturday morning.
Here’s who Postecoglou may call upon to kick off Tottenham’s new era.
GK: Guglielmo Vicario – In an alternate universe, Tottenham would have started this match with David Raya between the sticks. However, they failed to agree a fee with Brentford earlier this summer and quickly switched gears to sign Vicario instead, with Raya heading to north London rivals Arsenal.
RB: Emerson Royal – Pedro Porro’s £45m move from Sporting CP was made permanent this summer but it will take some time for him to adjust to playing in a back four. Emerson is a safer bet here.
CB: Cristian Romero – Among Postecoglou’s new leadership group and is eager to prove that he cares about the club after fans called out his subpar performances during the second half of last season.
CB: Micky van de Ven – Tottenham’s new centre-back hasn’t had much time to bed in with his new teammates, but his pace will prove a necessity in Postecoglou’s high line, particularly with Brentford possessing such quick attackers.
LB: Destiny Udogie – One of Spurs’ big winners from pre-season was Udogie, who was first signed a year ago by former director of football Fabio Paratici. The young Italian’s ability to come infield but also bomb down the line makes him a suitable Postecoglou full-back.
DM: Yves Bissouma – The midfielder was among several signings that didn’t pan out under Antonio Conte, but early signs suggest he could be reborn in Postecoglou’s system.
CM: Pape Sarr – This spot is really a coin-flip between Sarr and Oliver Skipp, who scored a brace away at full-strength Barcelona on Tuesday. The Senegal international might have the edge over the course of their performances across the summer.
CM: James Maddison – Straight into the lineup and straight into the new leadership group alongside Romero and Son.
RW: Dejan Kulusevski – His last totally dominant performance in the Premier League came in this fixture last season. That was on Boxing Day. At least the Swede appears to be over his injury troubles now.
CF: Richarlison – It’ll be hard for Richarlison to fail to match his tally of one Premier League goal during his debut season at Tottenham. With Kane gone and a more suitable head coach in place, he could find his best form again.
LW: Son Heung-min – Tottenham’s new captain often thrived in his brief appearances without Kane in the lineup when he was at the club. That will now be put to the test now that his good friend has upped sticks to Bayern Munich.
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