Spurs’ victory over Chelsea at White Hart Lane will be an iconic moment from this season regardless of how the rest of the campaign pans out.
Trying to stop the Blues break records in their own backyard, the Lilywhites were absolutely superb and certainly rose to the occasion.
Now, today, attention turns to their 4th competition of the season with Aston Villa visiting in the FA Cup.
Villa are out to prove they can still compete at Premier League level and harness the power of the cup to cause a massive upset at the Lane.
The Villans still have plenty of ability on their day and despite Spurs likely having the luxury of being able rest some key players, they’ll still need to field a strong team to see off the threat from their visitors.
This is the rotated XI we think can get the job done…
GK: Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris kept his first clean sheet in four matches against Chelsea and will be hoping for another with the visit of Villa.
The goalkeeper made two saves across the 90 minutes against the Blues and didn’t make any errors.
With a fairly unfamiliar defence in front of him, his organisational skills will be more vital than ever.
RB: Kieran Trippier
Kieran Trippier hasn’t seen much Premier League action but has impressed in the three Champions League games he featured in.
His first Premier League start of the season came on New Year’s Day against Watford and he was superb in the match, contributing two assists in a 4-1 win and contending for the Man Of The Match award.
That’s the kind of performance Pochettino will be looking for if he selects Trippier today.
CB: Eric Dier
The versatile Eric Dier has played a variety of roles for Spurs this season but looked especially excellent at centre-back against Chelsea.
Part of a backline that managed to keep the likes of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard very quiet indeed, his presence in the Spurs defence today should be enough to help the Lilywhites to a clean sheet while continuing to build a partnership with our next pick…
CB: Jan Vertonghen
Jan Vertonghen is the steady hand in the Spurs team that keeps them rock solid more often than not. The Belgian defender has been exceptional this season and should start today just to ensure that there are no early upsets in an iconic competition.
Despite playing almost every game for the Lilywhites so far, the big centre-back is another must pick here. We reckon the spine of the Spurs team needs to remain the same.
LB: Ben Davies
Ben Davies hasn’t started a game since November and deserves a chance to come in and allow Danny Rose to get some vital rest.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for him to step up his game and give Pochettino a headache going forward when it comes to the left-hand side of defence.
The Euro 2016 star can play at centre-back too so depending on how far the manager’s rotation goes, he could get a start there too.
CM: Victor Wanyama
Victor Wanyama proved he was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League with his display against Chelsea.
As we’ve noted, it’s key Spurs keep the spine of their team intact for this game given the importance of the trophy and Wanyama is a vital part of that solid core to the XI.
The big midfielder’s strength and composure is so impressive and if he starts against Villa will likely dominate the middle of the park and provide a platform for Spurs to go on and create chances.
CM: Harry Winks
Harry Winks has burst on to the scene at White Hart Lane this season as an exciting midfield prospect who has a bright future ahead of him in the game.
He’s had starts before this season but they’ve been few and far between and he deserves a chance against Championship opposition to show what impact he can have on important games.
Just 20, he has plenty of time to fully establish himself in the Spurs first-team and must be delighted with the amount of football he’s had this season so far.
AMR: Moussa Sissoko
After playing just four minutes of the victory of Chelsea, Sissoko should be fresh and fit for the visit of Villa and represents an excellent option on the right-hand side while also allowing the likes of Christian Eriksen to sit this one out.
The Spurs midfielder’s dribbling and crossing ability would be a real asset against Villa and he’d be hoping to add to just the two assists he’s managed to contribute this season.
AM: Dele Alli
One man not struggling to contribute this season is Dele Alli. The England international is in ridiculous form, scoring seven goals in his last four games from midfield – he was the man who sunk Chelsea, heading twice past Thibaut Courtois to give Spurs the victory.
If Spurs can race to a comfortable lead, the attacking midfielder doesn’t need to play the whole 90 minutes, but he should be utilised from the start to help ensure progression to the next round.
AML: Son Heung-Min
Son Heung-min has scored seven goals and provided three assists for Spurs this season but has failed to sustain his lightning early season form on a consistent level.
He looked more like his old self last week against Watford and netted in the game prior from the bench.
A start vs. Villa would be a big chance for him to show he can still be an effective outlet on the left flank for Pochettino.
ST: Harry Kane
Harry Kane is a man who can win cup ties and his goalscoring expertise will be vital against the Villans. He put in a Man of the Match performance away to Watford last week, scoring twice and setting up another.
Quieter against Chelsea, he’ll be keen to get back to scoring ways and there’s no better chance than the visit of a Championship club to White Hart Lane.