Will Spurs redeploy compact system for meeting with Monaco?

It was a moment of huge importance for both player and club on Saturday evening. Harry Kane’s brace may have earned Tottenham their first competitive win since the 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the beginning of October, but it was another Harry who endeared himself to supporters on the back of the thrilling 3-2 win over West Ham. In a weekend where Yaya Toure stole the headlines following a goalscoring return for Manchester City, Mauricio Pochettino sprung a surprise of his own in his XI by handing Harry Winks his first Premier League start of his career. 

The London derby was a baptism of fire for the young midfielder, but he handled the occasion with maturity beyond his tender years. Winks’ WhoScored.com rating (7.64) was the fourth best in the game, with the 20-year-old marking his debut with a goal after Vincent Janssen’s effort was parried into his direction by Darren Randolph. The goal dragged Spurs level when it looked as though West Ham could well hold firm and see out a win as they threw men behind the ball in a bid to frustrate Spurs. 

All in all, Saturday’s showing could prove to be the catalyst that kick-starts Winks’ career. He impressed Pochettino in pre-season and two mature displays in the EFL Cup saw him leapfrog Tom Carroll in the pecking order behind Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama. His effectiveness in possession and tenacity when off the ball means he ticks all the boxes of a Pochettino midfielder. Only Jan Vertonghen (91) and Eric Dier (77) played more passes than Winks (67) at White Hart Lane on Saturday, while only Manuel Lanzini (5), Angelo Ogbonna and Pedro Obiang (both 4) made more tackles than the Spurs man (3). 

Winks also completed two of his three attempted dribbles, performing effectively alongside Dembele and Wanyama in a midfield diamond. The issue here, though, is that Spurs lacked the necessary width to properly challenge West Ham and it wasn’t until Heung-min Son was introduced that the game swung in the hosts’ favour. Indeed, Spurs were incredibly narrow and it showed in a compact, seesaw of a match that was largely decided by a conveyer belt of errors. 

It was hardly the ideal preparation for Pochettino, whose side now travel to Monaco ahead of a must-win Champions League tie on Tuesday. Spurs sit third in their group, four points behind leaders Monaco and after their 1-0 home loss to Bayer Leverkusen last time out, their chance of progression hangs in the balance. They don’t have the best of records against their French counterparts either having won just one of their last four outings against Monaco, though one of those was a pre-season friendly. 

Yet, having played a more open 4-2-3-1 in the 2-1 loss to Monaco in the reverse fixture, it could well be in Pochettino’s best interests to continue with a compact midfield in order to stifle Monaco at the Stade Louis II. Leonardo Jardim’s side are in rampant form in Ligue 1 this season and have scored 13 more league goals (39) than any other side in France’s top tier this term. They’re second to Nice in the top division of French football and boast one of the best home records having won their last five league outings in front of their own fans. 

For more stats on Monaco-Spurs, click here to head to WhoScored.com's preview page

A born again Falcao has led the line with aplomb having netted five league goals this season, the joint-best return at the club, and has seven in his last seven competitive appearances. With a solid midfield foundation of Fabinho and Tiemoue Bakayoko, coupled with the exciting wide pairing of Bernardo Silva and Thomas Lemar, it’s vital Spurs remain tight in the middle of the park in order to deny the former pair the chance to spread the play to the latter. 

Given Monaco have had 13 different goalscorers in Ligue 1 though, the goals can come from any player and it’s of the utmost importance that Spurs keep their wits about them in the south of France. Pochettino’s ever-increasing versatility, however, means he may not be against tinkering with his preferred system once again in order to help secure a vital three points. While it would be another learning curve for Winks, and a tough test for the English midfielder of that there is no doubt, a strong showing against West Ham proved he is capable of making the step up from bit-part player to first teamer when called upon. 

However, as Spurs have learnt the hard way, there is a significant difference between domestic and European football. Supporters will hope the 1-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen was the wake-up call required in the bid to secure a spot in the knockout round of the Champions League, but their chances of progression remain slim. Victory against Monaco would go a long way to landing a place in the next round of Europe’s elite club competition, and it could well be that Winks again has a crucial role to play for Spurs in their quest to overcome their French counterparts.