What is Spurs's best starting XI?

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Tottenham’s season is reaching its climax, but it doesn’t seem like Mauricio Pochettino knows his strongest 11 to maximise their success this campaign.

They now face a top-four tussle, a Champions League round-of-16 battle with Juventus and an FA Cup quarter final, so who should play, and when?

Formation

Pochettino has had success with both 3-4-3 and 4-2-3-1 this season, but it’s hard to tell which will become his favourite in the coming months.

The 3-4-3 setup provides more width to supply Harry Kane and gives the wing-backs licence to roam in front of a dynamic Spurs back three.

However, a more traditional 4-2-3-1 ties the full backs deeper but creates one extra position for an attacking midfielder to overload the centre of the park.

Strongest 11

Goalkeeper and striker

Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane are nailed on to start in Spurs’ strongest 11, but the players in between them are much less certain.

Centre-backs

With Toby Alderweireld due back in the next couple of weeks, Pochettino could turn to the 3-4-3 formation, seeing him, Davison Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier battle to be on the team sheet.

That begs the question, which one, or two if the manager goes with 4-2-3-1, should be left out?

The decision could be made if Vertonghen’s injury worries are confirmed, but his ability to adapt to both formations would be missed.

With Spurs still fighting in all three remaining competitions, it seems the best option is to rotate the four to keep them on their toes and select the players who suit each game best.

The versatility and experience of Vertonghen and Alderweireld could mean they’re picked for the strongest 11 in both formations.

Therefore, in a back three against weaker opposition, Sanchez appears the best option to join them, topping the centre-half pass completion chart with 86%.

Eric Dier could then make up a back three against stronger opposition where Spurs would see less possession.

Full-backs/wingbacks

If Pochettino sticks with the 4-2-3-1 formation, Ben Davis and Kieran Trippier may be preferred for the fact they’d be given more defensive responsibility to help their centre-backs.

However, a 3-4-3 setup gives Spurs’ wingbacks more of a licence to bomb forward, suiting more attack-minded Danny Rose and Serge Aurier.

If that observation holds true and all full-backs are at their best, it seems the selection will be based on which formation Pochettino chooses to deploy.

Central/holding midfield

It appears Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama have their places nailed on in Tottenham’s strongest 11 whichever formation their manager selects, providing a strong engine room for the side.

Creative midfield

If Spurs choose to play 3-4-3, there are only two spots available for their abundance of creative midfielders and still only three places playing 4-2-3-1.

Comparing Son Heung-min, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and new signing Lucas Moura by their contributions per 90 minutes indicates the difficulty of deciding who to leave out.

New signing Lucas Moura has only played 40 minutes for Spurs, but his stats for an albeit-dominant PSG are impressive, with over four take-ons and 1.1 goals per 90 minutes.

It will be interesting to see how he compares to Spurs’ current top dogs like Erikson, who has cemented his place is Spurs’ top 11, creating an average of 2.68 chances every 90 minutes.

Son edges the successful take-on chart with 2.25 per 90 minutes and has a more prolific strike rate than his teammates, averaging 1.15 goals during the same period.

Lamela is back after 14 months on the sidelines and he looked sharp against Rochdale, so that could give Pochettino even more of a selection headache.

The Argentine started in the last Premier League game against Crystal Palace but Son scored twice against Rochdale in midweek but was more tellingly withdrawn after 67 minutes, meaning he could still start on the weekend.

Alli hasn’t lit up the league this season but his manager has stayed faithful to the 21-year-old who doesn’t lead the way in any comparison.

Verdict

Based off the stats, the best Spurs lineup looks to be:

Lloris

Trippier Alderweireld Vertonghen Davies

Dembele Wanyama

Eriksen Alli Son

Kane

Who would you pick as part of Tottenham’s strongest 11?