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Attendance: 58,308
Spurs logo
Premier League | Gameweek 34
Apr 13, 2019 at 12.30pm UK
 
Huddersfield logo

4-0

Wanyama (24'), Moura (27', 87', 93')
FT(HT: 2-0)

Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Huddersfield Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole provides team news, predicted lineups and a full preview of Saturday's Premier League clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Huddersfield Town.

Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping to make it three wins in a row at their new home when they welcome already-relegated Huddersfield Town to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Spurs beat Crystal Palace in the first official match at the £850m venue and followed that up with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie in midweek.


Tottenham

Son Heung-min celebrates scoring for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City in the Champions League on April 9, 2019.© Reuters

The move into their new stadium arguably came at the perfect time for Tottenham, who had won just one of their six matches immediately before the Palace and Man City games.

A change of surroundings has paid off as Spurs battled to a 2-0 victory over the Eagles on April 3 through goals from Son Heung-min - earning him a place in the club's history books - and Christian Eriksen.

That win was much needed, ensuring that Mauricio Pochettino's side have their top-four fate in their own hands. After collecting one point from 15 between February 23 and March 31, anything less than victory over Palace would have been pretty disastrous.

As it is, though, the Lilywhites are now one point better off than North London rivals Arsenal in fifth place and a further two points in front of Manchester United. Third-placed Chelsea, meanwhile, can be overtaken if Tottenham win their game in hand.

Playing Champions League football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season is the big aim for chairman Daniel Levy, and his side can still achieve that through two avenues. As well as finding themselves in a strong position to finish third or fourth in the top flight, Tottenham may yet go on to win UEFA's showpiece competition this term.

That now has to be considered a serious possibility as Pochettino's men lead Man City 1-0 from Tuesday's quarter-final first leg in the English capital, courtesy of another goal from Son.

The win came at a cost as top scorer Harry Kane limped down the tunnel early in the second half and is possibly out for the rest of the season. The stats point out, however, that Spurs have dealt with Kane's absence just fine this term, largely thanks to the form of Son.

Playing before each of their top-four rivals this weekend, Tottenham now have a chance to continue building momentum in what is a huge week for the club - not just in terms of this season, but in context of their long-term future.

Recent form in Premier League: LLDLLW
Recent form (all competitions): DWLLWW


Huddersfield

Philip Billing in action for Huddersfield Town on December 26, 2018© Reuters

With their relegation confirmed in near-record time before the end of March, Huddersfield are left crossing off the games between now and the end of a dismal campaign.

The Terriers have won just three of their 33 top-flight matches this term under a mixture of David Wagner and current boss Jan Siewert, whose future beyond the end of 2019-20 appears to be unclear.

Siewert is trying to take as many positives as he can from his side's performances, but they have now lost five in a row since picking up a last-gap victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers six weeks ago, most recently crashing to a 4-1 home defeat against Leicester City.

Going further back, it is 19 defeats in 21 matches, earning their only other point in a goalless draw with fellow strugglers Cardiff City on January 12 - also the only time they have avoided defeat in their last 10 away matches.

Huddersfield supporters will return to the Championship with plenty of happy memories, though, mainly from their maiden Premier League campaign, including a 2-1 win over Man United in October 2017.

Since then, the West Yorkshire outfit have lost 17 of their 19 league games against big-six opposition, collecting zero points from the last 30 on offer. However, their only two points in that 19-match winless run have come away from home - against Chelsea and Manchester City in May 2018 when dodging the drop.

With Tottenham, Liverpool and Man United still to play in their remaining six matches, it is unlikely that Huddersfield will restore any real pride before the end of the campaign.

A point in North London on Saturday will go a long way to giving supporters, and indeed Siewert, some hope to hold on to ahead of a big summer. On the basis of the last four months, though, simply avoiding a thrashing will be the immediate priority for Town.

Recent form in Premier League: WLLLLL


Team News

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane suffers ankle injury in challenge with Manchester City's Fabian Delph in the Champions League on April 9, 2019.© Reuters

The ankle injury sustained by Kane in the win over Man City is expected to rule him out for the rest of the season. That leaves a big void to be filled up top, and Pochettino has a big decision to make.

Son is the preferred choice through the middle but, four days ahead of the return match with City, Pochettino may opt to rest the South Korean attacker against the Premier League's worst side.

Dele Alli may be an enforced change as the midfielder injured his wrist against the Citizens, while Eric Dier, Serge Aurier and Erik Lamela are still unavailable.

Huddersfield will have to assess the fitness of Laurent Depoitre and Philip Billing ahead of Saturday's early kickoff, meanwhile, with both men nursing injuries.

Adama Diakhaby is definitely out, having now spent more than two months on the sidelines, and Abdelhamid Sabiri will also play no part at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

After sitting out his side's last two games, Jonas Lossl could be recalled between the sticks in place of Ben Hamer, who has shipped 17 goals in just six Premier League appearances this season - one every 27 minutes on average.

Tottenham possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies; Wanyama, Sissoko, Skipp; Eriksen, Llorente, Lucas

Huddersfield possible starting lineup:
Lossl; Smith, Schindler, Kongolo, Durm; Billing, Hogg; Pritchard, Mooy, Lowe; Grant


Head To Head

Tottenham are unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions against Huddersfield, stretching back to a three-game losing streak between April 1955 and April 1956.

Town have lost all three of their Premier League meetings with Spurs by an aggregate score of 8-0, landing just nine shots on target during that run.

Only against Cardiff have Tottenham won their first four Prem games against a team without conceding a goal, which they can match against the Terriers this weekend.


Sports Mole Logo

We say: Tottenham 3-0 Huddersfield

Tottenham have played (57) and lost (13) more Premier League games against sides starting the day bottom of the table than any other team in the competition, most recently losing to West Bromwich Albion last May. There is little to suggest that Championship-bound Huddersfield can pull off an upset on Saturday, however, so we are backing a comfortable home win.



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Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane celebrates with Dele Alli after opening the scoring against Chelsea in their EFL Cup semi-final on January 8, 2019
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


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