How Mauricio Pochettino can use Harry Kane and Son Heung-min to beat Man City

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  • Tottenham‘s new stadium will get its first taste of Champions League football when Manchester City arrive on Tuesday night for the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

    Encounters between the two sides have often produced fascinating tactical battles and this one should be no different.

    Here, we look at the key tactics Mauricio Pochettino may employ to get the better of Pep Guardiola.

    Click here for City’s key tactics.

    HIGH PRESS

    Pochettino will set up and encourage his side to press City’s back-line as he always does, restricting their freedom to carefully construct attacks while increasing the possibility of a turnover in the final third. Liverpool and Lyon are among the teams to have enjoyed some success by adopting that game plan against City this season. A 3-4-3 led by Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min may facilitate the strategy.

    While the trio puts the back-line under pressure, Christian Eriksen will be tasked with stepping up to cancel out Fernandinho as an out ball. If City do penetrate the initial press, the Dane could then sit alongside Moussa Sissoko in midfield with Alli dropping back to ensure Fernandinho’s time on the ball is limited.

    ATTACK DOWN THE LEFT

    Kyle Walker has often doubled up as a third centre-back for City this season so they aren’t caught out in the transition but with the Englishman likely to miss out with a hamstring injury, that may be an area of weakness for Spurs to exploit. Son could be the perfect man to take advantage, setting off on a run down the left as soon as his possession is won to attack Danilo.

    The first step though would be to find Kane, who’s grown proficient at dropping deep to receive the ball. The skipper can act as a springboard, launching an attack by playing in the South Korean for an opportunity on goal or at least the chance to square up against a centre-back.

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