Tottenham v Portsmouth – Match Preview

In the second meeting between the two sides this season, both Harry Redknapp and Jermain Defoe face their former clubs, when Tottenham host Portsmouth on Sunday. After losing consecutive Premiership matches against West Brom and Wigan, Spurs need to get back on form, and that starts at White Hart Lane. Don’t expect any 3-2-3-2 formations this week!

And Harry Redknapp is under no illusions as to the importance of this fixture either.

“It will be a tough game because they’ve got good players and they’re a big, strong side,” he said. “They’ve got pace down the flanks, the two centre-halves are strong, they’ve got a fantastic goalkeeper in my opinion, and Peter Crouch up-front is always a threat, so they’re strong and they’ll be difficult to beat.

“We need the points, but they have also slipped into trouble and are not out of it. It’s a big game for both clubs.

“Our form over the last 12 or 13 games has still been top half of the table form, but it’s just slipped after such a fantastic start. We’ve got a tough run-in so we’ve got to start making sure we start picking up some points.”

Despite the importance of three points on Sunday, there will be a lot of attention directed at the Spurs fans going into the match. When the teams last met, at Fratton Park, the game was plagued by racist and homophobic chants towards Sol Campbell, and Harry has urged the fans to learn their lesson.

“Just to come and get behind your team on Sunday because we need all the support we can get this week. Nobody wants to hear any obscene or abusive chanting from our fans at all.

“We all saw at Portsmouth in September just how the police are looking upon this issue, and we don’t need this in football. It’s not part of football, it’s not part of sport, and it’s not part of life in my opinion.

“Just come and enjoy the game, why do people have to spoil that? Most of our fans are fantastic and we have great support, but it’s just a small minority who let the Club down that day in September.

“Hopefully they’ve learned their lesson and we won’t hear any more of this. It’s not right and there’s no place for it in football.”

Team News

Jermaine Jenas and Alan Hutton are the only two players sidelined for the match at White Hart Lane, with Jenas a doubt with a calf strain, and Hutton still out with his foot injury. Benoit Assou-Ekotto also misses out, as he is serving the last match of his four-game ban. Giovani Dos Santos and Edel Taarabt both impressed in the friendly match against Grays, and both could be in line for a start on the bench. Harry Redknapp will feel differently, but I would line up as:

                      Gomes

Corluka      King      Woodgate      Bale

Lennon      Modric     Zokora        O’Hara

                    Pav         Defoe

Subs: Sanchez, Giovani, Bent, Campbell, Huddlestone, Dawson, Taarabt.

What Will Have to be Done

Dispite the loss of Lassana Diarra, Portsmouth still boast a strong and fast midfield, and will pack the centre of the park with five midfielders, with Peter Crouch up front on his own. Our midfield will have to match them for strength, and the wingers will have to tuck in when we don’t have the ball, otherwise we will be vastly outnumbered. That is why jamie O’Hara will probably be given a start. Spurs will also have to get the ball up to the strikers as quickly as possible and try to test David James.

My verdeict: 3-1 Spurs.