Tottenham: 3 things Spurs must do to defeat Manchester United
Tottenham key No. 2: Contain Bruno Fernandes
A vintage Mourinho squad would possess the sort of defensive midfielders required to bully a player like Fernandes out of this match. The ugly truth for Spurs is that they lack even a single defensive midfielder capable of really stopping a player of Fernandes’ quality.
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That’s why Tottenham must adjust their expectations significantly on Friday. They can’t stop Fernandes from wielding any influence in this match. Their only hope is to make life difficult for him in the middle of the pitch.
Moussa Sissoko could be the key for that effort for Spurs. He’s not an ideal Mourinho player, but he possesses the size, strength and stamina to man-mark Fernandes for long stretches of time. Don’t be surprised if the Frenchman tries to rough his opponent up early in the match to take him out of his game.
Of course, Sissoko is going to need significant help from his teammates. Mourinho faces some tough choices as to who to start in his midfield on Friday. Someone like Tanguy Ndombele could be especially helpful against United’s talented midfield group. No matter who plays, they have to make sure Fernandes isn’t given time and space on the ball. Containing him is a big key to Tottenham’s hopes of securing a victory.