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Tottenham will be aiming to bounce back after a difficult weekend where they lost 4-1 to runaway leaders Manchester City at the Etihad. However, the task at hand is another tough challenge for Mauricio Pochettino.

Burnley are this seasons surprise contenders for a top 6 place, and have already picked up points against Tottenham at Wembley – scoring very late to snatch a 1-1 draw. Sitting in 6th place and one point above Spurs, this is a massive game for both sides.

With Liverpool heading to the Emirates on Friday night, it is the perfect chance for Spurs to capitalise and keep the pace with the teams above them, but Burnley will certainly not be ones to roll over.

Currently boasting the joint-best defence in the league along with the two Manchester clubs having conceded only 12 goals, this game could be a real banana-skin for Tottenham.

Time for Llorente?

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It’s been a slow start for Fernando Llorente at Spurs, scoring his first goal against Apoel on his 17th appearance for the club. However, out of those 17 appearances he came on as a substitute 15 times, and is yet to start a Premier League game.

There has been a common theme to the games that Tottenham have struggled in this season, and that is where teams have been happy to drop deep and stay narrow, giving Spurs a headache while trying to break them down.

With midfield maestro Christian Eriksen being marked out of the game, and two-time Young Player of the Year Dele Alli not reaching his own standards, Kane has been starved of the ball, and Tottenham starved of clear-cut chances. World Cup winner Llorente is an old-fashioned centre forward, and could help clear the space for those around them.

Llorente adds a different dimension to the attack, giving Kane freedom to drop a bit deeper and pick the ball up in different pockets of space. Teams have often been happy for Spurs to have the ball on the edge of the 18 yard box, because the narrow attack is blunted by a sea of bodies. Nobody has done this better than Burnley this season.

If Llorente were to start against Burnley this weekend, it would provide Spurs with a different outlet against another team that will be happy to give up possession. By forfeiting one of our inside forwards, it will give the Burnley defence more to think about up front, and allow for Aurier and Davies to get forward more.

Regardless of who starts, the game is a must-win if Spurs are to keep their top 4 ambitions within touching distance, and considering the task-at-hand is against the best defence in the league, an improved sense of urgency is desperately needed.

When is the game?: 5:30pm Saturday 23rd December

What channel is it on?: BT Sport (UK)

Where is the game?: Turf Moor, Burnley

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