EFL Cup Match with Liverpool Highlights Hard Choices Ahead for Tottenham

Sometimes there is nothing like playing lower-league opposition to cure or appease Premier League neuroses and concerns.

Tottenham Hotspur’s need for a win over Gillingham in their third-round EFL Cup match last month was not as vital as, say, then-underperforming West Ham United’s 1-0 defeat of Accrington Stanley on the same night. But the 5-0 victory at White Hart Lane served up a welcome feel-good factor all the same.

Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela had been dropped/rested for the preceding league win over Sunderland. Both relished the opportunity allowed by inferior opposition to remind them of their creative capabilities, scoring three between them. Midfielder Tom Carroll and defender Kevin Wimmer looked to make the most of what was their first 2016-17 bow.

He took a little while getting there on the night, but Vincent Janssen netted his first goal for Tottenham from the penalty spot. Midfielder Joshua Onomah also opened his senior tally, while fellow academy men Cameron Carter-Vickers and Harry Winks made their first starts. They were later joined off the bench by other youth-team prospects Marcus Edwards and Anton Walkes and new signing Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, all making their respective debuts.

The home fans went home content, having witnessed a jolly, relaxed couple hours of entertainment. Manager Mauricio Pochettino and his players could reflect on a job well done and signs of a promising future for and via several talented young individuals.

Impinging on this reverie came the draw and confirmation of their opponents for the next round: Liverpool, away.

With due respect to Gillingham, managed by ex-Spur Justin Edinburgh, it was a long shot that the League One side would ask any serious questions of a strong Tottenham squad.

The prospect of facing the Reds for the second time in just a couple of months, though, has brought up more than just the difficult task of progressing into the tournament beyond Anfield. It has also highlighted issues of personnel and how Pochettino prioritises different competitions in a year he hopes will bring long-awaited success.

Speaking about the youngsters specifically after the last round, Pochettino celebrated “a fantastic night to give the opportunity to play.” His belief in their readiness for the first team was such he intended to play them in the next stage too:

It will be a very great experience to play in Anfield. It’s true that they are not involved in European competition, and maybe they will take the game in a different way than us. But for us it’s important to build up our confidence, our squad for the future. We are in a different process than Liverpool, I think [it] will be a great experience for our younger players to play in Anfield.

That statement warranted a followup. Would he really field some of his less experienced squad members against one of the competition favourites and a fellow Premier League title …

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