Mauricio Pochettino is somewhat coy on Harry Kane’s fitness, while the Spurs coach surprises many by fielding both Danny Rose and Ben Davies in a 3-2 loss to West Ham.
Manuel Lanzini and Andre Ayew shine for the Hammers, but Michy Batshuayi can’t convert a rare start into goals as Chelsea narrowly beat David Unsworth’s new-look Everton.
Here are the notes from Wednesday’s brace of Carabao Cup ties…
Kane talk needs monitoring
Harry Kane’s 16-point demolition of Liverpool on Sunday propelled him to the top of the Fantasy Premier League scoring charts and earned him the night off against West Ham.
Or did it?
Kane left the field at the weekend clutching his leg, although Pochettino was quick to dismiss suggestions that he was injured while confirming he would rest his star striker for the Carabao Cup tie.
But stand-in striker Fernando Llorente’s substitution after 72 minutes last night prompted post-match questions as to whether he was being saved for Saturday lunchtime’s Man United clash in light of a possible issue with Kane.
The coach’s reply was…ambiguous.
“We’ll see. We need to assess the team; we were forced to rotate for different reasons.”
That could mean anything and nothing, although you could argue that if Kane was likely to miss the Old Trafford trip, Pochettino would have preserved one of Son Heung-min or Llorente with the Old Trafford trip in mind.
About the only thing certain for now is that Pochettino’s Friday morning press conference will need monitoring very closely indeed.
Rose makes rotation issue thornier
Danny Rose was handed his first start since recovering from injury in Spurs’ 3-2 loss to West Ham.
No surprise there – the Carabao Cup is made for such things.
But to see his erstwhile rival Ben Davies on the pitch as well? It was almost as if Pochettino was having a go at being Pep Guardiola for the night.
The 20.9%-owned Davies, who hasn’t played a single league minute in two Gameweeks, was given the full 90 at Wembley as part of the back-three. Rose managed 81 as the left wing-back as Spurs continued with the 3-5-1-1 set-up employed against Liverpool.
Over on the right, Kieran Trippier was again the preferred option and has started five of the last six in all competitions. Serge Aurier was given the night off.
That has the potential to add another level of mystery to Pochettino’s rotation plans for his defensive wide men.
Factor in a schedule that includes trips to United and Arsenal over the next three Gameweeks, and it’s clear to see why Davies has lost more than 87,000 managers this week.
It would still be a major surprise if the Welsh international doesn’t earn the start at Old Trafford, but as we now know, his manager seems to be growing rather fond of them.
Dele doubles up
While Christian Eriksen (25.4%) was reduced to a late run-out last night, his midfield partner Dele Alli (21.3%) played the full match – again from a deeper midfield role.
And he marked the occasion with a second goal in a week – a fact that might have given the 44,000+ who have sold him on since Sunday pause for thought.
It’s always seemed to be a matter of picking one or other when it comes to the Spurs duo and, as ever, it remains a close call.
Over the past four Gameweeks, the Dane has scored 25 points, Alli 22.
But there’s a sense of momentum building around Alli at the moment and, at 9.3, he is also 0.4 cheaper than his team-mate.
That rough immediate schedule has persuaded many managers to ditch Spurs assets this week.
But a plum home match with Crystal Palace comes between those tough two trips and the fixtures thereafter are set fair all the way into late January, a Gameweek 18 match at Man City aside.
There is a strong case, therefore, for holding on to Pochettino’s men even with United and Arsenal looming – particularly as Spurs have excelled away from home this season.
And Son also pushed for a regular role after excelling in the support slot behind Llorente.
The South Korean scored against Liverpool and marked his third consecutive start last night with the assists for both Alli’s and Moussa Sissoko’s goals.
Temporary Hammer time?
The media seemed to think that West Ham boss Slaven Bilic had two matches to save his job.
Trailing 2-0 at half-time last night, that had been reduced to 45 minutes, but his much-changed side clearly found that time enough.
In all, Bilic made nine changes from the chastening 3-0 home defeat to Brighton, although two players who did feature on the Friday – Andre Ayew and Manuel Lanzini – were at the heart of last night’s comeback.
Ayew scored twice and Lanzini provided two assists, the second from a corner for Angelo Ogbonna’s winner. Edimilson Fernandes was the other to set up a Hammers goal.
The Argentinian playmaker, at 6.8, was considered by many managers to be a great early-season prospect this campaign, but injuries and West Ham’s awful form quickly put paid to that.
Meanwhile, Ayew will surely be in the frame for a starting role at Palace in Gameweek 10 and, with Carroll also in contention, there continues to be uncertainty surrounding Chicharito’s minutes. The Mexican was rested from the matchday squad for Wednesday’s tie.
The Hammers short-term schedule (cry LIV wat LEI eve) is patchy. Indeed, the fixtures stiffen markedly from Gameweek 15, with a trip to Man City and then back-to-back home matches with Chelsea and Arsenal.
Bilic will be hoping that last night’s stirring win is not a temporary blip, but his players remain more permanently unattractive in Fantasy terms.
Not much from Michy
Chelsea were made to work for their 2-1 win over Everton, and they did it without a number of first-team regulars, most notably the rested Eden Hazard.
But the match’s main plot involved striker Michy Batshuayi.
If he could build on his two-goal burst from the bench against Watford with a strong starting performance last night, the 8.1-priced forward had the chance to put pressure on team-mate Alvaro Morata, who has looked off the pace since his return from a hamstring injury.
The Belgian international fluffed his lines, however, failing to convert his one big chance of the night and adding (slight) injury to insult by running into the post as his effort was cleared off the line.
Morata eventually replaced Batshuayi late on and, with just five minutes under his belt last night, he will surely start Saturday’s match at Bournemouth.
Elsewhere, Danny Drinkwater made his first start for the Blues to add to Antonio Conte’s options in central midfield ahead of a busy week involving trips to the Cherries and Roma and a visit from Man United.
His second-half replacement, Cesc Fabregas, set up Willian’s winner, while Antonio Rudiger opened the scoring from Charly Musonda’s cross.
As for Everton, David Unsworth’s first match in temporary charge signalled an improvement in the Toffees, although they could hardly have been any worse than in the dying days of Ronald Koeman’s reign.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (5.0) scored a late consolation at Stamford Bridge, with Unsworth handing starts to seemingly forgotten men Kevin Mirallas and Aaron Lennon and a more attacking role for Tom Davies.
Gylfi Sigurdsson went unused on the bench, while Davy Klaassen failed to make the squad.
The performance was encouraging, and Everton’s schedule continues to be attractive through to a Gameweek 16 Merseyside derby at Anfield.
But the jury remains out on both Unsworth’s future and the new make-up and direction of the Toffees team.
We will likely know more about all of that following Sunday’s trip to Leicester City.
