After scoring a late winner against Brighton last Sunday, Gareth Bale (£9.5m) is set to make his first league start for Tottenham Hotspur since returning to north London.
The man on loan from Real Madrid will star in a fearsome front three alongside Harry Kane (£11.0m) and Son Heung-min (£9.6m) – the season’s two highest FPL scorers – with Matt Doherty (£5.8m) and Sergio Reguilon (£5.6m) retaining their spots at full-back.
Bale replaces Erik Lamela (£5.8m) in head coach Jose Mourinho’s only change from the 2-1 win over the Seagulls, which gave Spurs their first home win of the season.
It’s a different story for them on the road though, winning all three away matches at a combined score of 12-3. The many managers who have captained either Kane or Son this weekend will be expecting to repeat this 4-1 average against a winless side currently sat in 18th place.
Kane scored his 200th Spurs goal in Thursday night’s Europa League win over Ludogorets and has a superb record against today’s opponents West Bromwich Albion, netting seven times in seven matches.
This slow start to the season has put Slaven Bilic under pressure and his reaction is to make three changes from their 2-0 defeat at previously winless Fulham.
Matheus Pereira (£5.9m) and Grady Diangana (£5.5m) starred in the Baggies’ promotion push but both make way in an apparent switch to 5-4-1.
Branislav Ivanovic (£4.5m) is the third man to miss out, as he and Pereira have returned positive coronavirus tests ahead of the international break.
In their places come Callum Robinson (£5.5m), Kyle Bartley (£4.5m) and Dara O’Shea (£4.3m), with the latter two playing their first minutes since completing all of West Brom’s first four games.
Robinson scored twice in Gameweek 3’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Chelsea and Bilic is counting on both he and Karlan Grant (£5.9m) to provide the goals that could save his job.
West Brom are undefeated in their last three home clashes with Spurs.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION XI (5-4-1): Johnstone; Furlong, Bartley, Ajayi, O’Shea, Townsend; Krovinovic, Livermore, Gallagher, Robinson; Grant.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR XI (4-3-3): Lloris; Doherty, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon; Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Sissoko; Bale, Son, Kane
3 years, 11 months ago
Douglas & Stephens owners getting very lucky again.....