Tottenham Hotspur will be cursing the arrival of the October international break following an impressive run of five straight victories in all competitions.
Spurs have put a difficult period at the start of the campaign behind them in style, showing the heights they can reach during last weekend’s 3-0 demolition of ten-man Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Sunday’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion will be Tottenham’s final match before the upcoming international period and they will want to sign off with victory on the south coast. They will be without skipper Heung-min Son but their recent displays have shown they can manage without the relentless South Korean.
Here is how Tottenham could line up against Brighton.
GK: Guglielmo Vicario – Brighton will be no pushovers this weekend and have shown their attacking potential under Fabian Hurzeler. Vicario will be busy on the south coast and will have to be mindful on set pieces with Lewis Dunk hanging around.
RB: Pedro Porro – The Spaniard hasn’t offered quite the same threat in the final third for Spurs this season but Brighton’s high line may offer him encouragement to go forward on the overlap.
CB: Cristian Romero – Romero played the full 90 in Thursday’s 2-1 win over Ferencvaros in Hungary and will be expected to do the same at the Amex Stadium. Silencing the in-form Danny Welbeck will be his key task.
CB: Micky van de Ven – We already knew that Van de Ven was quick but his lung-busting run and assist against Man Utd was reminiscent of prime Thierry Henry. Now that’s a marauding centre-back.
LB: Destiny Udogie – The Italian was withdrawn at half-time at Old Trafford with a minor injury but Ange Postecoglou has reassured supporters that he should be available on Sunday. The left-back may be forced to battle the speedy Yankuba Minteh.
CM: Dejan Kulusevski – Kulusevski has thrived since moving into central midfield and dazzled at Old Trafford last weekend. A goal capped an impressive display and he will be key to pulling the strings at the Amex.
CM: Rodrigo Bentancur – Operating as a solo defensive midfielder in Spurs’ midfield is a difficult job and Bentancur is unlikely to be offered too much support from his fellow midfielders this weekend. It’s an area Brighton will look to expose.
CM: James Maddison – Integral to Tottenham’s impressive start to last season, Maddison is finally getting back to his best at the start of the new campaign. He still has gears to find, though.
RW: Brennan Johnson – Five goals in successive games is a remarkable record by anyone’s standards and Johnson is in the form of his life bombing up and down Tottenham’s right flank. He was another standout performer in last weekend’s win over Man Utd.
ST: Dominic Solanle – After an injury-hit opening month of his Tottenham career, goals have been easy to come by for Solanke in recent weeks. He fits Spurs’ system perfectly and has taken little time to adjust to new surroundings.
LW: Timo Werner – God loves a trier but Werner’s persistence in the face of adversity is astonishing. Despite missing umpteen clear-cut chances every week, he continues to exhibit relentless energy levels every single game.
