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Watford’s Nathan Ake is available after being ineligible to face his parent club Chelsea on Boxing Day.
Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores has no new injury worries to contend with.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino will make a late decision on Mousa Dembele’s fitness after he suffered an ankle injury on Boxing Day.
Ryan Mason could be back on the bench after an ankle problem of his own, but Clinton Njie remains out.
Editor’s Note: Tottenham strengthened their Top 4 credentials last time out with a comfortable win over Norwich but will have a tougher test Today as they travel to a Watford side who are unbeaten in their last 5 league matches and sit 7th in the league.
Watford came away from Stamford Bridge on Saturday with a deserved albeit slightly lucky point against Champions Chelsea with Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo both getting on the scoresheet, Ighalo now takes his tally up to 13 for the season already and will be looking to increase that number with the visit of Tottenham.
It will be an interesting battle this afternoon as the partnership of Ighalo and Deeney goes up against the tightest Defence in the league and namely the Belgian duo of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld who have created the solid structure that allows to Tottenham to surge forward with such confidence
That confidence was exuded on Monday as Dele Alli and Harry Kane ran rings around Norwich on Saturday and Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping for more of the same today but must be also be mindful of managing their minutes especially with a trip to Everton to follow next Saturday. Pochettino will hope that Tottenham can take control of the game early on like how they did against Norwich to allow him to make substitutions to rest and rotate a slightly undermanned squad.
Much of that dominance will depend on whether Mousa Dembele can shake off an injury which saw him come off against Norwich, Tottenham missed his drive from Midfield when he was absent against Newcastle and will be hoping there isn’t a recurrence of that this afternoon.
It’s a real opportunity for Tottenham to throw down a marker and potentially even close the gap on the Top 3 this afternoon, it’s not going to be easy but if the club do have Champions League aspirations these are the away fixtures that they are going to have to win if it’s to become a reality.
The key will be keeping Ighalo and Deeney, that’s not going to be easy but they have personnel in which to do so. I think Spurs can come away with all 3 points and be in the Top 4 at the halfway stage of the season. An away win for me.
