Spurs vs Newcastle: 5 Key Tactical Battles That Could Decide The Game

2. Erik Lamela vs Mathieu Debuchy

French right back Debuchy arguably had his best game in a Newcastle shirt against Chelsea. Now he could face a player who announced himself at Spurs by almost single-handedly sending them through to the knockout stages of the Europa League. Argentine Lamela is believed to have been struggling to settle into life in England. His all action display against Sheriff, however, suggests he could become the successor to Gareth Bale that everyone was hoping for. Threatening down either flank or in a central position, Lamela showed sumptuous feet, great tricks and won a penalty after scoring himself. We expect AVB to have been so impressed by this display that Debuchy will face Lamela instead of Aaron Lennon. Lennon from the left wing simply does not work. If you want compelling evidence of that then look back to his showing against Everton last weekend. We are pretty sanguine about Debuchy's chances of shutting off avenues here against Lamela.