It's been a bumpy ride for those down the N17, but 2023 is about to draw to a close and Tottenham Hotspur will look to end on a high with victory over in-form Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Ange Postecoglou's side have been severely afflicted by injuries but remain in the race for top four, with a win this evening putting Spurs just one point behind Manchester City and Arsenal, albeit having played an extra game.
While the hosts have a range of first-team stars unavailable for the conclusive fixture of 2023, there is more than enough quality available to dispatch the Cherries, regardless of their flying form.
Spurs team news vs Bournemouth
Dejan Kulusevski's yellow card against Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek means that he will be suspended for the forthcoming fixture, compounding his side's woes.
Indeed, with Cristian Romero recently sustaining a hamstring injury that will keep him out of contention for five weeks, joining defensive partner Micky van de Ven on the sidelines, Spurs' backline really is threadbare and one of Eric Dier or youngster Ashley Phillips may be required to take a starting role.
None of Tottenham's other injured players are nearing returns bar Oliver Skipp, who sat out the defeat last time out with a knock but could return to take Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's place in the engine room.
Why Spurs should unleash Giovani Lo Celso
One player who will likely receive a starting berth later today is Giovani Lo Celso, with the Argentinian midfielder not fielded from the outset across any of the past four Premier League outings but likely needed following Kulusevski's suspension.
He will certainly have big boots to fill, with the dynamic Swede starting every one of his club's matches in the division thus far and posting five goals and two assists, also creating 2.3 key passes every game.
Spurs signed Lo Celso, now aged 27, from Real Betis for a staggering fee of £55m in 2019, and despite clear quality he fell by the wayside and was branded a "flop" by The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke before spending 18 months out on loan with Villarreal, returning to the fold last summer.
As per FBref, the £70k-per-week star ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, passes attempted and progressive passes and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90, highlighting the level of his technical ability.
Further, he scored in successive matches against Aston Villa and Manchester City during the Lilywhites' tough period in November and will be hungry to add to his tally, bringing the sauce with his "mischievous" style, as was said by Alasdair Gold.
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Having also completed 91% of his passes and won 60% of his ground duels in the English top-flight this season, as per Sofascore, Postecoglou can rest assured that his team's creativity will be intact against Andoni Iraola's high-flying side.
Once called a "master of the last pass" by reporter Milena Gimon, Lo Celso has a glorious opportunity to prove his worth to his manager with a standout showing against Bournemouth, with his innovation in the middle perhaps proving to be the difference-maker, closing the year with a bang.
