Tottenham could be boosted by absence of 97% ace Kaoru Mitoma ahead of Brighton clash
Tottenham will look to make it four Premier League wins on the bounce when they travel to Brighton on Thursday (28 December).
After a miserable five-match winless run, which saw them fail to pick up any Premier League points during November, Ange Postecoglou’s side have found their swagger again after consecutive wins against Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Everton.
They will look to continue that run when they travel south to take on a Brighton side who have struggled to collect points of their own in England’s top flight as of late.
The Seagulls have won just two of their last 11 league matches, including just one of their last five on home soil, with the club’s successful European exploits seemingly catching up with an already thin squad.
And that thin squad looks to have become even thinner in recent days, which could offer Spurs a significant advantage when the two sides meet.
During Brighton’s most recent outing, a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday (21 December), star man Kaoru Mitoma could be seen leaving the ground on crutches after suffering an ankle injury that forced the Japan international off in the 83rd minute of the contest.
Speaking after the match, Roberto De Zerbi told the media: “I hope it won’t be a big injury, for him, for us, but I don’t know, we will see in the next days.” (The Athletic, 21 December).
A couple of days later, Mitoma took to social media to update his 1.4million followers on Instagram, with the caption of his post implying that he could be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Mitoma wrote, “It is frustrating to be out injured, but I will come back stronger.”
While the forward has struggled to replicate his form from last season at times this year, he remains a key player for Brighton, having featured in 24 of their 25 matches this season.
He recently committed his future to the club, signing a new long-term contract which runs until June 2027, with De Zerbi describing the 26-year-old as a “top player” following his decision to put pen to paper (Sussex Live, 20 October).
Should Mitoma be unavailable for the visit of Spurs, it would certainly boost the visitors’ chances of coming away with all three points.
The winger has three goals and six assists in all competitions this season and while he wasn’t at his best against Palace last time out, he was still causing the Eagles problems before he was forced off as he completed 91 per cent of his passes, registered two shots on target and completed one dribble across his 83 minutes on the pitch (Sofascore).
As per fbref, while it hasn’t been his finest season, Mitoma has certainly given plenty of opposition defenders something to think about, ranking in the top three per cent of his positional peers in England’s top flight this season for the number of progressive carries he has made (7.43 per 90) as well as his progressive carrying distance (192.67 yards per 90).
In addition to this, Mitoma sits in the top five per cent of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers this season for the number of times he has carried the ball into the penalty area (3.82 per 90) and the number of progressive passes he has received (14.38 per 90), as well as the top seven per cent for the number of touches he has had in opposition penalty areas (8.04 per 90).
On the ball, he is difficult to contend with, as he sits in the top 11 per cent for both the number of take-ons he has attempted (5.93 per 90) and been successful with (2.38 per 90), and considering the makeshift nature of Spurs’ backline at the moment, Mitoma’s absence could truly prove to be a game changer.
