Preview: Andre Villa Boas to seek stability following Arsenal loss
The North London side lost to arch rivals Arsenal in their last Premier League encounter when a solitary goal from Olivier Giroud settled the tie for the Gunners. Tottenham are currently in the re-building phase following the departure of talisman Gareth Bale who secured a move to Real Madrid on the second last day of the transfer window.
Spurs have however used the money from the sale of Bale astutely and have secured the services of top class players which could really boost their chances of a top four finish this season.
However the new signings have not yet adapted to life in England and Tottenham fans will have to be patient with their incoming stars who will need time to develop chemistry among one another.
One player who has adjusted to life seamlessly in England is Brazilian star Paulinho who has been one of Tottenham’s best players in the three games played. Roberto Soldado remains the only Spurs player to have scored in the Premier League this season and has scored both the goals from the spot. Ironically Tottenham are yet to score from open play this season despite having the most shots on goal in the league (42).
Things could drastically change for the North London side with the likes of Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen set to make their full debuts in the match against Norwich. Tottenham have evidently suffered from the departure of their star man Gareth Bale and Roberto Soldado is often left stranded in no man’s land receiving no service from his midfielders. The addition of Eriksen and Lamela will offer Tottenham the creative edge which they need.
AVB will miss out on the services of Gylfi Sigurdsson (dead leg) and Etienne Capoue (ankle), whereas Aaron Lennon (ankle) also remains a doubt for Saturday’s tie.
Chris Hughton on the other hand has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the difficult match against Spurs. The Canaries recorded their first victory of the season after a 1-0 win against Southampton last time out.
Chris Hughton could hand new acquisition Gary Hooper his Premier League debut who could start alongside star signing Ricky van Wolfswinkel in what could be a very deadly partnership. Ricky van Wolfswinkel has managed a single goal in the league so far which came in the opening fixture against Everton. However the Dutch international has talent in abundance and could explode sooner or later.
Norwich’s record against Tottenham however speaks in favour of their counterparts, who have just lost twice in 12 premier league encounters against the Canaries. In addition to this Norwich are currently winless in their last eleven away league matches which is an added pressure for Chris Hughton’s side who must drastically improve their form away from home if they are to achieve any success this season.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, Live Scores
Watch Tottenham vs Norwich City live on Saturday, September 14, 2013:
In USA at 10:00 ET on Premier League Extra Time, DirecTV, TalkSport Radio, NBC Sports Live Extra
In UK at 15:00 BST on Absolute Radio
Fans in other parts of the world can watch the match live on their local channels. Those in Australia can catch the action live on TalkSport Radio, whereas fans in the Canada can watch the match live on TSN.ca.
For complete details of match listings and live scores, visit the Tottenham Hotspur vs Norwich City match page.
