Tottenham travel to take on Middlesbrough in the Premier League this afternoon.
Mark Lawrenson
Pundit Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that he thinks Tottenham Hotspur will beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at the Riverside Stadium this afternoon.
Hosts Middlesbrough opened the season well with five points from their first three games, but have now lost their last two games in a row.
Manager Aitor Karanka will be hoping to pick up a positive result as they host Spurs, but taking on Mauricio Pochettino’s men won’t be easy for Boro.
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka
Tottenham remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season, picking up three wins and two draws so far having beaten Sunderland 1-0 last weekend.
Spurs beat Gillingham 5-0 in the EFL Cup in midweek, with Vincent Janssen scoring his first goal for the club from the penalty spot as he looks to take advantage of his opportunity in the first team.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane
Harry Kane’s injury sustained against Sunderland now means that Janssen is Tottenham’s first-choice striker, and he should be called upon against Middlesbrough.
Ahead of today’s game, pundit Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that he thinks Kane’s injury is a major concern, but acknowledged that it’s a great opportunity for Janssen to impress following his summer move from AZ Alkmaar.
Lawrenson added that he’s a little concerned with Middlesbrough’s form, and thinks they will lost 2-0 to Tottenham this afternoon.
Tottenham’s Vincent Janssen
“Harry Kane’s injury is an obvious concern for Tottenham, especially because it is still unclear how severe it is,” said Lawrenson. “But this is a great opportunity for Vincent Janssen, who they spent a lot of money on over the summer.”
“Janssen might have thought he would be sitting on the bench for a while, but after getting his first goal for Spurs against Gillingham, now he can show what he can do in the Premier League too.”
“Middlesbrough have lost back-to-back league games and I wonder whether the momentum you bring up with you as a promoted club is just starting to run out. Sometimes that momentum makes up for a lack of quality and we will find out a lot about Boro in the next few weeks,” he added.
What’s your prediction for Middlesbrough v Tottenham?
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