Lamela started against the former but failed to get on the scoresheet in a 7 - 0 hammering before being dropped for the clash with the Mexicans.
Lamela started the campaign brightly and may feature against Asteras on Thursday but is there any expectation of a top four finish, bearing in mind the form of some of our rivals, or is it all based on pure hope?
Not exact matches
Dele was also rested and
Lamela's not at the level yet to
start against City so we'll see Dele and Son
start.
Lamela had made a promising
start to the season with two goals and seven assists in 14 appearances in all competitions, but ultimately he hasn't been able to meet expectations in general since his move from the Italian capital.
Erik
Lamela returns from a testing international break with Argentina, and might be fit enough to
start on the right, with Son Heung - min and Nacer Chadli waiting in the wings should the former AS Roma star miss out.
Thankfully, with Sissoko suspended and
Lamela injured, Spuds haven't a lot of options at RAM at the moment and might shoehorn Son or Jansen there for this game if Kane
starts.
Increasingly trusted by Pochettino, Erik
Lamela has
started to look more influential for Tottenham and could be given another chance this weekend.
While Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli have added quality to the
starting XI, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, Roberto Soldado, Erik
Lamela, and Paulinho have all been flops to varying degrees.
Son was left out of the
starting eleven with Mauricio Pochettino opting to star Erik
Lamela over the South Korean star during the first - leg.
As for the hosts, Vincent Janssen is on the bench as Mauricio Pochettino goes with Harry Kane as his lone striker, while Dele Alli returns to the
starting line - up to join Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama, Christian Eriksen and Erik
Lamela in midfield.
Meanwhile, Nacer Chadli is likely to come in for Erik
Lamela, who has done very little in recent weeks, despite
starting four games in a row.
Midfielder Dele Alli had yet to make his full Premier League debut, while Danny Rose and Erik
Lamela were on the bench as Ben Davies and Nacer Chadli
started.
Paulinho 7 — Did more in the middle of the field than we're used to seeing, looked comfortable and
started the move for the second goal with a pass to
Lamela.
Look at Moussa Dembele and Erik
Lamela before he arrived, many wanted those players gone, they were deemed lazy and not good enough — now, under Pochettino, they are reborn and important parts of the
starting eleven.
Harry Kane had an effort cleared off the line in the first with Erik
Lamela - his first
start for almost 14 months - and Sonny also close before Serge's cross sailed into the far corner to hand us the lead on 40 minutes.
Dele Alli is hit and miss whilst Heung - mon Son will be hoping to get the nod ahead of Erik
Lamela to
start down the right.
Lamela could potentially make his first Premier League
start for Spurs, Sandro could fit back in defensive midfield for his first
start, as Chelsea's midfield will offer more in attack; which will mean more defensive work for Mousa Dembele, but in such a big profile game, Villas - Boas may keep the same 11 that have won at Cardiff away and Norwich at home.
Injuries have certainly been a mitigating factor and Danny Rose was again missing for both legs against Gent — the defeat in Monaco was the first time Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris and Mousa Dembele had
started together in the Champions League and Spurs were still without Toby Alderweireld and Erik
Lamela — but too few of the fit players stepped up.
Frank Lampard,
starting ahead of the presumably rested Yaya Toure, then robbed Erik
Lamela to set up the first goal, although Aguero still had plenty to do.
Udinese got a promising
start with Antonio Di Natale causing problem for Roma defense, but it wasn't long before the visitor
started to create opportunities which eventually lead into the opening goal scored by Eric
Lamela on 20 minutes.
Players such as
Lamela and Chadli, who were mediocre in the past year, had
started to show their worth on the pitch but that joy was ended by Liverpool in their next match.
However, here we are in January, and it has been over two months since
Lamela last played for Spurs, and fans are
starting to get a little anxious as to when the winger will return from injury.
TEAM NEWS: Victor Wanyama, Toby Alderweireld and Erik
Lamela all miss out but Fernando Llorente, Georges - Kevin Nkoudou and Juan Foyth are set to
start.
Erik
Lamela, who returned in the
starting lineup for the away side in midweek for the first time this year after recovering from hip surgury, might be a slight doubt after a lack of game time as Pochettino says his body
starting to adapt again to minutes on the pitch.
Erik
Lamela 8 — His best display for Spurs by far, worked really hard, won tackles, was positive going forward and a sublime goal too, hope it's a
start for Erik.
Lamela likes to cut off the wing in to those type of positions, so the only question would be could he do it
starting here rather than drifting in from wide?
The rather unheralded 26 - year - old often quietly splits opinions at the Lane: no - one laments him, but there's an over-riding feeling that many would prefer Son Heung - Min and Erik
Lamela to
start alongside Dele Alli or Christian Eriksen in an attacking three.
«
Lamela is not fixture in the
starting XI at Tottenham,» they report, «which after five seasons in the Premier League could convince him to leave London and return to Serie A.
A loan move to Inter would provide time for
Lamela to obtain playing time and attempt to earn a spot on Argentina's World Cup team — a team he has not
started for since a 2016 qualifier against Venezuela.
Maybe it would have been better for the team if
Lamela if had
started in the position of Eriksen, as he is more suited to the role.
When the season
started at West Ham away, a lot of the fans wanted to win at all costs, because it was West Ham, never mind the new style the manager brought, or whether Soldado would actually score, or if
Lamela played a good game.
The goals came from Erik
Lamela and Harry Kane, sparking huge debate over who should
start at the weekend.
Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to the team that won at Crystal Palace on Sunday - only Eric Dier and
Lamela retained their places in the
starting XI.
Ashley Young was given a rest midweek but I expect him back in the
starting XI to go up against Heung - min Son or Erik
Lamela.