Saturday 4 February 2017 17:52, UK
Tottenham will look to maintain their unbeaten home Premier League record when Middlesbrough visit on Saturday evening.
Mauricio Pochettino's side are the only top-flight side yet to lose at home this season, winning nine of those 11 games.
This is their best unbeaten start at home since 2000-01, which stretched to 13 games.
Spurs' pursuit of Chelsea has hit the buffers slightly in the last two weeks as they have drawn their last two league matches against Manchester City and Sunderland, respectively. If Chelsea beat Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime, Spurs will leave them 12 points the league leaders.
Middlesbrough are without a win in six Premier League games, drawing three of the last four and have scored just three goals in that six game run.
Danny Rose is one of five Tottenham players expected to miss Saturday's game at White Hart Lane.
Rose has a knee problem and will see a specialist on Monday while Jan Vertonghen (ankle), Erik Lamela (hip), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (knee) and Kieran Trippier (hip) are also out.
Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, however, is available again after he sat out Tuesday's draw at Sunderland due to illness.
Deadline Day signing Adlene Guedioura will go straight into the Boro squad, while Calum Chambers could also travel.
Chambers had returned to training on Wednesday after suffering a fracture in his foot but could not train on Thursday.
George Friend and Gaston Ramirez are both ruled out of the Saturday evening clash, though. Friend is sidelined with a calf injury while Ramirez is in the final throes of recovering from a knee injury.
Tottenham have won their last two league games vs Middlesbrough; they last won three consecutive league contests in September 1988.
Middlesbrough are winless in eight trips to White Hart Lane in all competitions (D3 L5), although they did win a League Cup quarter final penalty shoot-out in December 2003.
Son Heung-Min netted both goals for Spurs in their 2-1 win in the reverse fixture at the Riverside back in September.
Tottenham have won 25 of their last 27 Premier League games against newly promoted sides (D2), since losing 1-0 to QPR in April 2012.
This could be Harry Kane's first Premier League appearance versus Middlesbrough - he's currently scored against 22 of the 24 different opponents he's played against in the competition.
Alvaro Negredo has been directly involved in 10 of Middlesbrough's 19 goals this season (53%, six goals and four assists).
Spurs, who drew 0-0 with Sunderland in their last outing, haven't failed to score in back to back Premier League games since May 2015.
Tottenham have won each of their last six home league games, last achieving a longer run in August 2009 (a run of eight). They last won seven in a row in the same season in December 2006.
Middlesbrough have now gone 56 away Premier League games without scoring more than twice (since a 3-1 win at Charlton in January 2007). Only one side is on a longer run without doing so (West Brom, 57). Sunderland hold the record for this (64 games between December 2001 and March 2008).
Premier League away games involving Middlesbrough have seen just 20 goals scored this season, five fewer than any other side's matches. Only the Premier League's top two Chelsea (10) and Spurs (11) have conceded fewer away Premier League goals than Boro (12).
Middlesbrough are quite solid at the back but they don't score enough goals. They are not going to blow Tottenham away and if Spurs get an early goal they could run away with it.
Middlesbrough will set up to make things difficult for Tottenham but Pochettino's side need to win this game. It was a poor result against Sunderland but I expect them to bounce back.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (6/1 with Sky Bet)
The wide range of Price Boosts on the White Hart Lane clash include Harry Kane to score a hat-trick enhanced from 8/1 to 14/1, and Tottenham to win 2-1 at 10/1 (from 8s.)
Kane is 9/4 to open the scoring, with Alvaro Negredo at 12/1 considered most likely for the visitors.
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