Tottenham would have relished the opportunity of playing Everton at home just a few short months ago, but that is certainly no longer the case.

Ange Postecoglou’s side currently find themselves undergoing a mini resurgence after a five-match winless streak, which began to cast a dark grey cloud over the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Back-to-back victories against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest offer them the opportunity to make it three wins on the bounce when they host Everton on Saturday (23 December). However, the Toffees are currently undergoing a much more impressive resurgence of their own under Sean Dyche, one that would certainly not be described as mini.

Following a miserable start to the season that saw them lose four of their first five league fixtures, Everton have lost just three of their last 14 games in all competitions, and are currently on a four-match winning run in the Premier League, during which they have kept a clean sheet in each of those four victories.

That means they have not conceded a goal since 26 November, which equates to 360 minutes of football, and if Postecoglou’s side want to claim all three points on Saturday, then they will need to be at their absolute best, and a potential injury blow for Dyche could certainly help.

Midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure was forced off at half-time during the club’s most recent outing, a 2-0 win at Burnley on Saturday (16 December). Speaking after the match, Dyche was unsure of the extent of the 30-year-old’s injury.

“He’s another one, he let us know the last five minutes of the first half he had a tightness in his hamstring, tightness can lead to problems so we’re hopeful we got him off in time because we are getting stretched at the moment,” (Liverpool Echo, 16 December).

Should he be ruled out of the clash with Spurs, it would certainly increase the north London side’s chances of victory.

The Mali international has been in sensational form as of late and was subject to high praise from his manager ahead of the Burnley game.

“He has been a shining light since I have been here and I have enjoyed everything he is doing and I think he is enjoying it as well,” Dyche said in quotes reported by the Liverpool Echo (16 December).

Doucoure is the club’s top scorer this season with six goals in the Premier League, and before his withdrawal at Turf Moor, he was once again showcasing his quality as he completed 83 per cent of his passes, one successful dribble and made two clearances (Sofascore).

As per fbref, the stats demonstrate that he has been particularly impressive across the entire season, ranking in the top one per cent of his positional peers in England’s top flight for the number of ball recoveries he has made (5.00 per 90). He also ranks in the top four per cent for the number of passes he has completed (30.88 per 90), the number of those passes which have been into the final third (1.88 per 90) and the number of tackles he has made (1.50 per 90).

In addition, he also sits in the top seven per cent of midfielders in the Premier League this season for the number of progressive passes (3.00 per 90) and interceptions he has made (0.69 per 90).

With the number of key midfielders Tottenham are currently missing, coping with Doucoure would certainly be a difficult task, and those associated with Spurs will therefore be hoping he is not available for selection when the two sides meet.