After a strong first season under Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur aim to take another step in the right direction when they kick off a new Premier League campaign at Leicester City on Monday.
Spurs made a few additions to their roster over the summer, chief among them Dominic Solanke, but will otherwise stick to the squad that delivered a fifth-place finish last season. The consistency should serve them well, especially against a Leicester team that's back in the Premier League after a season away. The Foxes will have to navigate the challenge of surviving promotion to the top flight with a new manager in Steve Cooper, who replaced Enzo Maresca over the summer after he was poached by Chelsea.
Here's what you need to know before tuning in.
How to watch and odds
Date: Monday, Aug. 19 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: King Power Stadium -- Leicester, England
TV: USA Network | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Odds: Leicester City +440; Draw +350; Tottenham Hotspur -175
Storylines
Postecoglou introduced himself to the Premier League as an architect of entertaining soccer that can deliver impressive results, nearly snatching a top-four berth amidst the trials and tribulations of last season. Spurs' biggest problem last season, though, was consistency -- a strong start to the season gave way for an uneven finish and there will be fewer excuses as the newness wears off.
Spurs' inconsistencies did not just appear out of thin air, though. An injury crisis battered the team in the middle of the season and so Postecoglou had to grapple last winter with drilling in his style of play without several key players, including midfielder James Maddison and center back Micky van de Ven. The manager, though, will have the benefit of a fairly well-rested squad -- while van de Ven and fellow center back Cristian Romero made deep runs during the summer's international tournaments with the Netherlands and Argentina, respectively, most of Spurs' team had the summer off. Crucially, that includes Maddison and the team's unrivaled star, Son Heung-min.
It also includes the team's marquee signing of the summer, Solanke. He's coming off a career-best 21-goal season for Bournemouth last season, and will no doubt offer quite the helping hand if he returns to similar form for the new campaign. Many will be eager for him to have a quick start at Tottenham, especially with the extra load of Europa League games on the calendar this season. While the game against Leicester should be a fairly straightforward one, the big question for the North London side is if they can make a big jump this season or -- especially considering the handful of teenagers they signed this summer -- if they are planning for the future.
Prediction