Vs
Leicester City FC
White Hart Lane, London
16:00 GMT, 10th June 2016
With the first of two back to back games against the surprise title contender, Tottenham have to test their might in their FA Cup third round fixture against Leicester City. Who will emerge victorious?
Both Tottenham and Leicester City have been exhilarating to watch this season. With each team surprising the shorts off their fans with every fixture, they boast of one of the best runs in each of their recent history. With pundits and managers labeling both teams as title contenders, this game is indeed a clash of the titans.
Having played each other once already in the current season, the two teams ended with a point a piece. With survival in the competition at stake, the two teams are sure to play with heart, sweat and blood in what we can expect to be an end to end game. Their willing to victory, their strength reminds me of cars, so presumably, you are interested in these facts – car scratch remover: facts.
Mauricio Pochettino has been clear that he does not want to bother with what the other teams do, as long as he can get his team to perform week in and week out. Being just 6 points short of the league leaders, the Argentine hasnai??i??t ruled out the fact that Tottenham are truly title contenders, but has stated that he would think about the title when there are less than ten games to go. For now his objective with Spurs seems to be get as many positive results as possible, fielding his strongest squad in every competition Tottenham play.
Raneiri has returned to the premier league after almost ten years and has taken the league by storm after topping the table with a team that was touted to be feeding at the bottom of the table. With the likes of Mahrez and Vardy outperforming valued players who are earning salaries far greater than theirs, the Italian manager has brought back the old 4-4-2 formation.
After having put down some of the giants in the Premier League, Leicester now face the team boasting of the best defensive record. Having come off a loss and two back to back draws, Ranieri faces a tough opponent against whom he hopes to find victory.
Team Tactics and Lineups
Tottenham Hotspur FC
Hell bent on a 4-2-3-1 formation, Pohettino will want to field his best eleven. However, coming off a busy Christmas period, a few key players will be rested for the upcoming match against the same opponent in the Premier League. In a game that could decide the future of the teamai??i??s participation, Lloris is someone the manager cannot afford to rest. Hence Michael Vorm will have to wait longer for his turn.
Nonetheless, there will definitely be defensive changes to the side with Rose coming into the side in place of Davies who played a good game against Everton. On the right side, Pochettino will look to replace Walker with Trippier, to give the youngster more game time.
The centre-back pairing which has been a part of every game Tottenham have played this season is a testimony to their quality, as they have conceded the least number of goals this season. The inclusion of Alderweireld has made all the difference this season as he has not only been rock solid, but has also brought back some of the confidence that Vertonghen had initially lost.
For this game however it is most likely that Poch will look to replace him with Dier in his originally intended position alongside Vertonghen. Wimmer, who is eager to play, will find himself on the bench for this one.
Dembele is out injured for this fixture. Pochettino will make a few changes to the three attacking midfield players as well, Lamela will continue to play on the left but will be accompanied by Son and Chadli who will play in the center and the left respectively. Harry Kane will continue to play atop as striker, as Spurs still look for a striker to bolster their squad with a backup.
Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Trippier, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose; Carroll, Bentaleb, Lamela, Son, Chadli; Kane;
Leicester City
With his top scorer side-lined along with defender Schlupp, Raneiri like Pochettino will look to play some of his deserving substitutes in order to play his stronger side in the Premier League Clash against Spurs few days after this fixture.
Casper Schmeichel will be the chosen goalkeeper for the Foxes, but there will be a few changes in the defensive lineup ahead of him. De Laet will start in place of Simpson who came off as a sub against Bournemouth. Wes Morgan and Robert Huth will continue in the central defensive positions while Fuchs will complete the line up on the left.
Mahrez has been in top form for the Foxes so far, there is no reason for the manager to bench him and he will field the Algerian on the right wing in all likelihood. Albrighton too, will be given the nod as he takes his place on the left wing to test Trippier with his lethal right foot. Gokhan Inler will replace Drinkwater in the center midfield role as he partners with Andy King who was benched in the previous game.
Ranieri will play Okazaki in place of Vardy who is yet to recover from his injury alongside the new arrival Demarai Gray. The new arrival who has come from Birmingham will be given a chance, while Dyer and Ulloa will be on the bench.
Without the threat of Vardy, Liecester do look a little light on the attacking front, however, with two strikers who look to break into the starting eleven during the starai??i??s absence, we can expect a lot of hard work from the Japanese as well as the Englishman. With the threat of Mahrez and Albrighton approaching from the wings, Tottenhamai??i??s defence will have a tough time defending against the more than accomplished pair of wingers and eager to score strikers.
Predicted Lineup (4-4-2): Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, King, Inler, Albrighton; Okazaki, Dyer;
Match Facts
- Of the last four encounters in all competitions, Tottenham have won 2 and lost 1 against Leicester City.
- Leicesterai??i??s top scorer Jamie Vardy is out injured for this fixture.
- Leicester have not scored in any of their last three games.
- Spurs have been knocked out of the competition by the third round in 6 of the last 8 seasons.
Player to Watch
Riyad Mahrez
Having missed a penalty in the previous fixture against Bournemouth, the winger from Algeria will look to score against Tottenham, as he did to salvage a point the last time they met. His previous goal coming from their 3-2 win against Everton, Mahrez will look to get back to scoring ways after a missed penalty against Bournemouth.
With the help of Inler and Okazaki beside and ahead of him, Mahrez will surely be a handful for Rose to handle. If Spurs are to fall in this game, the winger is sure to be instrumental in their downfall.
Predictions
Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 1 Leicester City
Tottenham will field a weaker defence for this game as compared to their other games. This will surely prevent them from a clean sheet. However, without the help of Vardy, Leicester will be a weaker side than usual and Tottenham is sure to outscore the opponent two goals to one and progress to the next round.
Blast from the Past