Tottenham Hotspur will host Aston Villa in North London for the FA Cup third round on Saturday, looking to secure a win and progress to the next phase.
It has been a disappointing season for Tottenham so far, and they have not won in their last five matches across all competitions ahead of the FA Cup third-round clash vs Aston Villa this weekend. Spurs have struggled in the Premier League, and they will look to do well in the cup competitions now.
A club of their stature is expected to fight for trophies, and the FA Cup is their best opportunity to win silverware this season. It will be interesting to see whether Thomas Frank’s charges can step up their performance at home and grind out a victory here.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are in impressive form. The Villans are unbeaten in five of the last six matches in all competitions, and they are third in the Premier League table. They will look to do well in the cup competitions as well.
The away side will look to exploit Tottenham’s vulnerabilities and grind out a victory away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are unavailable due to long-term knee injuries. Dominic Solanke is sidelined with an ankle problem. Destiny Udogie is struggling with a knock.
Meanwhile, Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are away at the Africa Cup of Nations. Lucas Bergvall has an undisclosed injury, and Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur have a thigh problem.
Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Aston Villa, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Pedro Porro and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and contribute in the final third as well. Meanwhile, Kevin Danso will start alongside Micky van de Ven in the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Joao Palhinha will add defensive cover and physicality alongside Archie Gray. They will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Xavi Simons will start in the attacking midfield role and look to link the midfield to the attack.
Wilson Odobert and Richarlison will add pace, flair, and unpredictability from the flanks. Finally, Randal Kolo Muani will lead the line for Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Danso, van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Gray; Odobert, Simons, Richarlison; Kolo Muani
Aston Villa
Tyrone Mings is out with a hamstring injury, while Ross Barkley is recovering from a knee issue. Amadou Onana has a thigh injury, and Evan Guessand is away on AFCON duty. Additionally, Emiliano Martinez will likely miss out due to a minor issue.
Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Marco Bizot in goal. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa will start alongside Pau Torres at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn will provide defensive cover and drive the midfield. Morgan Rogers will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, looking to link the midfield to the attack.
Donyell Malen and Emiliano Buendia will start on the flanks. They will look to create goalscoring opportunities and add unpredictability in the final third. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, McGinn; Malen, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins
Key Stats
- Aston Villa have picked up four wins from their last six matches against Tottenham. Spurs have lost two of their last three FA Cup ties against Aston Villa, going out against the Villans in the fourth round last season. The last team to eliminate Spurs from the FA Cup in consecutive seasons were Manchester United in 2007-08/2008-09.
- 20 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Tottenham have picked up one win from their last six matches in all competitions.
- Aston Villa have picked up four wins from their last six matches in all competitions.
- Tottenham have progressed from 18 of their last 19 FA Cup third round ties, doing so in the 11 most recent campaigns since a 2-0 loss at Arsenal in 2013/14. Aston Villa have won their last two FA Cup third round ties, having been eliminated at this stage in the seven campaigns before this.
Player to Watch
Morgan Rogers
The Aston Villa playmaker is our key player to watch out for. The Englishman is in impressive form, and he will look to make a defining impact in the final third. Rogers will look to open up the Tottenham defence with his link-up and creativity. He will also look to score.
Meanwhile, Rogers has been involved in five goals in four appearances against Tottenham in all competitions (3 goals, 2 assists), scoring and assisting in Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over the North London outfit in the FA Cup last season.
It will be interesting to see if Tottenham can keep him quiet. Given the English playmaker’s current form and confidence, they could struggle against him. Aston Villa will hope Rogers can create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Aston Villa
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Aston Villa are in impressive form, and they will fancy their chances away from home. Meanwhile, Tottenham are under pressure to bounce back strongly.
Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet here, and they will look to play for a victory. An open game is on the cards with Fairview chances. However, Tottenham have greater squad depth and should be able to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Thomas Frank and his charges.
