Tottenham Hotspur will be raring to bounce back after their weekend defeat, when they travel to Wales to face off against Cardiff City on Tuesday.
Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to return to winning ways after their shock 3-1 loss at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers, when they face off against Cardiff City away from home on New Year’s Day.
Tottenham slipped down to third in the Premier League standings, after their surprise defeat at the weekend. Spurs are currently two points behind second-placed Manchester City and nine points shy of leaders Liverpool. And manager Mauricio Pochettino will be aiming to guide his team to a victory in Wales to reduce the deficit at the top.
Cardiff City, on the other hand, find themselves on the periphery of the relegation zone, sitting in the 16th position in the table, three points above 18th-placed Burnley. The Bluebirds come into the game on the back of an important 1-0 victory over Leicester City at the weekend and will be aiming to build on it with another positive result against the North Londoners.
Team News & Tactics
Cardiff City
Neil Warnock’s side will be without striker Kenneth Zohore, who is recovering from a thigh injury, while Jazz Richards and Danny Ward also remain major doubts to be involved. The manager is unlikely to make a large number of changes for Spurs’ visit on Tuesday.
In goal, Neil Etheridge has been one of Cardiff’s best performers this term and should feature from the get-go once again. Only one change is expected in defence, with Joe Bennett likely to return to the team at left-back, in place of Greg Cunningham. Bruno Ecuele Manga, Sol Bamba and Sean Morrison should hold on to their spots.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing could be in line for a run out from the kick off on the right flank, with Junior Hoilett expected to make way. Attacking threat from the left wing will be provided by Josh Murphy. The goalscorer against Leicester City, Victor Camarasa is a definite starter in the middle of the park and will be partnered by Aron Gunnarsson and Harry Arter.
Callum Paterson has led the line well for the Bluebirds this term and should continue to do so against the North Londoners on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Etheridge; Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Mendez-Laing, Camarasa, Gunnarsson, Arter, Murphy; Paterson
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs continue to be plagued by injury troubles with the likes of Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele, Victor Wanyama and Jan Vertonghen all still absent, while Erik Lamela is also likely to miss out. Right-back Serge Aurier has returned to training, but is unlikely to be rushed back into action by the manager.
Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris will continue in goal, but there will be wholesale changes in the back four in front of him. Kyle Walker-Peters is set to replace Kieran Trippier at right-back, while Danny Rose is likely to come in at left-back in place of Ben Davies. Juan Foyth is also in contention to start and should replace Davinson Sanchez at the heart of the defence.
Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks will form the two-man midfield axis for the North London outfit, with Christian Eriksen set to take up the playmaking duties in the No. 10 role. Dele Alli is likely to be benched, with Lucas Moura coming back into the starting XI, while Son Heung-min is a definite starter, based on current form.
Spearheading the attack for the Lilywhites against the Bluebirds will be star striker Harry Kane, who has now scored 13 league goals, following his strike against Wolves at the weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Walker-Peters, Alderweireld, Foyth, Rose; Sissoko, Winks; Moura, Eriksen, Son; Kane
Key Stats
- Tottenham have won the last four league meetings against Cardiff City, winning the last three 1-0.
- Cardiff City have failed to score against Spurs in any of their last six clashes in all competitions.
- Tottenham have won their last five Premier League matches on New Year’s Day.
- Cardiff have lost their last 14 Premier League matches against the ‘Big Six’ sides, conceding 45 goals.
- Tottenham are unbeaten in their last seven league clashes with Cardiff City (W5 D2) since losing 2-3 in March 1961.
- Spurs have won seven of their last eight away games in the top flight and have scored in every away game they have played this season.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
The Tottenham Hotspur superstar is the joint top-scorer in the Premier League this term, along with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal, with 13 goals against his name and was on the scoresheet against Wolves this past weekend.
Kane has been involved in six goals in his last two Premier League games on New Year’s Day (4 goals, 2 assists). Moreover, the England captain has scored 15 goals in his last 11 away Premier League matches against newly promoted teams for Spurs. Tuesday’s game against Cardiff presents him with the perfect opportunity to take a lead in the Golden Boot race.
Prediction
Cardiff City 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Cardiff City have recovered well from their last home defeat at the hands of Manchester United. They have emerged out of the relegation zone on the back of two consecutive clean sheets against Crystal Palace and Leicester City and will be looking to build on that platform.
Tottenham, on the other hand, were in rampant form, having smashed 11 goals in two games against Everton and Bournemouth, but were brought to a halt by Wolves this past weekend. However, they have responded to defeats immediately by winning their next game this term and that is how the fixture at the Cardiff City Stadium is likely to unfold on New Year’s Day.
