Tottenham Hotspur will be aiming to progress further in the 2021/22 FA Cup when they face Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round this weekend.
The fourth round fixtures of the 2021/22 FA Cup will go down this weekend. And Tottenham Hotspur will be involved in an all-Premier League affair when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion at home on Saturday night.
Tottenham qualified to this stage after securing a comeback 3-1 victory over lower league opponent Morecambe last month. However, Antonio Conte’s side have lost three of their previous five matches in all competitions (W2), with each of those defeats coming against London rivals Chelsea. Having lost their last game before the international break 2-0 to the Blues, Spurs will be aiming to bounce back on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Brighton were pushed to the brink by West Bromwich Albion in the third round, but the Seagulls secured a 2-1 victory after extra-time. Graham Potter’s men are on a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions, winning three of those (D4). However, their last three matches have ended in 1-1 draws against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Leicester City. They will be aiming to do one better this weekend and qualify for the next round.
This will be the first meeting between Tottenham and Brighton in the ongoing campaign, while it will be just the second time that they are meeting in a FA Cup encounter. Ahead of this enticing contest, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
? An update on…
✅ Heung-Min Son
✅ Cristian Romero
✅ Dejan Kulusevski
✅ Rodrigo Bentancur
❌ Japhet Tanganga
❌ Oliver Skipp— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 4, 2022
Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a double injury boost heading into the clash as key forward Son Heung-Min and summer signing Cristian Romero have recovered from their injuries and are back in contention. New signings Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski are also available for selection but are unlikely to start on Saturday. Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tanganga miss out with injuries, however.
Antonio Conte will be setting his team up in the 3-4-3 formation on Saturday night, with Hugo Lloris expected to start in goal ahead of second-choice Pierluigi Gollini despite it being a cup tie. The returning Romero ought to walk right back into the lineup, forming the three-man defensive unit along with Eric Dier and Ben Davies.
Matt Doherty and Ryan Sessegnon could get the nod as the two wing-backs on the right and left sides, respectively, ahead of the first-choice pairing of Emerson Royal and Sergio Reguilon. They will be key to supplying the width going forward for the Lilywhites. Harry Winks and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will man the middle of the park and look to provide control to the team.
The fit-again Son should be reinstated to the starting XI, with the South Korean international slotting in on the left flank, while Harry Kane and Lucas Moura occupy the remaining two attacking slots. Their movement and interplay will be crucial to unlocking the Brighton defence on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Doherty, Winks, Hojbjerg, Sessegnon; Moura, Kane, Son
Brighton & Hove Albion
Enock Mwepu and Jeremy Sarmiento are back in training but will not be ready in time for Saturday’s clash, while Alexis Mac Allister is ruled out after testing positive for Covid-19. Midfield mainstay Yves Bissouma is available for selection after returning from AFCON duty following Mali’s elimination.
Moises Caicedo, however, is touch and go, as he is scheduled to return from international duty with Ecuador on Saturday. There is some good news, though, as Shane Duffy and Adam Lallana have recovered from their injury problems. Graham Potter could set his team up in a 4-1-4-1 formation that worked well against Chelsea last month.
First-choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez should start, with the manager unlikely to rotate. Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster ought to form the centre-back pairing, flanked by the full-back duo of Joel Veltman and Marc Cucurella. The former is likely to tuck in closer to the centre-backs while the latter will push forward at every given opportunity.
The returning Bissouma ought to be the holding midfielder for Brighton, who will look to cut out attacks and recycle possession. Jakub Moder and Adam Lallana will line up as the two advanced midfielders and look to provide a creative outlet for the visitors.
The threat from the wide areas ought to come from Tariq Lamptey and Leandro Trossard, although the latter will drift in centrally to play closer to star striker Neal Maupay. Danny Welbeck will provide an option from the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Webster, Cucurella; Bissouma; Lamptey, Moder, Lallana, Trossard; Maupay
Key Stats
- Tottenham have won each of their last seven home games against Brighton & Hove Albion in all competitions.
- This will be only the second FA Cup meeting between Tottenham and Brighton. The Lilywhites won the previous one 2-1 in 2005 at White Hart Lane.
- Tottenham have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup in five of the last six seasons, missing out in 2018/19.
- Brighton have come out on top in just two of their last nine FA Cup matches against teams from the Premier League (D1 L6).
- Tottenham superstar Harry Kane has scored 11 goals in his previous 11 FA Cup appearances.
Player to Watch
Son Heung-min
Having missed the last four games with a hamstring injury, Son Heung-min is back to full fitness and ready to return to action on Saturday. The South Korean international is Tottenham’s second-highest goalscorer this season, having netted nine goals from 25 games while he also has five assists.
Son’s pace, movement and understanding with Harry Kane makes him a crucial part of this Tottenham Hotspur side. Coming up against defenders like Joel Veltman and Lewis Dunk, who are not exactly known for their speed and mobility, the 29-year-old could be crucial to unlocking the Brighton backline and leading Tottenham to a victory.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton are on a seven-game unbeaten streak and have shown that they can hold their own against the big teams, having managed to draw against Chelsea twice over the last month or so. Meanwhile, Tottenham have not been consistent enough of late and have been undone by Chelsea on three occasions in recent weeks.
However, under Antonio Conte, they have made their home ground a fortress. And, with Son Heung-min returning to action, it provides the Lilywhites with a greater edge in attack. The Hard Tackle, thus, predicts a narrow, hard-fought victory against Graham Potter’s men on Saturday night.