Tottenham will look to reach the FA Cup fourth round when they face Portsmouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
The FA Cup resumes this week with the third round as Premier League clubs join the party. And the action on Saturday will begin with the lunch-time kick-off between Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The faltering form was the running theme for Tottenham as 2022 came to a close. The north London outfit restarted the Premier League campaign with a stalemate at Brentford and a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa. But Antonio Conte’s men began the new year with a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace this week. And the Italian tactician will now be desperate to see his charges improve considerably.
As for Portsmouth, Pompey’s fortunes have dwindled in the last couple of months. And a nine-game winless run in the EFL League One has cost Danny Crowley his job at the helm at Fratton Park. Simon Bassey has assumed the role of caretaker manager this week and faces a daunting task in his first order of business.
The last match-up featuring Tottenham and Portsmouth was in the FA Cup semi-final in April 2010. And Pompey clinched a shock 2-0 win over Spurs in extra time. The Hard Tackle now takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Preparing for Portsmouth 💪
🛵 @Getir_UK pic.twitter.com/ssz9TLez6u
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 5, 2023
Antonio Conte does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of the visit of Portsmouth. On Saturday, the Tottenham Hotspur manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
Rodrigo Bentancur (groin), Richarlison (hamstring), Lucas Moura (calf), and Dejan Kulusevski (knock) remain on the sidelines. And the absence of Richarlison, Lucas and Kulusevski means Conte is down to his barebones in the offensive department.
So there will be no rest for the weary, with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min continuing in the final third. And Bryan Gil should join the experienced duo in the Tottenham attack against Portsmouth. Ivan Perisic will be an option on the bench if required later in the game.
Yves Bissouma is available again after missing the midweek game against Crystal Palace due to suspension. And the Malian midfielder should join Pape Matar Sarr in the middle of the park, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg earning some rest.
Djed Spence might leave Tottenham on loan this month. But he might earn one final game before temporarily leaving the north London club. Ryan Sessegnon will be the other wing-back for the hosts, with Japhet Tanganga, Davinson Sanchez, and Ben Davies completing a second-string central defensive unit. Finally, Fraser Forster should take his place between the sticks.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Forster; Tanganga, Sanchez, Davies; Spence, Bissouma, Sarr, Sessegnon; Gil, Kane, Son
Portsmouth
Simon Bassey has a few pressing issues to deal with ahead of the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Portsmouth caretaker manager might be without four first-team players in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
Jayden Reid is a long-term absentee due to a knee injury, while Marlon Pack is suspended after seeing red against Charlton Athletic. Meanwhile, Dane Scarlett is ineligible to face parent club Tottenham. And Owen Dale, on loan from Blackpool, is cup-tied.
💭 Reflections on the week
🤕 Injury updates
💙 The Blue Army🎥 An in-depth chat with Simon Bassey ahead of #Pompey's trip to Spurs
— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) January 5, 2023
Josh Griffiths should take his place between the sticks on Saturday, with Portsmouth lining up in a 4-4-2 formation in front of him. Sean Raggett and Michael Morrison will form the central defensive partnership, with captain Clark Robertson likely to miss out amid his battle against a hip injury.
Former Arsenal defender Zak Swanson will be the right-back, with Connor Ogilvie featuring as the left-back. As for the midfield unit, Jay Mingi will have the responsibility to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Joe Morrell will provide defensive support to Mingi while bringing the creative impetus for Portsmouth.
Joe Pigott will likely spearhead the Portsmouth attack against Tottenham. And Josh Koroma will be the 29-year-old’s strike partner. Finally, Michael Jacobs and Reece Hackett should be the two wide attackers for the visitors. The duo will remain compact in the defensive phases while providing width when moving forward.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Griffiths; Swanson, Raggett, Morrison, Ogilvie; Hackett, Mingi, Morrell, Jacobs; Koroma, Pigott
Key Stats
- After winning their first three FA Cup meetings with Portsmouth between 1937 and 1991, Tottenham Hotspur lost their last such game against them in the 2010 semi-final (0-2).
- Portsmouth have lost six of their last seven away games against Tottenham Hotspur in all competitions (all in the Premier League between 2004 and 2010), with their most recent victory coming on the road in April 1988 (1-0).
- Tottenham have not lost their last 43 FA Cup home games against clubs from outside the top flight (W35 D8) since a 1-0 loss against Nottingham Forest in a third-round replay in 1975, in what was Brian Clough’s first game in charge of Forest.
- Since beating Tottenham 2-0 in the 2010 semi-final, Portsmouth have lost all four FA Cup ties against Premier League opponents by an aggregate score of 9-1.
- Colby Bishop has scored four goals in his last four FA Cup games, including three in two for Portsmouth this season. Alan McLoughlin was the last player to net four goals in a single FA Cup campaign for Pompey, in 1993/94.
Player to Watch
Bryan Gil
Bryan Gil has been with Tottenham for nearly 18 months. But he is yet to make his mark for the north London club. With Antonio Conte not fancying the Spaniard, the going has been tough for him. But the young winger might have given Tottenham fans some cause for optimism with his performance against Crystal Palace.
The Spanish international provided an assist in the 4-0 win, showing he has what it takes to deliver the goods for Tottenham. And another impressive performance might force Conte to stop Gil from leaving on loan in January amid interest from several La Liga clubs, including Sevilla.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Portsmouth
Consistency is not the name of the game for Tottenham. And with Antonio Conte likely to name a largely second-string starting eleven, Portsmouth might have a chance of springing a surprise. But the visitors are in state of transition, with Simon Bassey taking temporary charge.
While the new manager bounce might help Pompey in the EFL League One, that might not be the case in the FA Cup. With Harry Kane performing brilliantly, Tottenham should have enough quality to clinch a victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Conte’s charges to reach the fourth round.
