Burnley vs Tottenham: FA Cup Preview

Off the back of our spectacular New Year’s Day defeat of Chelsea, many Tottenham fans are taking a positive outlook on life at the Lane.

The 5-3 win was a lot more than three points- it was a message. To the fans, to the players, to rival teams, Tottenham Hotspur are a threat once again.

Think, we just beat arguably one of the three best teams in the world 5-3; the sky is the limit. With that, we have extended our unbeaten run, which started following our defeat to the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

Unfortunately, we may lose some of that momentum generated, as our next game comes in the FA Cup. With the return of the Third Round, it was about time for the media to bring up “the magic of the Cup”. Our older generation of fans will buy into this ideology, citing it’s within our history to field our best possible team in every round on our way to Wembley. However, this year could be different.

With Spurs in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup and heading into this tie following a hectic festive fixture list, manager Mauricio Pochettino may not see this competition as a priority. During his time at Southampton, Poch fielded second string sides in the FA Cup, even though they had an abundance of talent to reach it’s latter stages.

Source: tottenhamhotspur.com

I’m not saying we should just forfeit the FA Cup- I want Tottenham to do as well as possible in every competition. I do believe we should field a side differing from that against Chelsea- we have played more games than any other English side this season. With the January transfer window now open, it would be a good time for players to prove their worth to Poch (or other on-looking managers).

The one exception to our squad now is the arrival of DeAndre Yedlin, who I expect to stay here at the club and learn from Kyle Walker. The pacey American hasn’t played a competitive game since November, so I don’t expect him to start.

Let’s look at our opposition- Burnley. After a woeful start to the season which saw Sean Dyche’s men pegged on favourites to return to the Championship, the Clarets have started to find their feet at the top level. When the Lancashire outfit visited the Lane in December, they certainly gave us a scare.

Like his opposite number, Dyche could rest several first team starters. In their last outing, Burnley had used all of their substitutes just after the half hour mark because of injuries. Unlike Spurs, Burnley aren’t as blessed in terms of depth, and it could cost them dearly.

With this in mind, we may not see a battle of the uncapped English strikers. Danny Ings has been impressing recently after a rocky start to life in the top flight, and Harry Kane has become a global phenomenon.

In each sides last ten games, Tottenham have lost twice, and Burnley just the three times. Both teams are in fine form, and I’m sure neither will be hoping for a replay given their respective troubles and bothers.

Like ourselves, Burnley have a great tem ethic and work rate- they fight for each other. Expect many players to leave Turf Moor as knackered as the unfortunate wooden seats in the away end.

Good luck and best wishes to anyone travelling to the game, considering the inconvenient time and expensive travel costs.

Predicted XI: