Tottenham face Leicester at White Hart Lane in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday, in a repeat of last year’s fourth round clash which Leicester won 2-1.
For Tottenham, the FA Cup represents a competition they have not done well in recently, with only the semi-final appearances in 2010 and 2012 representing any form of achievement in the oldest cup competition in the world in recent times.
Tottenham
Spurs go into the game having drawn at Everton last time out, with Dele Alli grabbing himself yet another goal in a game that Pochettino’s side should have probably won.
The festive period also saw a number of players get a chance to impress in the first team, the likes of Kieran Trippier, Ben Davies and Tom Carroll all impressed and it is likely that all 3 will start against Leicester.
Mousa Dembele, Clinton N’Jie and Alex Pritchard will all miss the game through injury, whilst the likes of Eric Dier and Dele Alli are expected to rested after playing nearly every game so far this season.
The FA cup marks an opportunity for Mauricio Pochettino to claim his first trophy as Spurs boss, with the Europa League difficult to win due to the gruelling schedule and the Premier League being just out of sight for now and Spurs have a good chance of lifting the FA Cup in May for the first time since 1991.
Leicester
Leicester’s fantastic start to the season ground to a halt over the festive period, as they failed to win any of their 3 games and failed to score in the 3 games either after scoring in their previous 21 games.
Leicester will therefore be keen to end their recent barren run, but it won’t be easy with top scorer Jamie Vardy ruled out through injury whilst Jeff Schlupp and Matty James are still ruled out through injury.
A number of players, including the likes of De Laet, Okazaki and Inler are hopeful of recalls as Ranieri looks to find the winning formula and ensure they turn to winning ways as soon as possible.
The manager’s thoughts
Here is what both managers had to say before Sunday’s clash:
Mauricio Pochettino:
“It’s not a distraction, the FA Cup is the oldest competition in the world. We respect the competition a lot.”
“We have a strong squad. It’s true we come off a very busy period in Christmas.”
“But it’s a good opportunity, maybe for some players who cannot play consistently play in the Premier League, to show their quality and fight for their place in the team.”
Claudio Ranieri:
“We will change a lot, because these players deserve a chance to play.”
“It will be a blend of players. Our mentality won’t change. We go to win. If Tottenham are better, well done to them.”
“It is difficult to play Tottenham because they have fantastic players. They have a first team and second team the same.”
“They have a good mix of young and old. We want to follow their example.”
