Date: Saturday, 28 January 2017
Kick-off at 15:00 UK/ 16:00 CET
Venue: White Hart Lane (London).
Tottenham Hotspur vs Wycombe Wanderers Preview
Can Wycombe spring a surprise on Tottenham in this FA Cup Fourth Round tie or is it another routine victory for the Lilywhites?
Tottenham progressed into the fourth round of the FA Cup after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, whilst Wycombe Wanderers beat non-league side Stourbridge 2-1 in their third round tie to reach the next stage.
Wycombe actually arrive at White Hart Lane in high spirits as they’re unbeaten in their last 16 games, since a 4-2 loss to Coventry City in the EFL Trophy in November. Tottenham, meanwhile, are likely to ring the changes in order to rest their key players prior to a crucial Premier League clash away to Sunderland on Tuesday night. Does this mean that Wycombe stand a chance in a tough away fixture? Interestingly, the two sides have never met in a competitive game prior to this weekend.
LAST TIME OUT
Manchester City 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Goals from Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son rescued a thoroughly undeserved draw at the Etihad Stadium after a dominant performance from Manchester City. The Citizens were on the front foot from the off and were very unfortunate to not be ahead in the first half, with Pablo Zabaleta blazing a great chance wide of the post. For all their dominance, it took two goalkeeping errors from the typically flawless Hugo Lloris to give City the lead. He mistimed a headed clearance from which Leroy Sane scored, whilst he spilled a Raheem Sterling cross into the path of Kevin de Bruyne. However, a late rally from Spurs prevented City winning the game and a header from Alli and a well-placed finish from Son rescued a draw.
Mansfield Town 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe progressed to the semi-final of the EFL Trophy after a 2-1 victory over fellow League Two side Mansfield on Tuesday. Matt Green put Mansfield ahead with a penalty in the 34th minute, whilst Scott Kashket levelled the score in the 74th minute with another penalty. It was football cult-hero Adebayo Akinfenwa that won the game for Wycombe in the 81st minute.
Harry Kane (groin), Toby Alderweireld (hamstring) and Danny Rose (knee) will all miss Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Wycombe as a precaution, with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Ben Davies and Vincent Janssen expected to start as their replacements. Erik Lamela is expected to return to training on Friday, but will not feature.
KEYS TO THE GAME
‘The Beast’
Affectionately known as ‘the beast’ amongst lower league football fans, Adebayo Akinfenwa is a powerful and intimidating presence up front, even for the most tested of centre-backs because of his sheer size and physicality. With Akinfenwa leading the line, Wycombe most certainly have a chance in this game with long balls into ‘the beast’ for him to try and win using his strength. He’s unmatched in this sense and may prove a handful for 19-year-old Carter-Vickers.
The magic of the FA Cup
A league Two side against a Premier League side often goes one of two ways; either it’s a dominant victory for the bigger side or there’s a shock. Much depends on whether Wycombe can rise to the pressure of expectation or will they buckle under the intimidating White Hart Lane atmosphere? The FA Cup is famous for shock victories and magical underdog stories, but I don’t believe we’re going to see another this weekend.
Can Janssen step up?
Dutch striker Vincent Janssen has really flattered to deceive this season since a £17m summer move from AZ Alkmaar and he’s been dropped from the last few Premier League matchday squads. He’s cuts a figure short on confidence, often leaving his central striker position to take up space in the wide areas, away from the action, which makes the defenders’ jobs easier. If he were to stay in the box, he’d get more chances and likely score a few more goals. Is this the game where Janssen finally steps up?
PREDICTION: Tottenham 2-0 Wycombe
Despite the injuries at Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino’s preference for rotation, I’m expecting a routine Spurs victory. Wycombe are short on quality and they’ll be relying on long balls into Akinenfwa. If Plan A fails, they lack a back-up and this will be their undoing, whereas Tottenham boast different systems, styles and personnel choices depending on the given game situation.
