Tottenham face their second cup game in a week when they take on Leicester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup at White Hart Lane on Saturday afternoon.
Spurs played the first leg of their league cup semi-final in a 1-0 victory over Sheffield United on Wednesday night and are in the thick of cup action yet again this weekend. Facing Premier League opposition will be a much different kettle of fish for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, even if Leicester are bottom of the league table. As we all know, form goes out the window in cup games.
Leicester come into this game after a disappointing defeat at home to Stoke City last weekend and Nigel Pearson will be determined to provide the club’s fans with some renewed optimism. They have already faced Tottenham once in the league this season, losing the game despite playing well over the 90 minutes.
For Tottenham, this is an opportunity to continue the renaissance they appear to be going through and to go on another cup run. For Leicester, it is a chance to bring some positivity back to the club and perhaps even the motivation they need to kick on in the league.
Team News
Federico Fazio has been suffering with an illness this week but should be fit to return to the squad in time for this weekend. Vlad Chiriches and Erik Lamela have been out of the side with injuries but both should be available for selection this weekend.
Leicester have a number of injuries that won’t be available for selection this weekend. Chris Wood and Matthew Upson both face fitness tests to prove they are able to play for Leicester in this fixture. Esteban Cambiasso and Dean Hammond could make their return this weekend, while Kasper Schmeichel will not be back until mid-February at the earliest.
Interesting Statistics
This will be the seventh game that Tottenham have played this month.
Tottenham have already defeated Leicester once this season.
Spurs have won the FA Cup eight times.
Leicester defeated Newcastle United in the third round to set up their meeting with Spurs.
The Foxes won the last game between these two sides in the FA Cup 3-2.
In 91 games between the two, Leicester have lost 43 and won 31.
Key Players
Tottenham Hotspur – Harry Kane
Since breaking into the first team, Kane has been on fire for Spurs. He has made 18 appearances in the league and was used as a substitute in their first game against Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup. He has scored eight goals in the league this season and according to Squawka.com, he has a shot accuracy of 56% from 44 shots at goal. He has created 14 chances for his team mates, two of which have resulted in assists. He has attempted to take on opponents 49 times and has been successful on 26 of those occasions. However, he has a poor win rate when it comes to headed duels, winning just 27% of the 83 he has been involved in. Kane was used sparingly in the last round against Burnley and it took a replay for Tottenham to go through. Don’t be surprised to see Kane play in this game and have a big impact on the game.
Leicester City – Jeffrey Schlupp
Schlupp has caused some controversy this week after playing for Leicester in the Premier League despite being deemed unable to play for Ghana in the African Cup of Nations. He did not play in the last round of the FA Cup for Leicester but is likely to feature this weekend. He has made 18 appearances in the Premier League this season and has scored three goals from midfield. According to Squawka.com, he has created 13 chances for his team mates, although just one of these has resulted in an assist. He has completed 274 passes, giving him a passing accuracy of 76%. He has also been good defensively when called upon, making 26 interceptions, 39 clearances and two blocks. That could prove useful against Tottenham’s attack on Saturday.
Prediction
Tottenham have yet to overcome their inconsistency this season but things are definitely improving. Contrastingly, Leicester have been poor for most of the season and while showing some improvement over Christmas, they are in desperate need of a confidence boost. I just think Tottenham will be too much for them on Saturday with the home side winning 1-0.
