Thursday’s defeat against Liverpool means the League Cup joins the Premier League as empty competitions for Tottenham Hotspur this season. Ange Postecoglou is known for second-season trophies, putting tons of pressure on the remaining two options. While the Europa League campaign is on rest for the moment, Spurs have a big test in the FA Cup Fourth Round this weekend.
After just sneaking by perennial juggernaut Tamworth, Tottenham earned a trip to Aston Villa on Sunday. Villa needed a couple late goals to squeak past West Ham in the Third Round but is the favorite to advance in this tie. Eighth in the league and into the Champions League Round of 16, maybe this is not Villa’s biggest match circled on the calendar, but it will not be easy for the visitors regardless.
Fourth Round: Aston Villa vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Date: Sunday, February 9
Time: 12:35 pm ET, 5:35 pm UK
Location: Villa Park, Birmingham
TV: ESPN+ (USA), BBC One (UK)
It is pretty clear where Villa’s priorities lie this season. After an impressive fourth-place finish last year, the Premier League has been a bit of a disaster, with two wins in the last seven matches — and none in the past three — dropping the club down to eighth. Many of the poor results have come following Champions League fixtures however, where a top-eight finish secured an all-important bye into the last 16.
That time off is a bummer for Spurs, as now Villa can deploy a full-strength squad if desired on Sunday. There is probably going to be a time when Unai Emery will have to decide whether or not to prioritize the FA Cup, but this round does not appear to be it. Still, even with a desire to go for it, November’s 4-1 beatdown shows neither side has this guaranteed.
Tottenham’s impressive victory that day was one of the squad’s best performances of the season. Even after falling behind, Postecoglou’s side stuck with it and kept on the pressure and snagged all three points despite injuries before and during the match. Those explosive outputs have run hot and cold this season, and Thursday’s effort at Anfield left so much to be desired, so Sunday is a chance to bounce back.
Sum of the parts
Until the starting XI is back to complete health (or at least mostly complete) it will require a true team effort for this team to keep grinding out results. Sometimes that means unlikely heroes finding the scoresheet, and sometimes that will mean hodgepodge defenses putting in a shift and keeping the score line within reach. Especially being on the road, that mantra remains the call.
Ollie Watkins is certainly the biggest threat, but the departure of Jhon Duran takes away one big weapon. Donyell Malen will attempt to pick up the slack, and the recent signing nearly had a goal this past weekend. Villa’s attack has fallen off, with just average goal tallies both domestically and abroad, but expect the home side to be aggressive, especially as Postecoglou experiments with his center back pairing.
Spurs do not need a masterclass to advance to the Fifth Round but will need to find scoring from somewhere. In November’s win it was Villa who showed disorganized defense, leading to multiple Tottenham goals, and last season’s 4-0 throttling will also come to mind. I think the visitors will come into this fixture with some confidence, knowing there will be opportunities to pounce on.