FotMob

Why Pep Guardiola Missed Tottenham Prematch Duties After Trip to Barcelona  FotMob

Pep Guardiola has lost more league games against Tottenham than he has versus any other club in his managerial career, going down to them on eight occasions during his Manchester City reign.

Man City travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Sunday's late kick-off in the Premier League, and after a topsy-turvy month in the title race, Arsenal and Aston Villa will both be watching on with plenty of interest.

City defeated Wolves 2-0 in their most recent Premier League game last Saturday, with their neighbours then doing them a huge favour by defeating Arsenal 3-2 the following day.

Those results – coupled with Villa's victory over Newcastle United – cut the Gunners' lead at the summit to four points, and this weekend, they are the team hoping their arch-rivals can lend them a helping hand.

However, while Tottenham joined City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal in securing a top-eight Champions League finish on Wednesday, their Premier League form has been nothing short of terrible and has left Thomas Frank fighting for his job.

Ahead of Sunday's game, we look at the Opta data to pick out all the key storylines and players to watch.

What's expected?

The Opta supercomputer is siding with City ahead of Sunday's headline fixture, with their chances of victory rated at 46.9%.

Across 10,000 pre-match simulations, Spurs were victorious in 28.7%, with the remaining 24.4% of scenarios seeing the points shared.

In the predictive model's 2025-26 simulations, City's chances of the title are rated at just 8.5%, despite Arsenal's wobble.

The Gunners took the crown in 81.5% of season simulations, with Villa doing so in 9.4%. Tottenham, meanwhile, finish 14th most often, doing so in 13.6% of scenarios.

City initially struggled at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the venue opened in 2019, losing on each of their first three trips there in the Champions League and Premier League.

However, City have won on their last two league trips to Spurs, having not won three away games in a row against them since doing so between February 1973 and August 1974.

But Frank's side did upset the odds at the Etihad Stadium in August's return fixture, with Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha on target late in the first half, securing a 2-0 win.

Tottenham could now complete their 10th Premier League double over Spurs, with only Chelsea having achieved the feat against the Citizens 10 times. Spurs' nine Premier League doubles against City are already their most against any opponent.

Frank must find home comforts

Though Spurs finished their European league-stage campaign with three straight victories, two of which came at home, they have been dire on their own turf domestically.

Teams managed by Frank have won just four of their last 22 home Premier League matches overall, with the Dane posting an identical record (two wins, three draws, six defeats) across his last 11 games with Brentford as in his first 11 with Spurs.

Frank's Tottenham have earned 0.82 points per home Premier League game, the worst such record of any Spurs boss in the competition's history.

And they took their woes on the road with them last weekend, drawing 2-2 with relegation favourites Burnley at Turf Moor.

Spurs are now winless in five Premier League matches (three draws, two defeats), with this their fourth run of five or more winless games in the last two seasons. They only endured four such runs throughout their previous 12 campaigns combined, from 2012-13 to 2023-24.

Across the last two seasons, the only ever-present sides to pick up fewer Premier League points than Tottenham's 66 are Wolves (50) and West Ham (63).

Their 31 defeats in that time are second only to Wolves' 37, and another defeat would mean they have lost 10 or more games for eight consecutive seasons since 2018-19. In their eight campaigns beforehand (2010-11 – 2017-18) this only happened twice.

There is still plenty of work for Frank to do if he is to get Spurs' supporters onside, even if their European results have provided some respite from their domestic struggles.

Semenyo looks to continue hot start

Spurs' fans could be sick of the sight of Antoine Semenyo by Sunday night.

Only two players have ever previously scored against Tottenham for two different teams in a Premier League season – Eric Cantona in 1992-93 (Leeds United and Man Utd) and Benito Carbone in 1999-00 (Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa).

Semenyo could join that exclusive club this week, having scored a 95th-minute winner against Spurs on his farewell appearance for Bournemouth on January 7.

Semenyo has scored five goals in his last eight Premier League appearances for both Bournemouth and City, the joint-most of any player in the division since December 15.

And having found the net against Wolves last week, he will look to continue his hot streak here.

Given City have not been performing to their usual lofty standards, Guardiola may just need the winger to provide a moment of inspiration.

Last weekend, City both attempted and faced 11 shots against Wolves, the seventh time this season they had either had fewer or as many attempts as their opponents in a Premier League game, their joint-most in a season under Guardiola.

They are only averaging 4.7 more shots per game than their opponents this campaign, making this their least dominant season under his reign.

Their attacking downturn has even affected the form of Erling Haaland, who ended his run of nine matches without an open-play goal (in all competitions) on Wednesday, netting City's first goal in a 2-0 Champions League win over Galatasaray.

With 15 games remaining in the title race, now would be a great time for City to find more ways to service their Norwegian goal machine.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham – Cristian Romero

Romero assisted Randal Kolo Muani's opening goal against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League last time out, and his knack of popping up with goal involvements has been a major boost for Frank's men this season.

The Argentine has been directly involved in nine goals across all competitions this season (six goals, three assists), as many goal contributions as he managed in his first four campaigns for Spurs combined.

Romero may also be busy defensively on Sunday, having won more duels both overall (133) and in the air (63) than any other Tottenham player in the Premier League this season.

Manchester City – Omar Marmoush

Marmoush netted his first Premier League goal of the season against Wolves last week, when Haaland was handed a rest.

However, all eight of Marmoush's goals in the competition have been scored at home – he has failed to score with all 20 of his attempts in 12 games away from home.

It has been a frustrating season for the Egyptian, but he certainly has the quality to be a key player for City between now and the end of May.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is relishing the chance to book their spot in the last 16 of the Champions League amid their poor league form.

Spurs drew 2-2 with Burnley on the weekend, seeing them drop to 14th in the Premier League, though a win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday would guarantee their place in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

Spurs have faced Frankfurt on six occasions in major European competition, with Feyenoord (eight) being the only opponent they have played against more often.

They have lost just one of those six games against the Bundesliga side (W3 D2), while they are unbeaten in the last four – all of which have been since 2022-23 (W2 D2).

Spurs have won their last two Champions League matches and are looking for three wins in a row for the first time since November 2019, while they last won three in a row with a clean sheet each time in April 2019.

"For me, I see an opportunity ahead of us tomorrow that we want to do everything we can to grab with both hands," said Frank

"I'm very happy that the team and the club we are in a position where, with a win tomorrow, we can finish top eight in the best club tournament in the world, and it's super, super competitive, as we know.

"We're very, very positive and looking forward to that. So, that's what we're focusing everything we can on.

"The players are giving everything. But for me, it's all about Frankfurt. All about the opportunity ahead of us."

Frank also provided an update on Randal Kolo Muani and Wilson Odobert, who were involved in a car crash on Tuesday.

"Kolo Muani and Wilson Odobert are both fine. Unfortunately, both were involved in a minor accident. Everyone else involved in that accident was just fine. It was a tyre blowing up," added Frank.

"That is my absolute understanding of everything. I haven't spoken to them personally yet, because the first thing we heard, the first message, is that they are fine. And nothing happened, as I said the first time. I fully expect both to be available."

Neither Spurs nor West Ham arrive for this match in a terribly good condition

It’s fair to say that neither Spurs nor West Ham United arrive at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Saturday afternoon’s showdown in a particularly good condition. Spurs were dumped out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa last weekend and have now been rocked by the news that director of football Fabio Paratici will be leaving the club at the end of the January transfer window, while injuries are continuing to mount up.

West Ham United did manage to squeeze past Queens Park Rangers after extra-time in the Cup last weekend, but they haven’t won in the Premier League since the 8th November and their last league outing resulted in a 2-1 home defeat in a relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest and a seven-point gap opening up between them and Premier League safety.

Spurs have the edge in recent meetings between the two teams

This can be a difficult fixture to predict, though West Ham’s recent form in it hasn’t been great. Last season, Spurs won the corresponding fixture at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Spurs won 3-0 at The London Stadium earlier this season. West Ham beat Spurs 2-1 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December 2023, but this was their only win in their last nine meetings in all competitions.

Conor Gallagher’s Tottenham arrival gives them some cause for cheer, but West Ham could be set to lose one of their most accomplished players

There hasn’t been much to cheer about for Spurs fans recently, but the £35 million arrival of Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid last week did give them some cause for optimism. The former Chelsea midfielder has been in Madrid for the last two seasons, and his return to London gives his new club the sort of combative all-round midfielder that they’ve been missing for much of this season.

As one player arrives at Spurs, another could soon be leaving West Ham. There have been rumours that Lucas Paquetá could be set to leave the club for Chelsea, even though the player had previously been reported to be wanting to return to Brazil, such was his unhappiness at the way he perceived himself to have been treated over spot-fixing allegations, even though he was cleared of the charges in July 2025.

West Ham don’t want to sell him, but it does seem increasingly likely that he’ll be on his way before the end of this month, and if he is open to going to Stamford Bridge, a goal in this particular match would be the perfect way to intensify interest from elsewhere, or perhaps even sign off.

The Spurs injury crisis has deepened still further, but West Ham could also be missing key players

Spurs’ injury woes are continuing to get worse, with Richarlison limping off against Aston Villa in the FA Cup with a hamstring injury for which there is not yet a return date. Also suffering with his hamstring is Rodrigo Bentancur, who will now be missing for much of the remainder of the season. Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall could return – Udogie hasn’t played since the start of December, while Bergvall missed the Villa match after picking up an knock in their previous outing against Bournemouth – but neither are confirmed.

James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski remain long-term absentees. Yves Bissouma returns from AFCON duties with Mali – where he was sent off as they were knocked out by Senegal – but might not be with the club for that much longer. Pape Sarr, however, will not be back in time after Senegal beat Egypt in the semi-finals of the competition.

In a similar vein for West Ham, Malick Diouf also remains with Senegal, so will be missing this fixture for them. On the injury front, meanwhile, there has been confusion this week over whether Lucas Paquetá will be fit to play in this one – some reports have described his chances as “50-50” – but Mateus Fernandes could return after missing the QPR match as a result of an injury picked up in his last Premier League outing against Nottingham Forest.

Konstantinos Mavropanos was stretchered off against QPR and is almost certain to miss this one, too.

Spurs in this state versus West Ham in this state feels like a comedy of errors waiting to happen

At what point does push come to shove for the embattled Spurs head coach Thomas Frank? The Aston Villa match ended in another early cup elimination, with the thinnest possible silver line of them having played marginally better in the second half than they had in the first, and Spurs are still chasing their first win of 2026, despite having now played four games in all competitions this year.

West Ham have, broadly speaking, been terrible this season. Under normal circumstances, this should be a home banker of a win for the home side that even their comfortable win in Stratford earlier this season already feels like a distant memory. But they picked up a win – eventually – in the FA Cup against QPR and, while they have an injury list of their own and it’s nothing like that of their opponents, but their remains the suspicion that they could yet be on for a three-manager season through getting rid of Nuno Espírito Santo.

These are, then, two clubs with enormous structural problems which are manifesting on the pitch, and it’s possible that the losing manager will get the sack afterwards. Tension, therefore, will be high, and it’s difficult to imagine this match being anything but a skittish, accident-prone mess of a game in which, if there are to be winners, they get over the line as a result of a catastrophic mistake by their opponents. I’ll go for a 1-1 draw and for both clubs’ winters of discontent to continue.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Tottenham ‘Hijack’ Premier League Rivals for Ex-Chelsea Star  FotMob

Tottenham Hotspur faces Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sat, Jan 10, 2026, 17:45 UTC . This match is part of the FA Cup. You can check the recent head-to-head encounters, as well as full H2H record on this page to see how Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have fared against each other in the past. On FotMob, you can follow the Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa live score with a full set of match features, including:

Live updates: Every goal, card, substitution and key moment instantly delivered on FotMob.

Real-time extensive stats powered by Opta: Possession, shots, corners, big chances created, xG, momentum, and shot maps.

The lineups are:

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) : Guglielmo Vicario - Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies - Archie Gray, Joao Palhinha - Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Mathys Tel - Richarlison.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) : Marco Bizot - Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen - Boubacar Kamara, Lamare Bogarde - John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Buendia - Donyell Malen.

Unavailable players for Tottenham Hotspur : Dejan Kulusevski ( injury ) , James Maddison ( injury ) , Mohammed Kudus ( injury ) . Unavailable players for Aston Villa : Amadou Onana ( injury ) , Emiliano Martinez ( injury ) , Ross Barkley ( injury ) .

Team form & Head-to-head history: Compare recent results and see how Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have performed against each other. The current head to head record for the teams are Tottenham Hotspur 19 win(s), Aston Villa 8 win(s), and 1 draw(s).

TV and streaming info: Find out where to watch the match.

Live standings: Follow league tables and tournament info in real time.

Live odds & insights: Track match favorites and before, during and post match.

Commentary & ticker: Rich text commentary for major matches to follow the action even if you can't watch.

All of these features make FotMob the best way to follow Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa, whether you're checking the scores or diving into detailed stats. FotMob also covers every team and competition worldwide, with fixtures, results, and squad info available on team pages.

FotMob is available on the web and as a free app for iOS and Android. Install the app to get notifications, live scores, and full match coverage so you never miss a moment.

Tottenham Hotspur faces Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sat, Jan 10, 2026, 17:45 UTC . This match is part of the FA Cup. You can check the recent head-to-head encounters, as well as full H2H record on this page to see how Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have fared against each other in the past. On FotMob, you can follow the Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa live score with a full set of match features, including:

Live updates: Every goal, card, substitution and key moment instantly delivered on FotMob.

Real-time extensive stats powered by Opta: Possession, shots, corners, big chances created, xG, momentum, and shot maps.

The lineups are:

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) : Guglielmo Vicario - Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies - Archie Gray, Joao Palhinha - Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Mathys Tel - Richarlison.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) : Marco Bizot - Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen - Boubacar Kamara, Lamare Bogarde - John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Buendia - Donyell Malen.

Unavailable players for Tottenham Hotspur : Dejan Kulusevski ( injury ) , James Maddison ( injury ) , Mohammed Kudus ( injury ) . Unavailable players for Aston Villa : Amadou Onana ( injury ) , Emiliano Martinez ( injury ) , Ross Barkley ( injury ) .

Team form & Head-to-head history: Compare recent results and see how Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have performed against each other. The current head to head record for the teams are Tottenham Hotspur 19 win(s), Aston Villa 8 win(s), and 1 draw(s).

TV and streaming info: Find out where to watch the match.

Live standings: Follow league tables and tournament info in real time.

Live odds & insights: Track match favorites and before, during and post match.

Commentary & ticker: Rich text commentary for major matches to follow the action even if you can't watch.

All of these features make FotMob the best way to follow Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa, whether you're checking the scores or diving into detailed stats. FotMob also covers every team and competition worldwide, with fixtures, results, and squad info available on team pages.

FotMob is available on the web and as a free app for iOS and Android. Install the app to get notifications, live scores, and full match coverage so you never miss a moment.

Time is definitely running out for Thomas Frank at Spurs

The performance was better in places, but the result still ended up the same. Spurs’ 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday night may have only been decided by a stoppage-time winner scored by The Narrative’s Antoine Semenyo, but losing again has only pushed head coach Thomas Frank’s feet a little closer to the fire at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

All of this makes it feel like a bad time for his team to be taking on Aston Villa, a team who remain on the fringes of the Premier League title race, despite having dropped five points in their last three matches following their goalless draw against Crystal Palace at the same time as Spurs were chucking a point away on the Dorset coast. Villa may have wobbled a little since the start of 2026, but there are no pitchforks currently being sharpened around Villa Park.

Aston Villa beat Spurs three times in 2025

We’ve all been here before, of course. These two teams met at Villa Park on the 9th February last year in the Fourth Round of this very competition, with Villa winning 2-1, the first of three consecutive wins they managed over Spurs during 2025.

Spurs fans looking for a positive omen might wish to console themselves with the fact that their team have beaten Aston Villa on their way to winning the FA Cup no fewer than four times, having done so in 1921, 1961, 1962 and 1982.

Cristian Romero’s leadership has been one of Spurs’ few strengths over the last couple of months

Few Spurs players have emerged from the last couple of months with much credit in the bank, but one of those who has is captain Cristian Romero, whose strong performances – although undermined a little by yet another sending-off, this time against Liverpool – has been the nearest thing that the team have had to leadership this season.

Prior to their goalless draw against Palace, Aston Villa’s man in form had been Ollie Watkins, with four goals in his previous three matches, a figure all the more impressive considering that two of those matches came against Chelsea and Arsenal. If Watkins can maintain this sort of form, his passage into the England squad for this summer’s World Cup starts to look considerably smoother.

Expect changes from both Frank and Emery from their midweek Premier League XIs

There are no fresh injury concerns for Spurs ahead of this match, although there are no players due to return, either. James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski all remain injured, while Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr remain on AFCON duty. Brennan Johnson, meanwhile, has left the building for Crystal Palace.

Ross Barkley and Amadou Onana are both confirmed as sidelined for Aston Villa, while Evan Guessand is AFCON duty. Villa could welcome back Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings from injury, though they’ll be subject to fitness tests.

Of course, with this being an FA Cup match, there’s a strong possibility that both Thomas Frank and Unai Emery will make substantial changes from the teams that played in their midweek Premier League matches.

Thomas Frank might be about to find out how much the FA Cup means to Spurs fans

This is a match which should mean something to both clubs. The 1996 League Cup remains Aston Villa’s last major trophy, and for all the progress they’ve made under Emery, winning some actual silverware would be the club’s next step up in terms of their growth.

Villa have a proud history in the FA Cup, having won it seven times. But the last of those wins came almost 70 years ago, in 1957. Winning it this year would also be a tangible milestone of their recent revival.

Thomas Frank would do well to pay close attention to how much winning the Europa League meant to Spurs fans last year. With eight wins, the FA Cup means a lot to this club too, and with unhappiness growing at his team’s shortcomings, he’d be fooling himself if he considers this a free swing and nothing else. A groundswell against him is growing, and he’s rapidly running out of runway.

But none of this really impacts upon what’s likely to happen on the pitch. The simple fact is that Aston Villa have a better team than Spurs at the moment and that, even allowing for a marginally improved performance at Bournemouth and the likelihood of substantial team changes from both managers, it’s difficult to see Spurs turning up for this match with their deficiencies resolved and ready to take on and beat a stronger team.

So I’m going for a 2-0 Aston Villa win, and for there to be little let-up of the current levels of grumpiness currently circling around N17.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Tottenham troubles

Tottenham Hotspur’s home 1-1 draw against Sunderland followed a familiar pattern for Thomas Frank’s team this season, adding to the sense of frustration around the North London club.

After taking the lead, Spurs invited pressure on to themselves, making Sunderland’s second half equaliser an inevitability. It was another indicator of Frank’s failure to forge a team capable of playing on the front foot for 90 minutes.

Bournemouth are experiencing troubles of their own. The Cherries are without a win in their last 11 league games and have conceded 14 goals in their last five outings. Andoni Iraola must find a way to tighten things up.

Not so long ago, Frank and Iraola were both considered among the best managers in the Premier League. Now, they are under pressure to turn around the fortunes of their respective sides.

Key players

Ireola insists Antoine Semenyo will feature against Tottenham despite the Ghanaian being on the verge of a £65m transfer to Manchester City. Semenyo is Bournemouth’s top scorer this season and will be a threat in attacking transition should he play.

Evanilson found the back of the net against Arsenal on Saturday and will lead the line for Iraola’s team once more on Wednesday. Only Semenyo has a higher Expected Goals (xG) than the Brazilian forward this term.

Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier will start in central midfield with Justin Kluivert ahead of them in a free role behind the forward line. Tavernier has created 26 chances in total this season, highlighting his creative threat.

Richarlison has scored seven goals in 20 league outings and is at his best when he is a chaos merchant in the opposition box. His erratic finishing, however, can be an issue.

As can Tottenham’s lack of creativity in possession. Archie Gray and João Palhinha are expected to start in central midfield – the pair have created just one Big Chance between them this season.

Xavi Simons could return for the visitors after seeing red against Liverpool. The Dutch international was starting to find his feet for Spurs before his suspension and has been missed in recent matches.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are top-level central defenders on their day, but have struggled to find their best form this season, like so many Tottenham Hotspur players.

Team news

Tyler Adams is still sidelined through injury for Bournemouth and will be a big miss in the centre of the pitch for the hosts on Wednesday. Ben Gannon-Doak and Veljko Milosavljević are also unavailable for the Cherries.

Tottenham’s injury list remains a lengthy one with James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma and Destiny Udogie all stuck in the treatment room.

Mohammed Kudus is a doubt after limping off with a knock against Sunderland. In better news for Spurs, as mentioned, Simons is back from a three-game suspension and is expected to come back into the starting lineup.

Prediction

For all the concern among Spurs supporters, their side remain the second best on the road in the Premier League this season, so with them, and Bournemouth desperate for a result, we’ll go for a draw. A scoreline that doesn’t really suit anyone: Bournemouth 1-1 Tottenham.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Tottenham’s desperate search for goals

Tottenham Hotspur have scored just two goals in their last four matches, both of which came from corner kicks. Frankly, they have not been creating much else, as their combined open play xG tally from those games is as low as 1.9.

The absence of many key forwards and creators has not helped Spurs’ case. Xavi Simons remains suspended for this match after receiving a straight red card against Liverpool, so his side are left without any recognised attacking midfielders as both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are sidelined with long-term injuries. Lucas Bergvall’s groin issue further limits the midfield, while Dominic Solanke and Destiny Udogie are also missed going forward.

Even so, the appalling lack of attacking intent or any semblance of creative ideas cannot simply be justified by injuries. Fans are growing increasingly frustrated with Thomas Frank – particularly after their first goalless draw in 137 league matches – so a much-improved performance at home will be critical.

Sunderland seeking first win over Spurs since 2010

Sunderland preserved their status as one of just two Premier League sides to be unbeaten at home this season with a mightily spirited performance against Manchester City, all while making do without six of their African players, namely DR Congo duo Arthur Masuaku and Noah Sadiki, Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traoré, Moroccan winger Chemsdine Talbi, Senegalese midfielder Habib Diarra, and experienced Mozambican defender Reinildo.

All of their respective teams have advanced to the knockouts, so the Black Cats will have to contend without them for the next couple of games at least. Nevertheless, with just one defeat in their last seven games, they will back themselves to end a run of 16 games without a win against Tottenham.

Key players

Sunderland will be keen to win the midfield battle in this match, and they will be counting on the quality of Granit Xhaka to make the difference both with and without the ball. His forward passing will surely benefit Enzo Le Fée, who has looked quite lively in recent games but is without a goal or assist in five.

Spurs, meanwhile, may well look down their right wing to get some attacking inspiration. Pedro Porro is one of the precious few creative passers in the side at the moment, although a significant proportion of his threat comes from dead-ball deliveries. Mohammed Kudus has not put together a good run of form since his summer transfer, but a month-long goal involvement drought in the league is a new low.

Both strikers will also have an important role to play in terms of making the most out of likely limited service. Brian Brobbey has shown excellent work rate in recent matches but only has two goals and nine shots in 14 league appearances, while Richarlison will be keen to get the goals to show for a long-awaited string of consecutive appearances.

Prediction

A quiet affair is to be expected between two teams that are clearly prioritising defence first, particularly as Sunderland play away from home. A low-key draw or a one-goal victory are the most likely outcomes.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Brentford faces Tottenham Hotspur at Gtech Community Stadium on Thu, Jan 1, 2026, 20:00 UTC . This match is part of the Premier League. You can check the recent head-to-head encounters, as well as full H2H record on this page to see how Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur have fared against each other in the past. On FotMob, you can follow the Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur live score with a full set of match features, including:

Live updates: Every goal, card, substitution and key moment instantly delivered on FotMob.

Real-time extensive stats powered by Opta: Possession, shots, corners, big chances created, xG, momentum, and shot maps.

The lineups are:

Brentford (4-3-3) : Caoimhin Kelleher - Michael Kayode, Kristoffer Vassbakk Ajer, Nathan Collins, Rico Henry - Jordan Henderson, Vitaly Janelt, Yehor Yarmoliuk - Keane Lewis-Potter, Igor Thiago, Kevin Schade.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) : Guglielmo Vicario - Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence - Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur - Mohammed Kudus, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert - Richarlison.

Unavailable players for Brentford : Dango Ouattara ( international duty ) , Frank Onyeka ( international duty ) , Fabio Carvalho ( injury ) , Joshua Dasilva ( injury ) . Unavailable players for Tottenham Hotspur : Yves Bissouma ( international duty ) , Pape Sarr ( international duty ) , Lucas Bergvall ( injury ) , Destiny Udogie ( injury ) , James Maddison ( injury ) , Xavi Simons ( suspension ) , Dejan Kulusevski ( injury ) , Dominic Solanke ( injury ) .

Team form & Head-to-head history: Compare recent results and see how Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur have performed against each other. The current head to head record for the teams are Brentford 1 win(s), Tottenham Hotspur 6 win(s), and 3 draw(s).

TV and streaming info: Find out where to watch the match.

Live standings: Follow league tables and tournament info in real time.

Live odds & insights: Track match favorites and before, during and post match.

Commentary & ticker: Rich text commentary for major matches to follow the action even if you can't watch.

All of these features make FotMob the best way to follow Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur, whether you're checking the scores or diving into detailed stats. FotMob also covers every team and competition worldwide, with fixtures, results, and squad info available on team pages.

FotMob is available on the web and as a free app for iOS and Android. Install the app to get notifications, live scores, and full match coverage so you never miss a moment.

Brentford faces Tottenham Hotspur at Gtech Community Stadium on Thu, Jan 1, 2026, 20:00 UTC . This match is part of the Premier League. You can check the recent head-to-head encounters, as well as full H2H record on this page to see how Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur have fared against each other in the past. On FotMob, you can follow the Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur live score with a full set of match features, including:

Live updates: Every goal, card, substitution and key moment instantly delivered on FotMob.

Real-time extensive stats powered by Opta: Possession, shots, corners, big chances created, xG, momentum, and shot maps.

The lineups are:

Brentford (4-3-3) : Caoimhin Kelleher - Michael Kayode, Kristoffer Vassbakk Ajer, Nathan Collins, Rico Henry - Jordan Henderson, Vitaly Janelt, Yehor Yarmoliuk - Keane Lewis-Potter, Igor Thiago, Kevin Schade.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) : Guglielmo Vicario - Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence - Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur - Mohammed Kudus, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert - Richarlison.

Unavailable players for Brentford : Dango Ouattara ( international duty ) , Frank Onyeka ( international duty ) , Fabio Carvalho ( injury ) , Joshua Dasilva ( injury ) . Unavailable players for Tottenham Hotspur : Yves Bissouma ( international duty ) , Pape Sarr ( international duty ) , Lucas Bergvall ( injury ) , Destiny Udogie ( injury ) , James Maddison ( injury ) , Xavi Simons ( suspension ) , Dejan Kulusevski ( injury ) , Dominic Solanke ( injury ) .

Team form & Head-to-head history: Compare recent results and see how Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur have performed against each other. The current head to head record for the teams are Brentford 1 win(s), Tottenham Hotspur 6 win(s), and 3 draw(s).

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