The State of Play
Ange Postecoglu’s tenure at Tottenham Hotspur has generally been seen as a positive transformation in playing style and overall atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, the Australian manager is eager to be the one to bring silverware back to North London, particularly following their disappointing second-round exit to Fulham in the EFL Cup in August.
Tottenham’s recent form has been somewhat inconsistent after a rapid start to the campaign. Despite their 3-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve, they have secured four wins with a draw and suffered five defeats in their last ten Premier League matches. These ten games have witnessed a total of 40 goals, showcasing the team’s evolving free-flowing style.
In the previous season, Burnley, on their way to securing the Championship title, reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. However, their journey ended with a resounding 6-0 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. This season, the Clarets’ primary focus is on securing survival, and Vincent Kompany is expected to heavily rotate the squad on Friday evening due to the depth at his disposal.
Entering this match on the back of a 3-2 defeat to title-contending Aston Villa last weekend, Burnley faced a setback with an 89th-minute penalty winner by Douglas Luiz, especially after going down to ten men with over half an hour remaining. Currently, they find themselves five points adrift of safety in the league.
Team News
Ange Postecoglu has announced the return of Micky van de Ven to training this week, raising the possibility of his inclusion in the squad to face Burnley on Friday evening. However, the former Celtic manager emphasized that the player will not be rushed back into the side.
On the injury front, Ivan Perisic, Alejo Veliz, Cristian Romero, James Maddison, Manor Solomon, and Ryan Sessegnon remain sidelined. Dejan Kulusevski has rejoined the squad following his suspension, but Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, and Son Heung-min are currently away on international duty.
In Vincent Kompany’s pre-match press conference, he confirmed that defender Jordan Beyer would be unavailable for the tie due to an injury sustained in their recent 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa. Jordan Beyer joins Luca Koleosho on the sidelines, with Hjalmar Ekdal and Jack Cork listed as doubtful. Additionally, the team will be without Norwegian international Sander Berge, who was sent off in the Villa Park game.
Expected Line-ups
Tottenham Hotspur: Forster; Porro, Emerson, Davies, Udogie; Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Lo Celso; Kulusevski, Richarlison, Johnson
Burnley: Muric; Vitinho, O’Shea, Delcroix, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Ramsey, Brownhill, Odobert; Foster, Amdouni
What they Said
Ange Postecoglou on the importance of a cup run:
“At the start of every season every club has ambitions and dreams of winning silverware. More than anything else it is an opportunity for us to try to win a competition and for a club of our stature that should be the ambition every year.”
Vincent Kompany on side’s recent improvements:
“It’s just building up the finer details in this league and being aware of key moments. The best way to learn is by getting hurt by it first and feeling the reward when you wisen up to it. We’ve done some things really well but without the points there is always the void.”
When and How to Watch
This match is being televised live on ITV1, and can be streamed on ITVX platforms.
Prediction
Friday’s clash promises to be an entertaining spectacle. The previous league encounter between these two teams in September resulted in a seven-goal thriller, with Tottenham emerging victorious by a scoreline of 5-2 at Turf Moor. Now, they confront a Burnley side committed to an attacking and proactive style of football under Kompany. Consequently, anticipation is high for a match with plenty of goals, although the hosts remain strong favourites for the victory.
