While the extremist fixture congestion of the holiday season is now over, the games are still coming thick and fast for Tottenham Hotspur and all the other English football clubs in the FA.
It’s the second weekend of the New Year, and you know what that means, the 3rd round of the FA Cup commences, and with it the entry of the bigger clubs into the competition.
Tottenham begin their FA Cup campaign with a home clash against League One (third tier in the pyramid) side Portsmouth FC.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Portsmouth FC FA Cup 3rd Round FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Jan 7, 12:30pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Stat Pack: Portsmouth beat Spurs in the 2010 FA Cup Semifinal, but have since dropped their last four matches to Premier League opponents in this competition, but an aggregate score of 19-1.
Series Trend: Portsmouth have lost six of their last seven away to Tottenham across all competitions
Tottenham Team News
Spurs will remain without the services of three long term injury absentees in attack: Richarlison, Lucas Moura and Dejan Kulusevski.
Yes, we’re putting Kulusevski into the “long term” category now because his muscular issue has turned out to be more serious than was first thought.
Meanwhile, in another position group, Rodrigo Bentancur remains absent as he continues his recovery from a groin injury.
Look for a mix and match of starters and reserves in the starting lineup that manager Antonio Conte selects here.
Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction vs Portsmouth (FA Cup)
Lloris; Tanganga, Sanchez, Dier; Spence, Bissouma, Skipp, Sessegnon; Gil, Kane, Son
Prediction: Tottenham 4, Portsmouth 0
While the North London side has certainly had plenty of issues lately, I can’t imagine them doing anything but cruising here.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.