Tamworth vs Spurs

Competition: FA Cup 3rd round

Date: 12th Jan 2025

Venue: The Lamb Ground

Kickoff: 12:30 (GMT)

TV: Tamworth vs Tottenham Hotspur - Stream and TV Schedule

Match Preview

Out to avoid being on the wrong end of a knockout shock on Sunday, Tottenham have already come out on the correct end of one cup surprise this month, controversially edging out Liverpool in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday evening.

Mere moments after escaping a potential second yellow card for wiping out Kostas Tsimikas, Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall produced the one moment of attacking quality needed to separate the two Wembley hopefuls, giving Ange Postecoglou's men a slender advantage to protect at Anfield next month.

The unforeseen beating of Arne Slot's troops represented an increasingly rare triumph for Tottenham, who only have four wins under their belt from their last 15 matches in all competitions and had gone without a victory in four straight matches before Bergvall's brilliance.

Early FA Cup exits have also been commonplace in North London since Spurs last made it to Wembley for the semi-finals in 2017-18; the visitors have failed to make it past the fifth round in any of their last six attempts, although they have not been eliminated in the third round since losing to North London rivals Arsenal in 2013-14.

Furthermore, the Lilywhites have prevailed in each of their last nine FA Cup contests versus non-league opponents since being stunned by then-Southern League side Norwich City 110 years ago, a run that includes a 5-0 humbling of Marine at this stage in 2021.

Even if Tamworth end up suffering the same fate as their fellow non-league foes did four years ago, simply hosting a Premier League powerhouse at the Lamb Ground will represent a momentous occasion for Andy Peaks's men, who have already sent two of the 92 packing in this season's tournament.

After prevailing in a six-goal thriller with Macclesfield in the final preliminary stage, Tamworth defied the odds to eliminate Huddersfield Town in round one, before holding their nerve from 12 yards to get the better of Burton Albion and prolong their magical journey.

The National League side from Staffordshire are not total strangers to the FA Cup third round, having also made it this far in each of the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2011-12 seasons, but they lost all three of those contests and are therefore yet to earn their maiden fourth-round appearance.

The Lambs do not come into Sunday's historic event with the wind in their sails either, having lost their last two games against Solihull Moors (2-0 in the National League) and Sutton United (1-0 in the FA Trophy); the former result left them languishing in 16th place in the National League table.

Peaks has now masterminded just one win from Tamworth's last six matches across all tournaments, but form is not the be all and end all for occasions such as Sunday's, where the Lambs will be pitting their wits against Premier League opposition in the FA Cup for just the second time after losing to David Moyes's Everton in 2012.

Team News

Spurs' success over Liverpool in midweek was partially overshadowed by the serious head injury to Rodrigo Bentancur, but Tottenham confirmed at half time that the Uruguayan was conscious and communicating as he was sent to hospital for further tests.

An official update on Bentancur's condition is yet to land, but he will certainly join Spurs' lengthy absentee list for Sunday's game, which Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Cristian Romero (thigh), Destiny Udogie (hamstring), Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Ben Davies (hamstring) and Richarlison (hamstring) should also be unavailable for.

Fraser Forster is also uncertain owing to illness, but new signing Antonin Kinsky excelled on his debut in the triumph over Liverpool, and Postecoglou will also have James Maddison and Pape Sarr back from suspension at the Lamb Ground.

The Spurs boss may have no choice but to field some senior players this weekend, but expect the likes of Will Lankshear, Alfie Dorrington and Mikey Moore - assuming he is fully recovered from a troubling illness - to make the first XI.

As for the non-league hosts, 25-year-old attacker Ben Acquaye is on the long road to recovery from an ACL rupture, and left-back Callum Cockerill-Mollett was not involved in the loss to Sutton after picking up an injury in the Solihull Moors defeat.

On a brighter note, 6ft 3in centre-back Jordan Cullinane-Liburd made his return from a three-game ban in the FA Trophy defeat, and having started the successes over Huddersfield and Burton Albion, the 29-year-old ought to come back into the first XI for the visit of Spurs.

Tamworth possible starting lineup:
Singh; Crompton, Libard, Hollis, Fairlamb; McGlinchey, Milnes, Tonks, Williams; Morrison; Creaney

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Kinsky; Gray, Dorrington, Dragusin, Reguilon; Maddison, Sarr, Bergvall; Werner, Lankshear, Moore

Key lines from Ange's news conference:

• He said that he is hoping to give some game time to teenage striker Mikey Moore, who recently returned from a long injury lay-off.
• However, there will not be scope for significant rotation as Spurs are "still limited in terms of numbers".
• On what to expect from team selection: "It's an opportunity to put out a team that will win a game of football for us. The ones who play will be the ones that I think will do that."
• James Maddison and Pape Sarr, who missed the Carabao Cup semi-final win against Liverpool due to suspension, will be available for Sunday.
• On whether he is relieved not to have VAR in Sunday's game given his comments after the Liverpool game, Postecoglou agreed, adding: "I am mindful that sometimes I overstep the mark in some of those situations. I talk as an individual and as a person who is passionate about the game."
• He said he'd rather talk about football "as a representative of the club" and will let other people judge on VAR.
• Asked whether the visit to Tamworth will be a shock to his players, Postecoglou said his players are not "multi-million-dollar" stars but "good human beings" with some deriving "from far worse places". He insisted Spurs will respect their National League opponents.
• He expected Tamworth to "do their best to create an atmosphere where they will be proud of their ground and their facilities".
• However, the Spurs boss said it is up to his players to be ready for the challenge and that they will go into the game "with the understanding that every game is important".
• With the cup tie on artificial turf at The Lamb Ground, Postecoglou explained his players will train on a similar surface on Saturday in preparation for matchday.
• Finally, Postecoglou said the FA Cup remains a very important competition with the final a "marquee day in the global football calendar".

Match Stats

• Tamworth’s only previous FA Cup game against a top-flight side came in the third round in 2011-12, losing 2-0 against David Moyes’ Everton.
• Tottenham have progressed from each of their last nine FA Cup ties against non-league opponents. Their last such defeat came against Norwich in 1914-15, when there were only two Football League divisions.
• This is Tamworth’s fourth appearance in the FA Cup third round, going out at this stage in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2011-12.
• Tottenham have progressed from 17 of their last 18 FA Cup third round ties, with the only exception being a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in 2013-14.
• Since his first season in English football (2015-16), no player has been involved in more FA Cup goals (first round onwards) than Tottenham’s Son Heung-min (25 – 14 goals, 11 assists).

Pundit Predictions

Chris Sutton

I was at Tamworth to see them beat Huddersfield in round one and Tommy Tonks' long throw got them the winner that night.

Tonks launches it from anywhere inside the opposition half, and it is such a great weapon.

So, poor old Ange Postecoglou knows what is coming his way too. His Spurs defenders are going to get the same treatment, and we are going to find out whether Spurs can cope.

It is a basic thing, a long throw, but I am not convinced Spurs have the players to deal with it. Their centre-half pairing for part of their defeat by Newcastle was Djed Spence and Archie Gray, so it is not as if they have got people like Tony Adams and Steve Bould, who would relish that kind of test.

I actually think Tamworth will score. When they beat Huddersfield they were well organised, and they beat them well.

The other thing Tottenham will have to deal with is a terrible pitch, so this tie is far from straightforward, but I also believe that, unlike Huddersfield, Spurs will create enough opportunities to win the tie.

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

Billy Bob Thornton's prediction: 0-5

COYS