Aston Villa and Tottenham are ready to lock horns in an exciting FA Cup fourth-round clash at Villa Park this Sunday.
Ange Postecoglou’s beleaguered squad endured a humiliating 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg on Thursday, while Aston Villa have had a full week to digest their 2-0 derby defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As many Tottenham supporters feared, their slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg was never going to be enough. Any hopes Postecoglou had of delivering silverware in his second season suffered a crushing blow under the lights at Anfield in midweek.
Now, Tottenham Hotspur shift their focus to the prestigious FA Cup, the world’s oldest football competition, as they prepare to face Aston Villa in a crucial fourth-round clash this weekend.
With the demands of Champions League football now in the mix, Aston Villa are finding it difficult to replicate the heights they reached in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign. Their struggles have left them languishing in eighth place, struggling to maintain their previous consistency.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Here’s how to watch this FA Cup match in the UK:
This game is available for live TV broadcast on ITV1 and STV in the UK. Streaming options are available on ITVX and STV Player.
This FA Cup clash takes place at the Villa Park in Birmingham, England and kicks off on Sunday, February 9 at 5:35 p.m. local time (GMT).
Tyrone Mings remains in limbo as he awaits further updates on his injury status, while Pau Torres is sidelined for at least another month. Matty Cash is also ruled out, adding to Villa’s defensive concerns.
Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley are both doubts, leaving Unai Emery with key selection headaches ahead of this crucial FA Cup clash.
Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio could mark their first appearances for Aston Villa, though Axel Disasi remains ineligible due to being cup-tied. Meanwhile, recent signings Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen, both handed immediate Premier League debuts, could be called upon once again.
Aston Villa predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Martinez (GK) — Garcia, Konsa, Kamara, Digne — Tielemans, McGinn — Malen, Rogers, Bailey — Watkins.
Injured: Mings, Torres, Cash, Watkins (Questionable), Barkley
Suspended: None
Mathys Tel is expected to make his first start after featuring off the bench at Anfield, stepping in for the injured Richarlison, whose absence only adds to Spurs’ growing list of sidelined players.
He joins Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke, and Wilson Odobert on the sidelines, all of whom will miss this clash. However, there’s a chance that Timo Werner could recover from his thigh injury in time to feature.
Tottenham predicted lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Kinsky (GK) — Porro, Davies, Danso, Gray — Bentancur, Bergvall, Bissouma — Son, Tel, Kulusevski.
Injured: Johnson, Udogie, Vicario, Solanke, Werner, Odobert, Dragusin, van de Ven
Suspended: None
Aston Villa’s strong home form gives them the edge, while Tottenham’s inconsistent away performances and injury concerns could be a setback. Expect a competitive clash, but Villa’s attacking depth might see them edge out a narrow win.
All times GMT
Friday, February 7
Saturday, February 8
Sunday, February 9
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