Preview: Tamworth vs. Tottenham Hotspur - prediction, team news, lineups

Tamworth's humble 4,000-seater location could beryllium the country of the adjacent FA Cup elephantine sidesplitting connected Sunday lunchtime, erstwhile Premier League titans Tottenham Hotspur stone up to the Lamb Ground for a blockbuster third-round tie.

The fifth-tier hosts are 1 of conscionable 2 non-league teams inactive competing for cupful stardom, portion their revered visitors are approaching the 17-year people without a large honour adjacent to their name.

Match preview

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Out to debar being connected the incorrect extremity of a knockout daze connected Sunday, Tottenham person already travel retired connected the close extremity of 1 cupful astonishment this month, controversially edging retired Liverpool successful the archetypal limb of their EFL Cup semi-final connected Wednesday evening.

Mere moments aft escaping a imaginable 2nd yellowish paper for wiping retired Kostas Tsimikas, Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall produced the 1 infinitesimal of attacking prime needed to abstracted the 2 Wembley hopefuls, giving Ange Postecoglou's men a slender vantage to support astatine Anfield adjacent month.

The unforeseen beating of Arne Slot's troops represented an progressively uncommon triumph for Tottenham, who lone person 4 wins nether their loop from their past 15 matches successful each competitions and had gone without a triumph successful 4 consecutive matches earlier Bergvall's brilliance.

Early FA Cup exits person besides been commonplace successful North London since Spurs past made it to Wembley for the semi-finals successful 2017-18; the visitors person failed to marque it past the 5th circular successful immoderate of their past six attempts, though they person not been eliminated successful the 3rd circular since losing to North London rivals Arsenal successful 2013-14.

Furthermore, the Lilywhites person prevailed successful each of their past 9 FA Cup contests versus non-league opponents since being stunned by then-Southern League broadside Norwich City 110 years ago, a tally that includes a 5-0 humbling of Marine astatine this signifier successful 2021.

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Even if Tamworth extremity up suffering the aforesaid destiny arsenic their chap non-league foes did 4 years ago, simply hosting a Premier League powerhouse astatine the Lamb Ground volition correspond a momentous juncture for Andy Peaks's men, who person already sent 2 of the 92 packing successful this season's tournament.

After prevailing successful a six-goal thriller with Macclesfield successful the last preliminary stage, Tamworth defied the likelihood to destruct Huddersfield Town successful circular one, earlier holding their nervus from 12 yards to get the amended of Burton Albion and prolong their magical journey.

The National League broadside from Staffordshire are not full strangers to the FA Cup 3rd round, having besides made it this acold successful each of the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2011-12 seasons, but they mislaid each 3 of those contests and are truthful yet to gain their maiden fourth-round appearance.

The Lambs bash not travel into Sunday's historical lawsuit with the upwind successful their sails either, having mislaid their past 2 games against Solihull Moors (2-0 successful the National League) and Sutton United (1-0 successful the FA Trophy); the erstwhile effect near them languishing successful 16th spot successful the National League table.

Peaks has present masterminded conscionable 1 triumph from Tamworth's past six matches crossed each tournaments, but signifier is not the beryllium each and extremity each for occasions specified arsenic Sunday's, wherever the Lambs volition beryllium pitting their wits against Premier League absorption successful the FA Cup for conscionable the 2nd clip aft losing to David Moyes's Everton successful 2012.

Tamworth FA Cup form:

Tamworth signifier (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Spurs' occurrence implicit Liverpool successful midweek was partially overshadowed by the superior caput wounded to Rodrigo Bentancur, but Tottenham confirmed astatine fractional clip that the Uruguayan was conscious and communicating arsenic helium was sent to infirmary for further tests.

An authoritative update connected Bentancur's information is yet to land, but helium volition surely articulation Spurs' lengthy absentee database 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 besides beryllium unavailable for.

Fraser Forster is besides uncertain owing to illness, but caller signing Antonin Kinsky excelled connected his debut successful the triumph implicit Liverpool, and Postecoglou volition besides person James Maddison and Pape Sarr backmost from suspension astatine the Lamb Ground.

The Spurs brag whitethorn person nary prime but to tract immoderate elder players this weekend, but expect the likes of Will Lankshear, Alfie Dorrington and Mikey Moore - assuming helium is afloat recovered from a troubling unwellness - to marque the archetypal XI.

As for the non-league hosts, 25-year-old attacker Ben Acquaye is connected the agelong roadworthy to betterment from an ACL rupture, and left-back Callum Cockerill-Mollett was not progressive successful the nonaccomplishment to Sutton aft picking up an wounded successful the Solihull Moors defeat.

On a brighter note, 6ft 3in centre-back Jordan Cullinane-Liburd made his instrumentality from a three-game prohibition successful the FA Trophy defeat, and having started the successes implicit Huddersfield and Burton Albion, the 29-year-old ought to travel backmost into the archetypal XI for the sojourn of Spurs.

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

We say: Tamworth 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur

An already injury-hit Tottenham broadside should enactment retired a highly inexperienced onslaught and defence for Sunday's game, offering Tamworth a sliver of anticipation that they tin propulsion disconnected the upset of each upsets.

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