Tottenham secured their spot by narrowly defeating Burnley 1-0. Now, they face the formidable challenge of playing against Manchester City, who started their journey for consecutive titles with an impressive 5-0 win against Huddersfield Town.
For Tottenham, the FA Cup represents their best chance to break their 16-year trophy drought, especially since they're out of contention for European trophies and had an early exit from the EFL Cup.
In their recent match against Burnley, Tottenham struggled until right-back Pedro Porro scored a spectacular goal in the second half. This win extended Tottenham's winning streak at home to four matches.
After their victory over Burnley, Tottenham faced Manchester United, managing a 2-2 draw. While it wasn't the most convincing performance, Tottenham now has 12 days to regroup before their FA Cup clash.
Tottenham hasn't failed to score at home since March 2023, but facing the reigning champions in the FA Cup at home is a significant challenge, as the last time they did, they lost 3-0 to Newcastle United in 1952.
Manchester City, on the other hand, started their FA Cup campaign with a dominant 5-0 win over Huddersfield Town, continuing their winning streak across all tournaments. Kevin De Bruyne's return has provided a boost, as seen in their recent victory over Newcastle.
Guardiola's side is still trailing behind Liverpool in the title race but is determined to avoid a premature FA Cup exit, something they haven't experienced since 2014-15 under Manuel Pellegrini.
Despite their recent goal-scoring prowess, Manchester City has struggled at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, losing all five games without finding the back of the net.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
With Mali and Senegal progressing in the Africa Cup of Nations, Tottenham is still without Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma, along with Son Heung-min due to Asian Cup duties.Several players like Ryan Sessegnon, Alejo Veliz, Manor Solomon, and Giovani Lo Celso are sidelined due to injuries. However, there's hope with James Maddison possibly returning from an ankle issue, and Ben Davies and Dane Scarlett back in training.
Dejan Kulusevski will be back from illness, and Micky van de Ven's issue from the last match was just cramps.
For Manchester City, there's been a goalkeeper change with Ederson briefly replaced by Stefan Ortega due to an injury against Newcastle. Though Ederson has recovered, Ortega might continue in goal. Erling Haaland is unlikely to play due to a minor setback in his recovery.
Defenders John Stones and Manuel Akanji missed the Newcastle game due to injury, with Stones possibly returning to face Tottenham.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Hojbjerg, Bentancur; Johnson, Kulusevski, Werner; Richarlison
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ortega; Walker, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Silva, De Bruyne, Foden; Alvarez
EXPERT PREDICTION
Tottenham 3-3 Manchester City
With Tottenham facing midfield shortages, Manchester City might finally break their scoring curse at Spurs' home ground. However, given the competitiveness of both sides, an unwanted replay may be necessary to decide which team progresses to the fifth round.
