There could be a giant-killing in store on Saturday in the FA Cup, as League One Portsmouth travels to North London to take on Tottenham Hotspur. This will be the first meeting between the sides in the competition since Pompey booked their spot in the 2010 FA Cup final with a win over Spurs.
FA Cup Preview
Things certainly aren’t going to plan for Antonio Conte at present, as Spurs have seen their place in the Champions League spots snatched out of their hands by Manchester United. Conte has already announced that he plans on making a number of signings in January, but the pressure on the Italian has intensified since Tottenham’s home defeat to Aston Villa last weekend.
A solid run in the FA Cup will be seen as a positive for Spurs this term, as they have gone over ten years without winning a domestic trophy. Tottenham’s record at home in the FA Cup is stunning, as they haven’t lost in 43 home matches in the competition. Their most recent loss at home in the tournament came against Nottingham Forest back in 1975.
Portsmouth famously won the FA Cup back in 2008, but they have been on a downward trajectory since then. Now, they are located in League One, and currently sit in 12th place. They are without a win in their previous five matches, and are nine points off the playoff places.
Pompey has already needed to navigate two rounds of the FA Cup this season, and one of their best performances of the season came in the previous round. They ran out fine 3-2 winners against MK Dons in November, with Cody Bishop scoring twice. Bishop once again looks to be their key hope, as he has scored four goals in his previous four FA Cup matches.
Tottenham vs Portsmouth Head to Head
Tottenham has won two of the previous three matches that they have played against Portsmouth, but the latest showdown did end in a win for Pompey in the semi-finals in 2010. However, Portsmouth has lost six of their previous seven away games against Spurs, with their most recent away win coming in April 1988.
Tottenham vs Portsmouth Prediction
It hasn’t been the best restart for Spurs, but they will be heavily expected to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup against League One opposition. Conte is likely to field a strong eleven, and we could see Harry Kane getting among the goals in a 2-0 win.
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