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FA Cup | Fourth Round
Jan 30, 2016 at 12.45pm UK
 
SL

1-4

Davies (80' og.)
FT(HT: 0-1)
Chadli (27', 79'), Dier (64'), Carroll (83')

Preview: Colchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur

:Headline: Preview: Colchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur: ID:265189: from db_amp
Sports Mole looks ahead to the FA Cup tie between League One strugglers Colchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The focus switches to the fourth round of the FA Cup this weekend, with Tottenham Hotspur making the short trip to Essex to take on Colchester United on Saturday lunchtime.

It seems that the hosts are going to fall through the League One relegation trapdoor this season, so a giant-killing could be just the tonic to lift the spirits at the Colchester Community Stadium.


Colchester

Having finished 20th, 16th and 19th in each of the last three campaigns, it feels like relegation has been coming for the U's.

Without a league win since October 20 and currently seven points adrift at the bottom of the table, demotion looks inevitable.

Conceding goals has been the major problem, with 65 having been shipped from their 28 outings to date.

Yet, at the other end of the pitch, they have fired in 36 goals, which is the same number as league leaders Burton Albion.

Even so, midfielder Owen Garvan is not ruling out a shock, having told the East Anglian Daily Times: "I think people see Tottenham as a good team in the Premier League, but the way that football is, we could easily go and win that game.

"I'm hoping that Colchester fans will get there early to make it a good cup atmosphere, even though that might be difficult with the early kickoff time. I think it will be a tight game, but hopefully, we can win it."

Recent form (all competitions): LDWLDL


Tottenham

After a mini wobble at the start of the month, three wins in a row has put Spurs well and truly back on track.

Not only that, if there were any doubts prior to last week's trip to Crystal Palace, everyone is now fully aware that under the management of Mauricio Pochettino, the North Londoners mean business.

The 3-1 win at Selhurst Park not only included a Goal of the Season effort from talented midfielder Dele Alli, it also installed Spurs as genuine title contenders.

Five points adrift of leaders Leicester City, supporters could be forgiven for starting to dream of a first league title since 1961.

As a reward, this week Pochettino took his players away to Barcelona for some warm-weather training and relaxation. At a stage in the season when games start to come thick and fast, such a decision from the head coach could prove to be invaluable over the coming months.

Of course, attention switches to the FA Cup now. The eight-time winners, who have not lifted the trophy since 1991, overcame Leicester in a replay in the third round.

Recent form (all competitions): DDLWWW


Team News

The only negative to come out of the triumph at Palace was the news that Spurs centre-back Jan Vertonghen had suffered a knee ligament injury.

His extended absence is likely to hand a chance to Kevin Wimmer, who probably would have started this encounter regardless.

Just as he did against Leicester in the previous round, it would not be a surprise to see Pochettino rest some of his key players.

The likes of Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Alli are unlikely to start, which will provide opportunities to some of the fringe players.

As for Colchester, manager Kevin Keen may be tempted to turn to experienced players Nicky Shorey and Darren Ambrose after both started the 3-0 loss away at Scunthorpe United among the substitutes.

Colchester possible starting lineup:
Kean; Brindley, Eastman, Wynter, Shorey; Ambrose, Gilbey, Garvan, Moncour; Sordell, Porter

Tottenham possible starting lineup:
Vorm; Walker, Dier, Wimmer, Davies; Carroll, Bentaleb; Lamela, Onomah, Chadli; Son


Head To Head

These two sides have never previously met before in a competitive fixture.


The Dugout Podcast

Hit play below to listen to Sports Mole's new podcast 'The Dugout' for our take on the week's biggest football talking points:

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We say: Colchester 0-3 Tottenham

Despite the anticipated changes, Spurs should have more than enough quality to see off their struggling hosts by a comfortable margin.



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