English FA CUP
2010-03-06 - Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Fulham
Roy Hodgeson continues his fantastic job at Fulham and it is no surprise to me that he has been linked with jobs at Liverpool and even England this year. After helping this side barely survive in the Premier League 2 years ago, he now oversees them as they look forward to playing Juventus in Europe and close to going to Wembley in this competition.
Fulham had a tough start to the campaign, although they have recovered to move up to 9th in the Premier League. While a top 8 finish is within their reach, they are going to find it tough to return to European competition through the League this season. They have continued their strong form at home where they are 9-2-3 this year, scoring 21 goals and only conceding 9. Add to that that they have beaten both Manchester United and Liverpool here and you can see what a fortress Craven Cottage has become.
They come into this match with an 8 game unbeaten run which should provide confidence for the side. Fulham have lost just 1 of their last 16 matches at home in all competitions and have won 5 in a row there. In those games, Fulham have conceded just 2 goals.
There are no new injury concerns for Roy Hodgeson in this match.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur have a real chance of going back to Wembley this season, although this is perhaps the toughest game they could have got other than Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. A bigger concern for Harry Redknapp is the injuries that have hit his squad at a critical time of the season.
Spurs do still sit in the final Champions League spot in the Premier League but are by no means certain to finish there come May. They have a solid 5-5-4 away record and have scored 20 goals while conceding 18 in those games. Only the top 3 in the English Premier League have won more games away from home than Spurs.
They have only lost 1 of their last 10 games in all competitions and are unbeaten in their last 4, winning 3 in a row. Spurs have only lost 1 of their last 5 away games in all competitions and they did win 0-3 on their most recent outing to Wigan.
The bigger problem for Tottenham is that they are suffering an injury crisis, especially in midfield. Tom Huddlestone was the latest to suffer and joins Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley and Aaron Lennon on the sidelines. Younes Kaboul, who replaced Huddlestone last weekend is cup tied, while Ledley King is unlikely to play. Even more worringly for fans, Jermain Defoe has a hamstring concern.
Head to Head
Tottenham and Fulham have produced a mix bag of results with both having a win apiece in their last 4 meetings.
Fulham have only lost 1 game at home in their last 9 against Tottenham. However, that was a FA Cup tie 3 years ago which ended 0-4 to Spurs.
They have met twice this season in the League already. Tottenham won at White Hart Lane after a 0-0 draw at Fulham.
Prediction
Fulham will have a lot of confidence in the side and with injuries clearing up and Bobby Zamora continuing from where he left off, they must feel they have real chance of reaching Wembley. The home form has been very impressive and they are going to cause an injury hit Spurs side problems.
Tottenham would have been very happy with their season if they had been told about it 12 months ago, but fans' expectations have risen with each result and they might end up a little disappointed without winning a trophy or getting the final Champions League place. The loss of Lennon to the side has been huge although the upturn in Pavyluchenko's fortunes would have been most welcome.
I think this is going to be a close match, but the value surely lies on a Fulham win. They have an immense home record and face a side that is going to be having to go deep in their reserves for midfield players. It might end a draw, but I am going to play Fulham to sneak through to the Semi Finals.
The Pick :
Fulham 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
