Tottenham Hotspur aim to face National League opponents in Tamworth on Sunday afternoon as they look to avoid a record FA Cup upset.
Spurs travel to Staffordshire this weekend after recording a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday. – a performance and result that Ange Postecoglou desperately needed with the North London derby looming.
After two successive promotions, Tamworth finished 16th in the fifth tier and under coach Andy Peaks the rise was meteoric. This is their first FA Cup third round draw since 2012 and they had to work incredibly hard for Sunday’s game after beating Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion in rounds one and two respectively.
Here is 90 minutes Guide to Sunday’s FA Cup game from the Lamb Ground.
Tamworth vs Tottenham H2H results
This is the first competitive game between Tamworth and Tottenham.
Current form (all competitions)
Tamworth | Tottenham |
|---|---|
Sutton Utd 1-0 Tamworth – 07/01/25 | Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool – 08/01/25 |
Solihull Moors 2-0 Tamworth – 31/12/24 | Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle – 01/04/25 |
Tamworth 1-1 Forest Green – 12/26/24 | Tottenham 2-2 Wolves – 12/29/24 |
Sutton Utd 1-2 Tamworth – 21/12/24 | Nottingham Forest 1-0 Tottenham – 12/26/24 |
Rochdale 3-0 Tamworth – 17/12/24 | Tottenham 3-6 Liverpool – 12/22/24 |
country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | ITVX, STV Player, ITV 1 UK, STV Scotland, UTV |
United States | ESPN+, ESPN app |
Canada | Sportsnet World Now, Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Now Plus |
Tommy Tonks and his long throws are Tamworth’s not-so-secret weapon. The experienced 33-year-old will play in the hosts’ midfield on Sunday.
Tamworth will be without striker Ben Acquaye due to a torn cruciate ligament, while Callum Cockerill-Mollett is new on the treatment list.
Centre-back Jordan Cullinane-Liburd has played an important role in Tamworth’s FA Cup journey so far and is eligible to return to the squad on Sunday after completing his three-match ban last week.
Tamworth predicted line-up against Tottenham (4-4-1-1):Singh; Crompton, Libard, Hollis, Fairlamb; McGlinchey, Milns, Tonks, Williams; Morrison; Creaney.
Postecoglou will be wary of using his big guns on an artificial turf surface given Spurs’ current injury list, but the Australian will be somewhat forced in his team selection.
Eight first-team players are currently out through injury, while Fraser Forster is struggling with illness. New goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky could be in line for another start after his impressive debut in midweek, while Pape Sarr and James Maddison are both back in action after serving suspensions against Liverpool.
Rodrigo Bentancur is the latest Tottenham injury – he will be sidelined for a few weeks with a concussion.
Mikey Moore and South Korean Yang Min-hyeok could man the visitors’ flanks, with Will Lankshear taking the lead. Sergio Reguilon should also be considered at left-back.
Predicted line-up for Tottenham vs Tamworth (4-3-3): Kinsky; Spence, Dragusin, Dorrington, Reguilon; Bissouma, Maddison, Sarr; Yang, Lankshear, Moore.
Given the sloping artificial turf pitch and Tonks’ long throws, the naturally pessimistic fan base is undoubtedly a bit nervous ahead of this game.
While this sets up for a ‘Spursy’ afternoon just days after defeating the best team in the country, Postecoglou’s men certainly won’t be outgunned here.
Defeating EFL opponents is one thing, but even an inexperienced Tottenham team is a completely different matter for Tamworth. It will be a great opportunity for the hosts but Spurs should win in no time.