On Monday Night, Spurs travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. Off the back of the absolutely incredible 5-3 win over Chelsea, Spurs have the opportunity to carry that momentum with them into the start of their FA Cup run. The two sides met a couple of weeks ago in the Premier League at White Hart Lane, Spurs won 2-1 but Burnley gave them more of a match than most expected and will do the same again here.
Where will the match be won?
Burnley had a habit recently for coming back in games and scoring to earn points when behind. They were behind against Newcastle three times on New Year’s Day and equalised three times to earn a point, so Burnley’s resilience mustn’t be underestimated by Spurs going into this game. If Spurs go ahead in this game, they must continue to pressure and not give Burnley any opportunity to try and claw themselves back in this game and they’ll need to close it off until it’s out of Burnley’s reach.
Key Players:
Harry Kane: From unused youngster to being the hottest property in North London, the rise of Harry Kane this season has been incredible. His monumental display against Chelsea, scoring twice and winning a penalty, and the way he demolished Cahill & Terry was a sight to behold. His all-round play, strength and pace is everything needed to be a great striker which is what he is developing into and will continue his hot form here.
Nacer Chadli: The 25-year-old has transformed his game, and has already accumulated eight goals in just 21 games this season. A clinical finisher, Chadli has been a potent outlet for Spurs and one of the major positives of their improved form. It is easy to see where he has improved, too. Although most of his game remains of a similar standard to last term, Chadli has started to become much more of a goalscoring threat under Pochettino. Chadli is not only taking considerably more shots on goal, but he is also proving to be more accurate when he does and he is reaping the rewards. With only half the season gone, Chadli could easily reach twenty goals in all competitions if he continues at this rate and, after being written off by many, he may just put the ‘magnificent’ back into his nickname.
Danny Ings: The young English striker, like Kane, is making a huge difference to his side. With five goals and three assists in the last month, his efforts have moved Burnley up from the bottom of the table and giving them a real chance of survival. In the League game against Spurs he had several chances to earn them a point but didn’t take them. If he’s more ruthless with his chances, he’ll give the side a great chance of a Cup upset.
