Why the highlight of the FA Cup Third Round is at Spurs
Published:
For a competition so readily associated with magic, there wasn’t a great deal of pizzazz or fairy dust sprinkled over the third-round draw of the FA Cup.
Fans of Exeter, Sheffield United and Oxford United, who will watch their sides play Liverpool, Manchester United and Swansea respectively, may disagree with that statement, but on the whole there were a lot of inter-division battles.
However, amid all the Championship-on-Championship clashes there was one all-top-flight tie that did get the heart rate racing.
Tottenham, who haven’t been beyond the fourth round of the competition in the last three seasons, drew surprise Premier League-leaders Leicester at White Hart Lane.
With both sides blazing their own respective trail on the domestic front, the clash will be eagerly anticipated as two form teams bid for cup success.
What adds to the dynamic further is the fact the pair do battle again just four days later at the same venue in the league. Optimistic fans of both clubs may even say the double could be decided as early as January.
Although the FA Cup clash is yet to be priced up, Ladbrokes make Tottenham 14/1 shots to win the trophy, with Leicester further down the market at 25s.
It will certainly point to each manager’s priorities when the teamsheets are entered, with a potentially pivotal league encounter so quickly following the FA Cup clash.
If anything, Spurs should have the greater desire to progress, as the Foxes knocked them out of the FA Cup in the fourth round last season.
Leonardo Ulloa and Jeffrey Schlupp scored in the final seven minutes in north London to overturn Andros Townsend’s penalty and send the Lilywhites packing.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.
