Tottenham Hotspur vs. Leicester City: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
The conclusion to what was thought to be a trilogy is now the penultimate installment of Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City's 2015-16 rivalry.
Sunday's 2-2 FA Cup third-round draw means they will go again at the King Power Stadium next Wednesday. This Wednesday is the still significant matter of their final Premier League meeting (the first a 1-1 draw back in August).
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Far from a denouement, this clash will be about setting the scene for attempts to build on strong first halves of the season heading into late winter.
A win for Tottenham would see them close to a point behind the currently second-placed Foxes. After being held to a draw by Claudio Ranieri's men for a second time on the weekend, it would act as a useful statement of intent too.
"We have a lot of games ahead but I think we’re in a good position to attack all the competitions, we have a strong squad and we have to believe and keep working hard," Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino said this week, per the club's official website.
For Ranieri and Leicester, a first victory since before Christmas would be nice. If they should beat another of the division's more fancied clubs in the process, all the better.
The Italian has been talking up the depth of the City squad, while midfielder Andy King is keen for it to be demonstrated by a repeat of their FA Cup efforts.
"We've got to pick ourselves up for the league on Wednesday," King told Leicester's official website. "We can take big encouragement from our performance, so hopefully we can put in another on Wednesday."
Date: Wednesday, January 13
Time: 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET
Venue: White Hart Lane, London
TV Info: No U.K. live broadcast (extended highlights available on Sky Sports 1 from 10 p.m.)/Premier League Extra Time (U.S. only)
Live Stream: No live UK stream/NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Form Lines
| Tottenham Hotspur | Leicester City |
| FA Cup, January 10: Leicester City (H)—Draw: 2-2 | FA Cup, January 10: Tottenham Hotspur (A)—Draw: 2-2 |
| Premier League, January 3: Everton (A)—Draw: 1-1 | Premier League, January 2: Bournemouth (H)—Draw: 0-0 |
| Premier League, December 28: Watford (A)—Win: 1-2 | Premier League, December 29: Manchester City (H)—Draw: 0-0 |
| Premier League, December 26: Norwich City (H)—Win: 3-0 | Premier League, December 26: Liverpool (A)—Loss: 1-0 |
| Premier League, December 19: Southampton (A)—Win: 0-2 | Premier League, December 19: Everton (A)—Win: 2-3 |
Team News
Pochettino confirmed on Tuesday that midfielder Mousa Dembele is in contention for Tottenham after missing their last three games with a groin injury, per the club's official website.
Clinton Njie (knee), Ryan Mason and Alex Pritchard (ankle) are all still out.
Meanwhile, Ranieri revealed he could be able to call upon striker Jamie Vardy for the return visit to White Hart Lane after missing Sunday's fixture with a groin problem.
"This morning he joined in the warm up with the team and then trained differently, so tomorrow I will check," Ranieri said, via Leicester's official website. "I think he will be okay."
Jeffrey Schlupp is still out with a hamstring injury, but Matty James is closer to his return to full fitness.
Predicted Lineups
"There were a lot of players who haven’t played consistently in the Premier League and it was an important chance for them to show they can fight for a start in the team," said Pochettino of his altered team for the FA Cup, per his club's website.
Speaking to the Leicester website, Ranieri confirmed his reasoning for taking the same approach.
"I want to build 22 or 23 players at the same level. Then I can change the players and still the team can continue in the same way."
Ranieri will have been the happier of the two coaches here. After the earlier setback of Christian Eriksen's opener, his rotated team defended stoutly, blunting Tottenham's attacking edge and twice slicing through at the other end with considerable ease.
The scorer of Leicester's second-half goal Shinji Okazaki seems most likely to be rewarded for his cup involvement.
His confident, confrontational best has been sporadic but telling this season. You would not bet against Ranieri summoning it alongside a returning Vardy to unsettle Spurs even more.
Marc Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez—scorer of Leicester's equaliser in August's 1-1 draw against the north Londoners—should be back attacking the flanks. N'Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater are also likely to resume their central-midfield partnership.
The more regular back four of (right to left) Danny Simpson, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth and Christian Fuchs will also return. Kasper Schmeichel behind them in goal as usual.
Tottenham's recent defensive unit will probably be reinstalled on Wednesday. Toby Alderweireld reunited with Jan Vertonghen in central defence, Ben Davies and Kyle Walker either side of them at full-back. Michel Vorm will make way for captain Hugo Lloris in goal.
If fit, Dembele will almost certainly be back in central midfield alongside the more defensive presence of Eric Dier. The latter dropping back into defence as part of a back-three alongside the Belgians—like he did to deal with Watford's front two of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo last month—should not be ruled out, though.
Rewarded with an improved contract this week, Dele Alli will be back in the starting XI somewhere in attacking midfield in support of striker Harry Kane. That leaves a couple of extra attacking-midfield spots for Pochettino to figure out.
Dier playing at the back would likely see Tom Carroll keep his place in midfield. A more regular 4-2-3-1 formation could see the Englishman miss out, though.
Erik Lamela, in solid form of late, should be back either way. His boss may then have to decide between Heung-Min Son and Eriksen.
Tottenham Hotspur Player to Watch: Jan Vertonghen
Vertonghen’s value to Tottenham these days was shown in just how much he was missed at the weekend. Less organised and less alert, Alderweireld and the deputising Kevin Wimmer were comfortably beaten for both goals by Marcin Wasilewski and Okazaki.
It was a poor performance of his own against Leicester in August that prompted a refocusing of Vertonghen’s own efforts. Since then, the defender has been just about impeccable in marshalling the Premier League’s current best defence.
Up against one of the top flight’s most talked about attacks, we will see if the Spurs vice-captain can contribute to a surer showing from his team.
Leicester City Player to Watch: Jamie Vardy
"Jamie had a problem for a month, more or less, and he continued to play," Ranieri said of Vardy to Leicester’s official website. "Now without the problem is much better."
The City manager cautioned the possibility of a bench role for the England man. But be it from the first minute or the 60th, the restoration of Vardy to fitness will warm the hearts of the Foxes faithful.
They know that prospect will be causing Tottenham’s defence to feel just the opposite.
Vardy caused them problems at White Hart Lane last season and worked hard to make them just as uncomfortable back in August. He is a more confident player than five months ago, and he will be desperate to show it again.
Key Battle: Midfield Dominance
The possible return of Dembele to the Tottenham starting XI could be just as invigorating a boost for them as Vardy’s will be for Leicester. The Belgian has been a revitalised performer this season, his team undoubtedly better for his strong command of central areas.
Whether Dembele plays or not, though, the one-off nature of Wednesday’s contest could facilitate a more competitive midfield battle than three days ago.
Leicester were happy to sit back and try to catch Spurs out, while the home side tried to find a way through (albeit it ultimately became a frustrating experience).
With more short- and long-term benefits beyond cup progression, it would be a surprise to see this one play out in such defined sections. That extra urgency will be seen at either end, but whoever has the better of these exchanges will likely have found more satisfactory control in and around the centre circle.
Between the dynamic Dembele and Kante, dependable Drinkwater and Dier, or even the eager Carroll and King, the midfield duels and their offshoots should see that a more emphatic contest occurs than was seen either on Sunday or back in August.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Tottenham win: 5-7
Leicester win: 4-1
Draw: 14-15
