Tottenham round off a hectic week of fixtures when they welcome AFC Wimbledon to Wembley in the FA Cup third round.
The Dons last visited the national stadium in 2016 when they won promotion to League One with victory over Plymouth – but this will be an altogether different challenge as they go in search of one of the biggest giant-killings in the competition’s history.
The harshest of Mauricio Pochettino’s critics have sometimes blasted his indifference towards the domestic cups, yet as it stands, this represents his side’s best chance of silverware. Indeed, the eight-time winners haven’t lifted the trophy since 1991, a baron run which would have been unthinkable at the time.
They would have liked to go into the tie on the back of four straight wins in the Premier League. However, they were denied by West Ham and had to fight back to claim a point, courtesy of some individual brilliance by Heung-Min Son.
As for their opponents, Lyle Taylor is expected to be Neal Ardley’s go-to man. The 27-year-old is Wimbledon’s top scorer this season with 11 goals.
They have won just two of their last six, though, and for all the glamour of a day out at Wembley, there are more important things, like staying up, for them to focus on this season.
Team news
Pochettino is set to field a much-changed line-up having exerted his players twice in four days this week against Swansea and West Ham.
Danny Rose and Toby Alderweireld are the only first teamers ruled out by injury, though it’s unlikely either would have featured anyway. Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Hugo Lloris, and Jan Vertonghen will finally be rested.
Youngsters Kyle Walker-Peters, Juan Foyth, Kazaiah Sterling, Anthony Georgiou should all make the squad.
Expected line-ups
Tottenham: Vorm, Trippier, Foyth, Dier, Walker-Peters, Dembele, Winks, N’Koudou, Lamela, Sterling, Llorente
AFC Wimbledon: Long, Francomb, Oshilaja, Nightingale, Kennedy, Abdou, Trotter, Soares, Kaja, Forrester, Taylor
Did you know?
The last time Spurs faced Wimbledon was in 2000; they won 2-0 thanks to goals from Chris Armstrong and Darren Anderton. Two years prior to that, the two sides had put on a 6-2 thriller, with Jurgen Klinsmann scoring four times to help the north Londoners to avoid relegation.
Tottenham’s under-21s also faced AFC Wimbledon earlier this season in the Checkatrade Trophy at Kingsmeadow – the hosts won that one 4-3.
Prediction:
It says a lot that the top tier of Wembley will not even be opened for this fixture, such is its place on Spurs’ list of priorities. Nevertheless, those who do make the trip will be expecting a fairly routine win.
Erik Lamela, should he start, is the man to watch. The Argentine has been gradually feeling his way into the side since his return from a year out, but he has a killer finish on him and Pochettino will hope that an outing against lower-league opposition should help him to get his confidence back.
Wimbledon may be in the relegation zone of the third tier, but they will no doubt put in a spirited display aiming at least to do themselves proud.
Tottenham 3-0 AFC Wimbledon
