Tottenham Hotspur Vs Southampton
Wednesday 5th February 2020 – 19:45 Kick-Off
English FA Cup (replay)
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: WilliamHill
(All betting odds displayed were correct at time of writing: 3rd February 2020 at 14:30)
Preview: An FA Cup fourth round replay is required to determine which of Tottenham Hotspur or Southampton moves on to the fifth round, after their clash at St Mary’s finished in a 1-1 draw last month. Those with BT Sport can see for yourselves which club prospers at the second attempt.
English FA Cup Betting at 22Bet
Table of Contents
Tottenham Preview – Sunday triumph catalyst for cup progression?
Spurs were a model for consistency in this tournament up until recently, reaching the semi-final in 2016-17 & 2017-18. That changed last season, though. Son Heung-Min’s goal on the hour at St Mary’s appeared to be sending them past a stage that proved their undoing twelve months earlier. Unfortunately, defensive frailties came to the fore again, conceding late to force another replay. This after requiring two attempts to oust Middlesbrough – prevailing 2-1 at home in the replay – during the previous round.
Jose Mourinho certainly made his intent to go far in this competition clear, however, opting for a near full-strength starting line-up at Southampton. The Portuguese may have no alternative but to rotate one or two, though, on the back of Sunday’s exertions in that sensational 2-0 victory over Man City in North London. The nature of their success – defending deep for long, sustained periods – means a lot of energy was expended, albeit the final outcome fully justifying the means.
Make no mistake about it, Tottenham were incredibly fortunate to beat Man City. Scoring chances were thin on the ground but their ruthlessness exposed City’s shortcomings in the shooting third. Nevertheless, Spurs are now five games unbeaten overall (W3 D2) and have won the last three as hosts, while three of their prior four wins on home soil came by the way of 2-1 scorelines including the replay in the last round. A repeat is 15/2 (Bet365).
Southampton Preview – Anfield loss merely a rare away blip?
Sofiane Boufal scoring with three minutes of normal time remaining spared his team from making another premature exit in the FA Cup, earning Southampton a hard-earned replay with a 1-1 draw at St Mary’s. The South Coast club were bidding to reach the fifth round for only the second time in the past five campaigns, something that might well of played a role in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s decision to go strong with his initial team selection eleven days ago.
The Austrian was a relieved man, however, when star man Danny Ings – who is currently enduring a barren run of four games without a goal – laid on the chance from Boufal duly slotted home. It was a goal their persistence richly deserved, as Southampton used their lion’s share of possession to put Tottenham under enormous pressure but particularly in the second period. The downside, of course, is that they are now the ones tasked with travelling.
The latter has been a blessing in disguise lately. Prior to Saturday’s rather expected loss away to runaway league leaders Liverpool, Southampton had reeled off four consecutive victories away from home – two of which coming in London at Crystal Palace and Chelsea (both via 2-0 scorelines). Losing on Merseyside also highlighted another stellar trend of theirs: since losing their opening away encounter of 2019/20 3-0 at Burnley, The Saints had scored in fourteen consecutive away matches across all competitions.
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Betting Summary
Despite only levelling matters towards the very end of the first encounter, Southampton were fully deserving of at least the draw they eventually earned. Their recent away form – four wins from last five – suggests they could make the most of that late goal, however their record away to Tottenham is very poor having lost on eight of nine previous visits (W1 L8). Spurs must also be brimming with belief after Sunday’s eye-catching victory at home to Manchester City.
Tottenham Vs Southampton – Key Facts:
- Victory on Sunday against Man City (2-0) was Tottenham‘s third consecutive win at home in all competitions.
- Defeat at Liverpool on Saturday halted Southampton‘s winning away run, which stood at four.
- Southampton have won only once away to Tottenham – a 2-1 victory in the PL in 2015 – in their previous nine visits (W1 L8).
The match at St Mary’s was not short of entertainment or goalmouth chances, between two sides whose strength resides in their attacking play. More of the same is expected here between teams which have excelled of late in respective home and away fixtures (both winning 4 of last 5 in said games). Moreover, the last five meetings staged in North London all produced goals for both sides. Over 2.5 Goals & Both Teams to Score is 6/5 (Bet365).
Best Match Odds for Tottenham Vs Southampton
Tottenham – 7/10 Betway
Draw – 3/1 Bet365
Southampton – 17/4 Sportingbet
