#also a shock fulham/forest win????

[lanarchive]

actually sick how the team that has the biggest chance of beating city is our biggest rivals

[thisdaynews]

'I embarrassed my mum by swearing on TV' - Micah Richards on the power of the FA Cup

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'I embarrassed my mum by swearing on TV' - Micah Richards on the power of the FA Cup

Micah Richards joins Tim Cahill and Gabby Logan at Etihad Stadium on Sunday for live coverage of Manchester City versus Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round at 12:45 GMT on BBC One and the BBC Sport website. Liverpool’s tie with Shrewsbury is also live across the BBC, and kicks off at 17:00.

I won the Premier League and played for England but it seems everyone always remembers me best for swearing live on BBC One on a Sunday afternoon.

That is the power of the FA Cup, and I don’t believe the famous old competition has lost all of its magic – just ask Liverpool’s Curtis Jones.

Whatever else he does in his career, people will remember his spectacular winner against Everton in the third round.

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All the angles: Relive Curtis Jones’ stunning goal

Yes, some teams use the FA Cup to rotate their squads and rest their regulars but it means you get a chance to see some new faces and it is a perfect platform for young players like Jones to show everyone what they can do.

He would never have got a chance to showcase his talent for Liverpool in the Premier League or Champions League, but he got his opportunity in the FA Cup at the age of just 18, and certainly made a name for himself.

I did the same, under slightly different circumstances, as a 17-year-old in 2006 when I headed home a last-minute equaliser for Manchester City in a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa in the fifth round.

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FA Cup: Micah Richards rescues FA Cup tie for Man City

Unlike Jones, I had already broken into City’s first team and played a few matches before that day, but there was no hype about me until I scored that goal. Nine months later, I made my full England debut.

These days, people mostly bring up my BBC interview with Garth Crooks straight after the game, when I was so excited about scoring that a four-letter word sneaked out.

My mum gave me an earful when I saw her afterwards – she didn’t speak about the goal, because she was never really too bothered about football, but she just told me I had embarrassed her by swearing on TV.

I was like “mum, I’d just scored a brilliant goal” but she said “yes but what will people think of me? I didn’t bring you up like this”.

Unfortunately I did not learn my lesson, because I did it again when I was interviewed on the pitch after City had won the 2011 FA Cup final – another swear word sort of slipped out.

But that just shows you how much winning the FA Cup meant to me, because when I am super happy, I just cannot control my emotions.

It was the first trophy I had won as a professional player, and City’s first trophy for 35 years – so I was obviously going to be pretty excited.

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Watch Yaya Toure’s ‘unstoppable’ strike to win FA Cup

Those were two of the proudest moments of my career, which is why I cannot understand why some people want to dismiss the FA Cup – I have seen for myself how much it means to players and fans in good and bad times.

I hope to get some of that emotion I have experienced across when I am back on the BBC this weekend, as a pundit on Sunday’s game between City and Fulham.

I still haven’t worked with Garth again though – they have not put us on Final Score together yet, because they are probably worried I will start swearing again.

I love how City go all out to win the FA Cup

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FA Cup final: Watch all six Man City goals in 60 seconds

I don’t think the big clubs disrespect the FA Cup these days as much as is made out – when they rest players, it is more down to their schedule.

It doesn’t help that you come out of such a busy Christmas period, then go straight into the third round. It means most teams physically cannot play their strongest line-up, even if they wanted to.

And any Premier League games around that time have to take priority if your players are tired. Yes, the FA Cup is brilliant to win, but the Premier League is always going to be your club’s lifeblood financially

The example I always use is Wigan. Would you rather win the cup and go down, like they did in 2013? We all know how difficult it is to come back up.

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FA Cup: Boyce relives Wigan’s ‘fairytale’ FA Cup win

Things are different at City and one of the reasons they will go so hard to win it again under Pep Guardiola after lifting it last season is because they have got a squad that allows them to.

Yes, I expect they will make one or two changes against Fulham on Sunday, but I love the fact they really go for it because Pep Guardiola always wants to win absolutely everything.

It is not even a case of the FA Cup being important to City this year just because Liverpool are running away with the title. It is the same every season.

Upsets not much fun when you are on the wrong end

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FA Cup: Micah Richards gets into argument with Aston Villa fans

Because Pep will pick a strong team, I am expecting City to make it through to the fifth round comfortably enough. It would clearly be a massive shock if they don’t.

But you can never take anything for granted in the FA Cup, because an upset is always only just around the corner, and I have experienced those too.

City lost to Championship sides like Fulham four times while I was at the club – Sheffield United and their ‘balloon’ goal at Bramall Lane in 2008, then Nottingham Forest in 2009, Wigan in 2014 and Middlesbrough in 2015, all at the Etihad.

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FA Cup third round draw highlights

Then there was the time when I was at Aston Villa and we were held to a draw by League Two side Wycombe in 2016.

That was one of the low points of a very difficult season at Villa, but by then our supporters had just lost belief in us.

There were certain fans just coming to the games so they could have a go at us because they did not think we were trying, which was not the case.

I was Villa’s captain and ended up going over to speak to them at the final whistle – like I say, I am very passionate myself so I understood their frustration, but some of them had just gone too far.

The magic of the cup is winning it, or causing an upset as far as I am concerned – but it is not so enjoyable for anyone when you are on the receiving end.

It is great to still be involved in the FA Cup as a pundit – and I also enjoyed the chance to conduct the draw for this season’s third round.

I am still getting stick on Twitter now for not getting some people good draws, but I would love to do it again some day – I am not sure Liverpool or Manchester United fans would be too happy if I did though.

Micah Richards was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.

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EFL Championship Match Previews – 22nd February Saturday

Bristol City v West Brom

Bristol City against West Bromwich Albion is a game which does certainly catch the eye on the weekend Championship fixture card, and it is a match which could go either way. Whilst WBA do sit top of the table, Bristol City are firmly involved in the promotion picture themselves, and can definitely beat anyone at this level on their day.

Slaven Bilic however will be more than happy with how his side have bounced back after an indifferent run of form which saw them fail to win in seven league games. Since then, they’ve gone unbeaten in four, winning three, and were only minutes away from making it four until Nottingham Forest equalised late last Saturday. Bilic was happy with the performance, and a repeat will possibly see them return to winning ways.

Lee Johnson on the other hand is looking to rally his troops having suffered a narrow away loss to Leeds United last time out. This team have been defined as quite ‘streaky’ for a while now, and they’ll be eager to avoid making it three defeats in four, having recently lost at home to Birmingham City. Their home record has been patchy recently, so that is an area of concern and one they need to really improve upon.

The first thing which does spring to mind in this game is that it is one both will clearly play to win. West Brom do play different away compared to games at The Hawthorns, and only two away losses all season proves that they’re doing something right. Only in defeat at Leeds back in October have they not scored in an away match, so Bristol City will need a sterling defensive effort to produce a shutout.

WBA however have conceded in six of their last nine on the road, so they’re certainly not impenetrable in that regard. They not only top the league table, but also the both teams to score tally in the Championship, which suggests they’re often involved in end-to-end encounters. Their games average marginally shy of three goals, whilst Bristol City’s four of the last five at home in the league featured over 2.5 goals.

I do think Over 2.5 Goals has to be the play here. The last three head-to-head encounters featured at least five goals every time, and there is no lack of goal threat on show. WBA aren’t known for keeping as many clean sheets as you’d expect, whilst Johnson will set up his team to really have a go in this one.

Asian Total Goals Betting Recommendation: Over 2.50 at 1.850

Swansea v Huddersfield

Swansea City find themselves very much at risk of drifting into mid-table insignificance following a sudden drop in form which has seen them win just one of their previous seven in Championship action. They’ve drew three of their last four, and the worry for Steve Cooper and Swansea fans is that they’re dropping points in games you’d wouldn’t necessarily expect them to do so.

Huddersfield Town are a team that, on paper at least, Swansea would probably expect to defeat. Most definitely three points will be aimed for as they look to get their campaign back on track, but this is anything but a ‘home banker’ considering that the Terriers are fighting for their lives at the wrong end of the table. They’ve been a little inconsistent recently, but have certainly been harder to beat under Danny Cowley.

One area which will be a big worry for Cooper is their end product in front of goal. Considering they boast plenty of offensive talent in terms of creativity and a goal threat, they’ve only 41 league goals this season. Going into this round of matches, that is a number bettered by only six other sides at this level, including Huddersfield. Swansea are sixth in the league for average shots on goal, so it really is a case of not taking their chances.

That will afford plenty of hope and optimistic for Huddersfield as they travel to Wales this weekend. They’ve only three goals fewer than Swansea, and that is despite them having the third-worst average shots on goal count in the division. They don’t need many chances to score, and motivation is no issue considering teams around them at the bottom are starting to pick up points. They have struggled on the road of late, but only when losing at Bristol City in November have they really been beaten heavily away from home.

Swansea are vulnerable at the moment, and there is no doubt about that. The 4-4 draw at Hull last Friday typifies them to a degree as defensively they looked far from convincing, which is a surprise considering they’ve ten clean sheets this season, including three of their last five at home. Huddersfield deserve respect here though, and getting them a +0.75 handicap appears about right. The Swans have won four of their last 19 overall, whilst Huddersfield are always in games and never far from turning defeats into draws or draws into wins.

Asian Handicap Betting Recommendation: Huddersfield +0.75 at 1.710

Leeds v Reading

There was certainly plenty of relief around Elland Road last Saturday when Leeds United resumed winning ways against Bristol City. A 1-0 success was only their third win in their last 13 in all competitions, but it opened up a three-point gap ahead of third-placed Fulham. Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping they can put a run together as we enter a critical period in the Championship season.

Standing in their way however on Saturday will be none other than Reading, who had a successful visit to Yorkshire last weekend when beating Sheffield Wednesday 3-0. A much tougher assignment awaits them, but they have been very tough to beat of late. In fact, The Royals have lost only three times since their 3-2 loss to Birmingham City on December 7th.

Certainly the key to success for Leeds this season is putting the ball in the back of the net. So often they’ve dropped points due to a lack of consistency in front of goal, when failing to put opponents to bed when leading or when falling behind against the run of play despite dominating. Their style is clear for all to see, and Bielsa will not be budging from his methods.

Reading are starting to build an identity of their own under Mark Bowen. He was a somewhat surprising name to replace Jose Gomes, but to his credit he has done pretty well. They do remain in the FA Cup as well, and they’re starting to ease clear of relegation trouble and now have a mid-table position. Motivation shouldn’t be doubted this weekend however, as teams love to pit their wits against the Godfather that is Bielsa.

In some senses, there is not a great deal between Leeds and Reading. Leeds are a team which generally have the edge in most categories. They have seven more goals and have conceded seven goals fewer. The earlier season meeting also saw them emerge with a 1-0 success. Another close game is anticipated on Saturday, and it is likely to be a case of Leeds doing enough to come out on top.

Reading however deserve plenty of respect and they are just the sort of team that will capitalise some The Whites struggle in front of goal. Playing on the break they possess some dangerous individuals, whilst playing this formation with a three-man defence can certainly frustrate opponents. Only twice since losing to Birmingham in December have they conceded more than once in a match, so Leeds may have to be patient.

Leeds are short odds to win, which comes as no shock, but this will be tight and I’m happy to put forward an Under 2.5 Goals recommendation at very appealing odds. Leeds have only seen ten of their 33 league encounters this season beat the 2.5 line, which is the lowest of any one team at this level. Both teams have seen an average of 2.36 goals in their league encounters this season, so the maths alone suggests 2.5 won’t be easily beat.

Asian Total Goals Betting Recommendation: Under 2.50 at 2.300

Preview by:@JamesOR1.

Things are getting more and more exciting as the Championship continues. Place your bets with VOdds for the best oddds or enjoy a hassle-free betting with our Skype betting.

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FA Cup Betting: Gunners host United in pick of fourth round as Liverpool make early exit

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FA Cup Betting: Gunners host United in pick of fourth round as Liverpool make early exit Please share.

Six Premier League clubs crashed out of the FA Cup at the third round stage including title favourites Liverpool, but there are some big teams remaining and some tasty fourth round ties. . has the details… To Win the FA Cup

– Man City [3.6]- Chelsea [6.2]- Tottenham [9.2]- Man Utd [9.6]- Arsenal [14.0]- West Ham [16.0]- Everton [17.0]- Wolves [17.0]- [34.0] BAR

*Betfair Exchange odds correct as of 22:30 Monday 7 January

Arsenal will host Manchester United in the pick of the FA Cup fourth round ties after both clubs recorded comfortable third round victories.Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham are other members of the ‘big six’ to make the fourth round but Premier League leaders Liverpool made an early exit after a much-changed starting XI went down 2-1 at Wolves.Top flight sides pay the price for rotationJurgen Klopp made nine changes to the side that lost to Man City in the Premier League on Thursday night including giving full debuts to 17-year-old midfielder Curtis Jones and 18-year-old Rafael Camacho. Dutch defender Ki-Jana Hoever, just 16-years-old, also made his debut after just five minutes when he came on to replace the injured Dejan Lovren.Wolves – practically at full strength – deservedly took the lead towards the end of the first half through Raul Jimenez, and shortly after Divock Origi had equalised early in the second half Ruben Neves smashed home the winner with a superb long-range strike.Wolves’ reward for their deserved victory is a fourth round tie away to the winners of the Shrewsbury v Stoke replay. Nuno Santo’s men are available to back at [17.0] in the FA Cup winner market.Newport County and non-league outfit Barnet produced big shocks during round three, getting the better of Leicester and Sheffield United respectively. The League Two Welsh outfit will travel to Middlesbrough in round four, while Barnet will host Championship side Brentford.Bournemouth, Cardiff, Fulham and Huddersfield are the other Premier League clubs to make an early exit from this season’s competition.City remain favourites but all eyes drawn to Arsenal v UnitedManchester City – who beat Rotherham 7-0 in the previous round – head the FA Cup winner market, and Pep Guardiola’s men shortened to [3.6] on Monday night after they were drawn at home to Premier League strugglers Burnley in round four.Tottenham – available to back at [9.2] – were another side to win 7-0 in the previous round and they will face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park next, while FA Cup holders Chelsea were drawn at home to Sheffield Wednesday or Luton in round four after beating Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The Blues can be backed at [6.2] to defend their crown.But undoubtedly the tie of the round will be a first ever FA Cup encounter at the Emirates Stadium between Arsenal and Manchester United. The famous clubs have met 15 times previously in the same competition with United holding the advantage with seven victories to Arsenal’s six (two draws).The Red Devils can be backed at [9.6] to lift the trophy in May, while the Gunners are currently trading at [14.0].FA Cup Fourth Round Draw in Full:(*PL teams in bold)- Swansea v Gillingham- AFC Wimbledon v West Ham- Shrewsbury or Stoke v Wolves- Millwall v Everton- Brighton v West Brom- Bristol City v Bolton- Accrington Stanley v Derby or Southampton- Doncaster v Oldham- Chelsea v Sheff Wed or Luton- Newcastle or Blackburn v Watford- Middlesbrough v Newport County- Man City v Burnley- Barnet v Brentford- Portsmouth v QPR- Arsenal v Man Utd- Crystal Palace v Tottenham*Ties to be played weekend 25-28 January 2018

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[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

FA Cup fourth-round draw: Premier League 'Big Six' avoid each other as Arsenal face possible trip to Southampton

Some(Who will draw who in the fourth round?)

The Premier League’s ‘big six’ have all avoided each other in the fourth round of the FA Cup, with Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all drawn at home.

Liverpool do first have a difficult replay at Plymouth Argyle to negotiate next week but, should they prevail, Jurgen Klopp’s side will next face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield.

Holders Manchester United will host 2013 winners Wigan Athletic, while Chelsea have a West London derby against Brentford and Spurs will play Wycombe Wanderers at White Hart Lane.

League One Millwall's reward for beating Bournemouth is another winnable home fixture against Premier League opposition in Watford. Premier League champions Leicester City will travel to Derby County in an East Midlands derby.

The lowest ranked team still left in the competition are Sutton United and the winners of their replay with AFC Wimbledon will now play at home against Cambridge United or Leeds United.

Sutton United defend in their 0-0 draw with AFC Wimledon on Saturday Credit: Rex Features

The only other non-league team left in the draw was Lincoln City and, should they beat Ipswich Town in their replay, they will also next have a home tie against Championship leaders Brighton.

Arsenal, who were the winners in 2014 and 2015, face a tricky away fixture at either Southampton – who have already knocked them out of the League Cup - or Norwich City. Another potential all Premier League tie sees Manchester City play away against the winners of the replay between Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers.

The fourth round is the last-32 of the competition; and all ties are scheduled between Jan 27 and 30.

FA Cup 2016-17 | Fourth round draw

  7:23PM

That's that then 

Some mildly interesting ties there; Arsenal have a wretched recent record at Southampton so if the Saints prevail against Norwich that should be a good one. Guardiola v Allardyce at Selhurst Park fits neatly into the 'clash of styles' category. There's an East Midlands derby as Leicester travel to Derby and a West London derby as Brentford travel to Chelsea. Spurs, United and Liverpool will all be pleased with home draws against lower league opponents. 

7:19PM

FA Cup fourth round

Crystal Palace/Bolton v Manchester City

End of draw.

7:19PM

FA Cup fourth round

Middlesbrough v Accrington Stanley

7:18PM

FA Cup fourth round

Fulham v Hull City

7:18PM

FA Cup fourth round

Blackburn Rovers v Barnsley/Blackpool

7:18PM

FA Cup fourth round

Burnley/Sunderland v Fleetwood/Bristol City

7:17PM

FA Cup fourth round

Rochdale v Huddersfield Town

7:17PM

FA Cup fourth round

Millwall v Watford

7:17PM

FA Cup fourth round

Manchester United v Wigan Athletic 

7:16PM

FA Cup fourth round

Chelsea v Brentford

7:16PM

FA Cup fourth round

Lincoln/Ipswich v Brighton

7:16PM

FA Cup fourth round

Southampton/Norwich v Arsenal

7:15PM

FA Cup fourth round

Plymouth/Liverpool v Wolves

7:15PM

FA Cup fourth round

AFC Wimbledon/Sutton v Cambridge/Leeds

7:15PM

FA Cup fourth round

Oxford United v Newcastle/Birmingham 

7:14PM

FA Cup fourth round

Derby v Leicester 

7:14PM

FA Cup fourth round

Tottenham v Wycombe

7:14PM

Here we go

The balls are going into the pot.

7:13PM

Some buttering up being done

We've just had a re-cap of Owen and Keown's best FA Cup moments. Owen has tipped Liverpool while Keown has tipped Arsenal to lift the cup this year. Shock horror. 

7:11PM

Special guests 

Michael Owen to draw the home teams, Martin Keown the aways. So you know who to blame...

7:10PM

Over to BT Tower now 

We're minutes away from the draw, and now BT's Jake Humphrey has taken over proceedings. 

7:08PM

While we've got a minute

Enjoy this incredible footage of Donald Trump taking part in a 1992 League Cup draw. I wonder if he remembers?

  7:05PM

Tim Vine currently telling jokes

Former Arsenal and now Sutton player Craig Eastmond has a face like thunder as special guest Tim Vine regales us with a few trademark one-liners. 

7:03PM

Plenty of focus on non-league sides

Many have accused the Beeb of 'Big Club Bias' but they've just treated us to a lengthy re-cap of Lincoln City's 1-1 draw at Ipswich and Sutton's 0-0 with AFC Wimbledon. 

7:01PM

Coverage starting now 

Coverage is underway and we're greeted by the effortless and jocular presentation style of Mark Chapman. A reminder of the numbers: 

1 Ipswich Town or Lincoln City 2 Rochdale 3 Manchester United  4 Hull City  5 Sunderland or Burnley 6 Blackburn Rovers 7 Millwall 8 Manchester City 9 Brighton & Hove Albion 10 Blackpool or Barnsley 11 Wigan Athletic or Nottingham Forest 12 Birmingham City or Newcastle United 13 Chelsea  14 Middlesbrough  15 Derby County  16 Leicester City  17 Liverpool or Plymouth Argyle  18 Wycombe Wanderers 19 Watford 20 Arsenal 21 Fulham 22 Wolverhampton Wanderers 23 Cambridge United or Leeds United  24 Bristol City or Fleetwood Town 25 Huddersfield Town 26 Tottenham Hotspur 27 Brentford 28 Bolton Wanderers or Crystal Palace 29 Norwich City or Southampton 30 Sutton United or AFC Wimbledon

  6:59PM

Magic of the Cup fading?

While we wait for Michael Portillo to stop talking about railways on BBC2 , it's a good time to consider the coverage the world's oldest cup competition has received this weekend. Attendances were down at numerous games and it was impossible to avoid the sense of ennui that seemed to fall over the footballing public. 

Perhaps if everyone stopped fretting about the cup's 'decline' and started taking it on it own merits people might regain some enthusiasm. The constant references to 'magic' and 'romance' don't seem to be convincing many at the moment. 

6:47PM

FA Cup fourth round draw

Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the always exciting business of an FA Cup draw. Things should get underway in about 25 minutes time, and we're all hoping for some more attractive draws after a fairly drab third-round weekend. 

6:44PM

Preview 

When and where is the draw?

It's tomorrow (Monday, January 9) at BT Tower in London. Former England internationals Michael Owen and Martin Keown will make the draw.

What time does it start?

The draw takes place at 7.10pm before Monday night's final FA Cup third-round clash between Cambridge and Leeds United at 7.45pm.

What TV channel is it on?

The draw will be broadcast on BBC 2 and BT Sport 2. Or you can follow every ball being pulled out right here with us when this very page turns into our FA Cup fourth-round draw live blog.

What are the ball numbers?

1 Ipswich Town or Lincoln City 2 Rochdale 3 Manchester United  4 Hull City  5 Sunderland or Burnley 6 Blackburn Rovers 7 Millwall 8 Manchester City 9 Brighton & Hove Albion 10 Blackpool or Barnsley 11 Wigan Athletic or Nottingham Forest 12 Birmingham City or Newcastle United 13 Chelsea  14 Middlesbrough  15 Derby County  16 Leicester City  17 Liverpool or Plymouth Argyle  18 Wycombe Wanderers 19 Watford 20 Arsenal 21 Fulham 22 Wolverhampton Wanderers 23 Cambridge United or Leeds United  24 Bristol City or Fleetwood Town 25 Huddersfield Town 26 Tottenham Hotspur 27 Brentford 28 Bolton Wanderers or Crystal Palace 29 Norwich City or Southampton 30 Sutton United or AFC Wimbledon

  When will the fourth round take place?

The weekend of January 28/29.

Third round highlights

Sunday saw League Two Plymouth Argyle put up a resilient performance to thwart Liverpool at Anfield, ensuring a replay with a 0-0 draw against the youngest Reds side in history.

Plymouth's players go over to their fans after securing the 0-0 draw against Liverpool Credit: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

Upsets on Saturday were largely focused on the Midlands, as Championship sides Wolves and Derby claimed away wins at the Premier League's Stoke and West Brom respectively.

Non-league Stourbridge were left heartbroken away at Wycombe Wanderers as a late Adebayo Akinfenwa goal ensured a 2-1 defeat.

Matt Doherty and the Wolves fans celebrate netting their second goal in a 2-0 win at Stoke Credit: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters 

Meanwhile at Old Trafford, there was a bit of a hoo-ha after Reading's George Evans appeared to snub Man Utd captain Wayne Rooney's offer of a shirt-swap after the final whistle.

It later turned out that the Royals player had asked to exchange kit in the tunnel instead - panic over.

Reading's George Evans and Man Utd's Wayne Rooney clash in the FA Cup Third Round tie at Old Trafford Credit: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters 

[thisdaynews]

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Middlesbrough, FA Cup third-round replay: Spurs gain hard-fought win

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Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Middlesbrough, FA Cup third-round replay: Spurs gain hard-fought win

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FA Cup: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Middlesbrough highlights

Tottenham gained a hard-fought victory over Championship side Middlesbrough in their FA Cup third-round replay.

Spurs were gifted a second-minute lead when Boro goalkeeper Tomas Mejias passed the ball to Giovani lo Celso, who cut inside a challenge and scored.

Lamela doubled the hosts’ advantage after 15 minutes when he flicked the ball past Mejias after a fine run.

George Saville pulled one back late on for Boro with a low strike from 20 yards out, but it was not enough.

Middlesbrough substitute Rudy Gestede had a chance to force extra-time but he could only head over the bar from eight yards as Spurs held on for the win.

Tottenham, who have won the FA Cup eight times, will play at Southampton in the fourth round later this month.

Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast: Spurs go through but should they sell Kane?

Tottenham v Middlesbrough as it happened and the rest of Tuesday’s FA Cup action

Quiz: Familiar faces in the Boro dugout but who played when Spurs won 2008 League Cup?

Spurs gain much-needed victory

The FA Cup represents Tottenham’s best chance of a trophy this season; they are eighth in the Premier League, out of the EFL Cup – after a shock third-round exit on penalties at League Two Colchester – and have a tricky tie against Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig in the Champions League last 16.

If they were to win the FA Cup, it would be their first trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008.

Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate scored the winner for Spurs in that Wembley final against Chelsea 12 years ago, as part of a team that also included his assistant boss Robbie Keane.

Woodgate and Keane’s current side, cheered on by 3,700 fans who had travelled down from the north east in the first FA Cup tie at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, made an awful start after a horrible error from Mejias.

The Spanish goalkeeper, who played under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid in 2011, tried to play a ball to Marvin Johnson, but Lo Celso intercepted the pass inside the penalty area, cut inside a challenge and curled a low effort into the net.

Giovani lo Celso’s goal was his second for Tottenham since joining the club on loan from Real Betis in August

Boro had a chance to equalise in the 13th minute but Lukas Nmecha, on loan from Manchester City, had his effort well saved by Paulo Gazzaniga and that proved costly as Lamela’s goal three minutes later doubled the hosts lead.

Woodgate would be again unhappy with his side’s defending as Jonny Howson was dispossessed 35 yards from goal, before Lamela was able to go on a jinking run and flick the ball with the outside of his foot past Mejias from 12 yards.

Spurs then wasted numerous chances to kill the match off as Lamela shot over on the turn, Ryan Sessegnon had an effort pushed wide, Japhet Tanganga shot just off target and Lucas Moura wasted a chance from a counter-attack.

Boro, 16th in the Championship had opportunities to get themselves back into the tie, but Paddy McNair shot well over when unmarked eight yards out and Lewis Wing’s direct free-kick was pushed around the post by Gazzaniga.

Saville’s 83rd-minute goal for the visitors gave them hope, but they could not find an equaliser.

A Tottenham farewell for Eriksen?

With Harry Kane out until at least April after surgery on a hamstring injury, Spurs are light on attacking options and boss Mourinho took the chance to ease the workload on his other senior forwards, with Son Heung-min playing only the last 30 minutes, and Dele Alli making a brief appearance as a substitute, coming on after Saville’s goal.

That meant another appearance in the starting 11 for Christian Eriksen, despite the midfielder, out of contract at the end of season, being linked with a January move to Inter Milan.

Eriksen, who has been with Spurs since 2013, had a chance to score after flicking the ball over the head of an opponent and being fouled – driving the resulting free-kick low and seeing it saved by Mejias.

He should have also been put through on goal, but team-mate Moura instead opted to shoot instead as Spurs counter-attacked and could only drag an effort wide.

Eriksen nearly scored late in the second half when his low delivery in the penalty area was missed by everyone and Mejias had to get down well to push the ball away one-handed.

This was Tottenham’s 31st match of the season and their 14th in a 53-day period since Mourinho’s first game in charge on 23 November.

He will be pleased with the win and that extra-time was not needed but will be frustrated with the late goal conceded, meaning they have only kept one clean sheet in his 14 games in charge.

Man of the match – Japhet Tanganga (Tottenham)

No player on either side had more touches of the ball than Japhet Tanganga. The right-back, making only his second Tottenham start, had 96 touches and one shot, had a pass completion rate of 82%, played one key pass, and made two tackles, one clearance and three interceptions

Mourinho’s Tottenham concede again – the stats

Giovani lo Celso and Erik Lamela are the first pair of Argentine players to score in the same FA Cup match since Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero did so for Manchester City against Huddersfield in March 2017.

Tottenham are unbeaten in each of their past 41 FA Cup home matches against teams from a lower division (won 34, drew seven) since a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in January 1975.

Middlesbrough have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their past 13 meetings with Tottenham in all competitions since a 1-0 win at the Riverside Stadium in May 2005.

For just the second time during his 923-game managerial career, Jose Mourinho has seen one of his clubs concede at least once in nine consecutive matches in all competitions, also suffering the same fate with Chelsea between May and September 2015.

Timed at one minute 55 seconds, Lo Celso’s strike was Spurs’ earliest goal at the new stadium – and their earliest home goal since Eriksen scored against Manchester United at Wembley in the Premier League in January 2018.

‘We knew it was going to be difficult’ – what they said

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho, speaking to BBC Sport, said:“Three-nil was so close so many times. I told my players at half time if we don’t score [to make it] 3-0, then if went 2-1 we would be in trouble and it happened.

“We knew the opponents were hard. They brought on Gestede and went direct and made problems and when it was 2-1 we knew it was going to be difficult.

“We tried our best. The boys are trying their best. They dealt well with many set-piece situations. We did lots of things well. We conceded the goal, a bit frustrating, but more frustrating was that we did not score three, four or five.”

Asked if the FA Cup was the priority for Spurs now, Mourinho replied:“In this moment, it is not the priority. The priority is to play a difficult match against Watford in the Premier League. When Southampton comes, it will be the priority.”

Middlesbrough manager Jonathan Woodgate, speaking to BBC Sport, said:“I don’t like losing games and when you gift Tottenham goals like that so early, you’re fearing the worst. But my players showed character and we ran them close.

“If there’s a way to lose then it’s like that – putting a real show on and a real fight. The players gave everything for the shirt.”

On the early error from keeper Tomas Mejias, Woodgate added:“We all make mistakes and I won’t hammer anyone for that – we want them to play out from the back.”

What’s next?

Tottenham, who have only taken one point from their past three Premier League matches, return to league action on Saturday when they play at Watford (12:30 GMT), before a home game against Norwich on Wednesday, 22 January (19:30). The fourth-round FA Cup tie at Southampton will be played on Saturday, 25 January (15:00).

Middlesbrough play again in three days time with an away match in the Championship at Fulham on Friday (19:45 GMT), before entertaining Birmingham on 21 January (19:45).

Read More

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EFL Championship Match Previews – 26th December Thursday

Hull v Nottingham Forest

The Boxing Day schedule remains a long-standing tradition in English football and this encounter between Hull City and Nottingham Forest puts together two traditional football clubs looking for some EFL cheer. Hull had an early Christmas present last Saturday when comprehensively defeating Birmingham City 3-0 at home, whilst Nottingham Forest’s recent woes continued to the point where they’re now winless in five.

Grant McCann continues to do a more than decent job with the Tigers following his appointment from Doncaster Rovers last summer. Hull are a team full of offensive talent, headlined by Jarrod Bowen, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the club in the January transfer window. If that’s the case, this could be one of his last games for the club.

The time to usually catch Hull at a good time is when they appear at the KCOM Stadium. They have nine Championship victories to their name this season, six of which came in front of their own supporters. They’ve won three straight at home, and four of the last five, with only high-flying West Bromwich Albion defeating them in that period.

Nottingham Forest are on their worst run of form of the season, of that there can be no doubt. The unusual thing is that it has very much come out of the blue, as Sabri Lamouchi’s team were unbeaten in four (winning three) prior to their current slump. Perhaps a bigger worry is that across their last five they haven’t necessarily faced any of the expected fancied teams in the division. However, this typifies the Championship just nicely.

Forest’s recent run does highlight the Championship and how volatile and unexpected it can become. The fact they are five without a win means they should really refocus even more in order to at least halt this losing run extending beyond two. They last time they lost two in succession, they won their next two.

Hull aren’t always the most consistent of teams. The fact they won so convincingly last time could potentially lead to them taking their eye off the ball on this occasion. Form won’t count for much during this now hectic period, especially when teams are likely to be heavily rotated. I’m backing Forest to avoid defeat here on a +0.5 handicap and we can get defeat odds on that considering their recent results. Hull don’t normally produce back-to-back results and performances, whilst Forest only have two away losses this season.

Asian Handicap Betting Recommendation: Nottingham Forest +0.50 at 1.840

Leeds v Preston

Leeds United and Preston North End are the Championship evening action on Boxing Day and this is expected to be an intriguing battle between two teams currently within the promotion picture. Whilst only a few spots separates them, Leeds have a nine-point advantage over Preston, which is why Leeds are very short odds to claim three points.

Naturally whenever Leeds loses or drops point there is something of a public inquest. Leeds are such a high-profile team at this level, and having Marcelo Bielsa as their boss certainly adds to that. They wasted a 3-0 lead to draw at home to Cardiff, and backed that up with a narrow away loss at Fulham. Losing at Craven Cottage is no disgrace however, especially as it was a game Leeds generally had the better of.

The Whites can usually be backed to respond following a setback. All of their previous league defeats this season has been instantly responded with a victory. They’ll perhaps be glad to be back in front of their passionate Elland Road support on this occasion as they haven’t lost here since August, going unbeaten in seven, winning six.

A sudden four-game losing streak for Preston did raise some alarm bells in certain quarters but manager Alex Neil was never over-the-top in his concerns. They’ve had some horrendous injury worries of late, and that is slowly starting to improve. Suspensions haven’t helped either, but they do actually have quite a big squad at Deepdale, which is a big plus.

They’ve turned things around now by going unbeaten in three, including two wins. Last weekend, they drew away at Cardiff, but any viewer of that match will tell you that Preston were much the better side and Cardiff’s first and only shot on target came within the last few moments. Before kick-off, a draw wouldn’t have been a bad score for Preston given they’ve slipped up in some away games, but more performances like that will see them add to their two away league wins.

As mentioned, Leeds are very short odds to win in this game. As such, all the value is really on the side of Preston on this occasion, and we have to take that into account. So much so, we can still get odds-against quotes of Preston +1.25, and I personally am very shocked to see that the case. We have to get on this price. Crazy things happen at this time of year, and Preston have been heavily under-valued by the bookmakers. They’re ultimately in better recent form than Leeds, and Preston will relish being the underdogs.

Asian Handicap Betting Recommendation: Preston +1.25 at 2.030

Reading v QPR

In terms of location, this is really a local derby between Reading and Queens Park Rangers, although the fans of the two clubs don’t necessarily how any rivalry of note, nor do the two clubs. Still, it means QPR fans won’t have far to travel for this Boxing Day encounter with Reading. Reading secured their joint-biggest win of the campaign last time out against Derby, whilst QPR threw away a lead to draw at home to an actual rival in Charlton Athletic.

Firstly, we’ll focus on Reading, who have largely been a much improved outfit since decided to part ways with Jose Gomes. His somewhat surprising replacement was Mark Bowen, who is normally an assistant manager by trade, but he has settled into the role well. An early Derby red card certainly helped their cause, but they did the job in a very strong manner when winning 3-0. That’ll give them a big confidence boost facing a QPR side who’ll offer a sterner test.

The Derby result was also positive as it ended a two-game losing run at the Madejski Stadium, although one of those losses came to Leeds. On the flip side, this latest home win backed up two solid away draws at Barnsley and Stoke, two sides who are also battling relegation like Reading, so all-in-all Reading are in a decent place mentally right now.

The same can’t necessarily be said of QPR, mainly due to some of their defensive issues which they’ve been demonstrating recently. This did somewhat come out of nowhere as QPR did win two in succession with clean sheets against Preston and Birmingham respectively, but their last two games ended in a 5-3 loss at then-bottom Barnsley and the 2-2 draw with Charlton. Boss Mark Warburton asked for a defensive improvement following the Barnsley match, but they conceded in the 95th-minute to throw asking a winning position.

QPR just cannot be trusted defensively right now, even though they are certainly capable of it. The reality is that they’ve conceded 44 league goals this season, which is an average of 1.91 per game. They’ve shipped seven in their last two, and they are an attack-minded team, so they’re not going to suddenly change to a more defensive structure to try and combat this. Attack is their best form of defence.

Reading will play to win, and so will QPR. I anticipate an end-to-end encounter on this occasion. Reading are averaging 1.83 goals per home game since Bowen took charge, so they enjoy it here. Their home league games over the season anyway are averaging exactly 3.00, whilst QPR league fixtures overall averaging 3.52. I really like the look of Over 2.5 Goals here, and the price isn’t as low as expected, too.

Asian Total Goals Betting Recommendation: Over 2.50 at 1.810

Preview by: @JamesOR1.

Entering the thick Christmas period in the EFL, who will be getting their campaign on a great note? Go put your Hull v Nottingham Forest, Leeds v Preston, and Reading v QPR punts to test, visit VOdds trading platform!

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EFL Championship Match Previews – 10th November Sunday

Nottingham Forest v Derby

There is no love lost between these two arch rivals and both take to the City Ground pitch for the second time this season. There is already a Carabao Cup tie from a few months ago which ensured bragging rights for Forest, and Rams boss Phillip Cocu was heavily criticised for his team selection on that occasion, as they fell to a heavy away loss. It therefore places additional pressure upon him and his team, even more so considering their rather inconsistent run of form at present.

Derby’s last ten contests reads four wins, three draws and three defeats, which is practically a definition of inconsistency at this moment in time. They’re yet to win back-to-back games under the management of Dutchman Cocu and there currently on a seven-match away run without a win in all competitions.

Nottingham Forest will hope that the weekend win over Luton wasn’t a flash in the pan as they did lose their two league games prior to that. They therefore are aiming for some consistency of their own, much to the level of what they were showing in August and September. Losing their last home game to Hull was a shock at the time, but they’ve since gone away to Fulham and won convincingly. Sabri Lamouchi has made this Forest side hard to beat and they’ve shipped only five home Championship goals this season.

Focusing on this weekend’s game, I’m never one to jump onto the 1×2 markets in derby games. For all that there is a pretty big gap between both clubs in the table, there is only four points. Forest are rightly the favourites but Derby are a wounded animal from earlier in the season. Historically this is a game which has generally been a tight affair. 13 of the last 20 head-to-head contests has ended Under 2.5 goals, and that has to be our play on this occasion.

Furthermore, Forest’s home league games are averaging around 2.20 goals, and Derby only have seven away goals this season, and will have that earlier season defeat in the back of their minds. Four of Derby’s last five league games has ended under 2.5 goals anyway, and it’d be a surprise if this contained many goals.

Asian Total Goals Betting Recommendation: Under 2.50 at 1.850

Hull v West Brom

West Brom may sit top of the table following a fairly routine 2-0 away win over lowly Stoke City last Monday night but they travel to Hull likely to face more of a stern test. Why’s that? Well, the Tigers have won three out of three, and bear in mind that includes trips to Nottingham Forest and Fulham. An intriguing battle awaits these two in-form clubs on Humberside this Saturday.

As mentioned, Hull are in great form and as such expectations levels could slowly begin to rise in and around the football club, especially from the fans. That is only naturally when beating Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage, and if they can enjoy a more regular production of clean sheets then they’ve every reason to be excited.

They only have the four clean sheets so far, but they won each of these games, proving how key they really are. Trying to achieve a fifth versus top of the table West Brom is a challenge in itself, but Grant McCann will set up his side to win, and they’re certainly confident.

West Brom have only lost one league match this season, which came away to Leeds. Slaven Bilic is making them look every inch like a Premier League team as the weeks go by. The exciting thing for them is that they really should further improve considering they didn’t necessarily have the best of pre-seasons considering Bilic’s appointment took longer than expected.

The Baggies have just the three clean sheets this season, one less than Hull. However, they all came in recent away games when winning at QPR, Middlesbrough and of course Stoke earlier this week. This indicates a possible adaption to how they play on the road compared to at the Hawthorns as they’ve conceded exactly two goals in each of their last five home fixtures.

The immediate factor to jump off the page looking ahead to Hull against WBA is goals. 10/15 of Hull’s Championship encounters this season has contained a minimum of three goals, with their home matches alone averaging 3.00 goals. WBA has witnessed an average of 3.00 goals per match themselves, and whilst 6/8 away has finished under 2.5 goals, normally the presence of an open game suggests we should back goals. Therefore, Over 2.5 Goals is the selection. The two away games for West Brom which ended over was Nottingham Forest and Luton, two sides that play quite openly, just like Hull.

Asian Total Goals Betting Recommendation:  Over 2.50 at 1.670

Cardiff v Bristol City

Nottingham Forest versus Derby County isn’t the only derby encounter taking place on this weekend’s Championship card and Cardiff against Bristol City is a game which also catches the eye in terms of bragging rights being on offer. One similarity between this game and the Forest v Derby clash is that this does pit a team on 25 points against another on 21. Again, there is a gap in the table, but there is generally little between the sides when put onto the same pitch.

This will be a bit of a contrast in styles given how both coaches like to set up their teams. Cardiff are very much a direct team, but not necessarily long ball, whilst Bristol City are more controlled in how they play, but they too like to get the ball forward quickly. With that in mind, this is likely to be quite an open game. The thing is, this isn’t Cardiff’s big derby game, and neither is it Bristol City’s. Whilst this is a derby, it isn’t ‘the big one’ for either, and therefore there shouldn’t be that much fear of losing.

However, Cardiff did lose to their big rivals Swansea only a few weeks ago and they are under a bit of pressure to react following a poor performance on that occasion. Neil Warnock was criticised for fielding a 4-4-2 as they were overran in midfield, and I don’t think he’ll make that mistake here, although being at home indicates that they will be positive and look to win.

Bristol City shall do exactly the same, whilst they’re winless in their last four away, three were draws and on another day those would have been three victories. Goals are normally the name of the game when they’re on the road as six of their eight featured a minimum of three goals, averaging around the 3.40 goal mark.

Three of the last four H2H meetings saw at least three goals scored, and Cardiff have won four of the last five, so they have history in this respective battle. They’ve not started the season as they’d have liked and Warnock will know a big performance and big result could kick them on before the international break.

Again, I won’t touch the 1×2 line, but Over 2.5 Goals looks a worthy play knowing both teams aren’t ever too far away from goals. Cardiff’s league games are averaging 3.00, too, and they’re always very positive at home. Bristol City look a threat in attack but remain vulnerable defensively away.

Asian Total Goals Betting Recommendation:  Over 2.50 at 1.750

Preview by: @JamesOR1

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