Tamworth vs. Tottenham: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

This game should result in a fairly comfortable win for Tottenham, with the quality gap between the two sides needing little justification. Tamworth shipped five goals at home to Sunderland's U21s last month with a number of first-team players starting, so Tottenham should have little trouble finding the back of the net a number of times, especially with the likes of James Maddison likely to start.

Tamworth will be fired up for this one, but the disparity between them and Tottenham will likely be too large for them to avoid a heavy defeat. Tamworth 0-4 Tottenham.

From a romantic perspective, arguably the tie of the FA Cup third round comes from Staffordshire, as National League side Tamworth take on Tottenham Hotspur.

• Date: 12/01/2025
• Kick-off time: 12:30
• Location: The Lamb Ground, Tamworth

Tamworth currently sit 16th in the National League with 30 points from 24 games. The club from the Midlands are having a solid campaign in England’s fifth tier after sealing promotion as champions from the National League North last season. Despite not setting the world alight, Tamworth are doing a good job in their first season back in the National League since 2014, with survival their primary goal for this season.

The team's top goalscorer is forward Daniel Creaney, the 30-year-old who has eight goals in the league so far this season, while midfielder Nathan Tshikuna is also a key contributor, having recorded nine goal contributions this season in the shape of five goals and four assists.

The Lambs are amidst a dream FA Cup run, where after beating Macclesfield 4-2, they’ve eliminated two League One sides. Firstly, Tamworth claimed a huge 1-0 win over League One promotion contenders Huddersfield Town before overcoming Burton Albion in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.

This is Tamworth’s fourth appearance in the FA Cup third round, with the Lambs exiting the competition at this stage in 2006, 2007 and 2012, and a win here - as unlikely as that may be - would without a doubt be the greatest win in the club’s history.

Tottenham come into this game in 12th place in the Premier League with 24 points from 20 games. Unlike Tamworth, this season has seen Spurs fall well short of expectations as they find themselves significantly closer to the relegation zone than the top four race. Given the quality in the squad and the reputation of the manager, Spurs’ current position is unacceptable, and as expected, serious questions are being asked.

Manager Ange Postecoglou is under serious pressure and his methods are being increasingly scrutinised in the media, and if he doesn’t deliver soon, he will likely be shown the door. Whether or not the root of the issue stems from Postecoglou himself is another question, but it’s safe to assume that the Australian will be the one to take it in the neck, culpable or not. A win over Liverpool in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final has bought him some time and some goodwill, but that will need to be built upon.

By his own admission, Postecoglou always wins a trophy in his second season, and with limited opportunities to do that, it feels like this game should be a high priority. Spurs haven’t lost to a non-league opponent in this competition since losing to Norwich City in 1914-15, and that should remain the case here. If it doesn’t, though, expect all hell to break loose.

This game will be televised live to all UK viewers on ITV1, and will be broadcast live online on the ITVX website.

Tamworth Team News:

The home side are expected to be without Ben Acquaye for this one, who is currently carrying an injury.

However, Jordan Cullinane-Liburd, Nathan Tshikuna and Kyle Finn all featured in the FA Trophy against Sutton United in midweek after spells on the sidelines, so all three could feature here.

Predicted lineup: Singh; Crompton, Cullinane-Liburd, Hollis, Cockerill-Mollett; McGlinchey, Tonks, Morrison, Milnes, Enoru; Tshikuna; Creaney.

Tottenham Team News:

Owing to an injury crisis, Spurs won't be able to make the kind of changes they'd like to here, with Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Ben Davies, Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert, Fraser Forster and Rodrigo Bentancur all on the sidelines.

Mikey Moore returned to the Spurs bench against Liverpool on Wednesday night and will be hoping to be involved here, while Alfie Dorrington and Will Lankshear will both be hoping for starts.

Predicted lineup: Kinský; Porro, Drăgușin, Dorrington, Reguilón; Maddison, Sarr, Bergvall; Johnson, Lankshear, Werner.

Tamworth:

Tamworth are coming into this game out of form, with one win, one draw and three defeats from their last five games. Their latest outing saw them fall to a 1-0 loss at the hands of Sutton United in the FA Trophy, which followed a 2-0 defeat away at Solihull Moors.

Before that, Tamworth drew 1-1 with Forest Green Rovers, where Daniel Creaney salvaged a point with a stoppage-time equaliser, which came after a 2-1 win away at Sutton thanks to a Tom McGlinchey brace, which also came after a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Rochdale.

Tottenham:

Likewise, Spurs are coming into this game with only one win from their last five games. That win was a big one, though, and it came in their most recent game, where a late Lucas Bergvall goal gave them a huge 1-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final tie.

Prior to that, Spurs lost 1-2 to Newcastle United after opening the scoring through Dominic Solanke, which was preceded by a 2-2 draw with Wolves, with the goals coming from Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson.

Those results were preceded by a 1-0 loss away at Nottingham Forest and a 3-6 defeat to Liverpool.

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