Consent Preferences Spurs Odyssey Capital One Cup Rd 3 Preview - Spurs v Arsenal, 23.09.15
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Spurs Odyssey Capital One Cup Round Three Preview - Spurs v Arsenal, 23.09.15

· Last season's Corresponding Game - Spurs 3 Nottingham Forest 1
· See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams
· All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats


Full History of Cup results
- Spurs v Arsenal :-

FA Cup

Season   Rd   H/A   Result   Scorers

48-49    3     A    0-3
81-82    3     H    1-0      Crooks
90-91   S/F    W    3-1      Lineker 2
                             Gascoigne
92-93   S/F    W    0-1
00-01   S/F   OT*   1-2      Doherty
13-14    3     A    0-2  
(*OT = Old Trafford)

Lge Cup

68-69   SF/1   A    0-1
68-69   SF/2   H    1-1      Greaves
80-81    4     H    1-0      Ardiles
83-84    3     H    1-2      Hoddle (p)
86-87   SF/1   A    1-0      C Allen
86-87   SF/2   H    1-2(aet) C Allen
86-87   SF/R   H    1-2      C Allen
06-07   SF/1   H    2-2      Berbatov, o.g
06-07   SF/2   A    1-3(aet) Mido
07-08   SF/1   A    1-1      Jenas
07-08   SF/2   H    5-1      Jenas, Bendtner (o.g), Keane, Lennon, Malbranque
10-11    3     H    1-4      Keane

Lips being licked!

When the draw was made for the Third Round of this year's Capital One Cup, Sky TV and independent observers licked their lips feverishly with anticipation. I'm not sure that either team is so happy about meeting their nemesis so early in the competition, but here we are. Plenty of Spurs fans are relishing the prospect of the hottest match of the season, barring our two Premier League meetings. The fact that Stub Hub has been available for this tie suggests that the game will be a sell-out.

Both teams have big matches on Saturday, and as Mauricio Pochettino puts it, the managers will want to "manage the minutes" of their players. Arsene Wenger has two less options available to him following the sending off of defender Gabriel and current captain Cazorla at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. (Gabriel's card was in fact rescinded) In addition, Wenger has Coquelin at least doubtful, and Wilshere, Rosicky and Welbeck definitely absent through injury.

Mauricio Pochettino has said that neither Ryan Mason or Mousa Dembele will be available for this game, and Nabil Bentaleb is out for a further two weeks yet. Those absences do somewhat hamper Spurs' chances to rest players. Christian Eriksen will probably start, having returned and played just half an hour on Sunday. Danny Rose took no part on Sunday, and presumably will also start this game.

Precise team prediction really is just a guessing game, which I prefer not to play. Despite the enforced absentees, both managers have options. I think we might see a back four of Lloris; Trippier, Wimmer, Vertonghen, Rose, which gives Walker, Alderweireld and Davies a break. With both Mason and Dembele out, I suspect Eric Dier is going to be required, and Dele Alli might start beside him again.

Despite the long history of both clubs, one of which has always belonged to North London, it took until January, 1949 for us to meet in Cup competition. That was in the FA Cup, when we sadly lost 3-0. Spurs were a season away from regaining their Division One status, but they did include the famous names of Ditchburn, Nicholson, and Burgess in their team. Better times were to come.

It was another twenty years before we met in Cup competition and this time it was in the League Cup. By 1968-69, the competition was fully established whereas in its early years many clubs did not participate. The matches were played in November and December, 1968. The first leg was at Highbury, where we lost 1-0 to a Radford goal. I well remember being at White Hart Lane on the night of the second leg, when Jimmy Greaves gave us hope but that man Radford broke our hearts with another goal which proved to be the winner.

It is surprising to know that we have only met Arsenal in 13 ties, but 18 matches down the years. Half of those matches have taken place over the last 24 years, and most will be easily remembered by many fans.

We especially remember the magic of winning the '91 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley sparked by the wonder of Paul Gascoigne. Sadly, that is the last time we beat Arsenal in an FA Cup match including two subsequent semi-finals and last year's Third Round exit which we remember for Walcott's departing signal.

In the League Cup, January 2008 springs straight to mind for an exhilarating 5-1 win which included a Lennon goal and the joy of a Bendtner own goal. Arsenal's only goal came from a certain Mr Adebayor, having replaced the young Walcott. Both sets of fans now prefer to forget the man from Togo.

That 2008 win remains our last Cup victory over Arsenal. The last time we met in this competition, it was Harry Redknapp who fielded the weaker team, and it was Spurs fans who paid the price of defeat, although it took until extra-time for the win to be emphatically secured. Steven Caulker made his Spurs debut that night, as did goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa, who made his one and only Spurs appearance. Sandro was also a debutant, and Sebastien Bassong was the Captain for the night. It was a bad season for us in domestic cup football, as we also got thrashed by Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round. We did have Champions League football that season though.

It is almost five years to the day since that last League Cup meeting, and it is surely time for Spurs to exact some revenge against an Arsenal team with at least a few selection issues, if not problems.

It should be an exciting Derby match, and I'll go for a Spurs win by the odd goal.

Simply follow any of the links above if you want to read match reports for our recent cup clashes with Arsenal.

Referee Andre Marriner was the fourth official for the 4-1 home defeat five years ago. On the plus side, he took charge of our Capital One Cup victories over Nottingham Forest and Newcastle last season

· - 10 years ago this week, we suffered an embarrassing exit from Round Two of the League Cup.

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