Tottenham Hotspur to face Brighton in fourth round of FA Cup
By Gary Pearson
Tottenham Hotspur, after getting by Morecambe FC 3-1, will host Brighton in the fourth round of the FA Cup, to be played between Feb. 4 and Feb. 7.
Spurs defeated Morecambe FC this afternoon thanks to the introduction of senior players Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Oliver Skipp. The former two scored the decisive goals to ensure Spurs advanced to the fourth round, where they will face Brighton.
The all-Premiership contest will test Spurs’ resolve. Antonio Conte will have to think long and hard about his team selection for that match. While there is a real need to rotate his squad, to keep senior players fresh for the more important Premier League matches, Conte will be hesitant to show faith in his reserve players, especially after their bitterly disappointing first half against Morecambe.
The safer option will be to provide some fringe players the opportunity to play while balancing the side with a few senior players. The match against Brighton comes right on the back of the transfer window deadline, so Conte will hope he has a few more accomplished players to rely on. If not, Spurs will find it increasingly hard to make a deep run in the FA Cup.
Conte cannot afford to continually play his senior players if Spurs are to secure a top four place in the Premier League. The Italian gaffer will need his top players to be rested and fresh for the business end of the season, and might have to make the difficult decision to sacrifice a place in the FA Cup.
Let’s hope that consideration doesn’t pop up on Conte’s radar, as Spurs look to bring in reliable reinforcements in the coming weeks. Spurs, who struggle considerably more away from home, will be delighted to be welcome Brighton to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.