Villa's Emery Masterclass Looms Over Struggling Spurs in FA Cup Showdown

The contrast in fortunes could hardly be more stark as these two meet in the FA Cup. Unai Emery has Villa purring at Villa Park, while Thomas Frank finds himself very much in the spotlight at Tottenham—and not in a good way.

After a sluggish start to their campaign, Villa have climbed to third in the table, accumulating 28 points from the last 33 available to sit eight clear of Liverpool in fourth. It's the kind of form that catches the eye. Meanwhile, Spurs have been anything but impressive, slipping to 14th following a run that has left Frank looking decidedly older than he did a few weeks back.

That midweek capitulation to Bournemouth—a 3-2 loss in injury-time—tells you everything about the current malaise in North London. It marked an eighth defeat in their last 16 matches across all competitions, and another slip-up here could prove terminal for Frank's tenure.

To make matters worse for the hosts, they've already tasted defeat to Villa this season, going down 2-1 at home back in October when they could have climbed into second with a win. Villa were clinical on the day, storming back with two second-half strikes to snatch victory from what looked like a winning position for Spurs.

Team News and Selection Headaches

Tottenham's injury woes continue to mount. Mohammed Kudus has been ruled out until March with a thigh problem, compounding their creative shortage with Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison already sidelined. Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur both left the field against Bournemouth and remain doubts for this one. Frank may hand reserve goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky a start, though the pressure cooker environment might tempt him towards a stronger XI regardless.

Villa's midfield options have been pruned by circumstance. Evann Guessand is away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast, while Amadou Onana nurses a hamstring complaint and Ross Barkley is dealing with a knee issue. Still, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans provide plenty of steel in the middle. Up front, Donyell Malen should lead the line with Emi Buendia potentially returning to support him. Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers could feature from the bench if needed. Pau Torres may slot back into defence, though fellow centre-back Tyrone Mings may not quite be ready.

The Numbers Tell a Story

Spurs have eliminated Villa in consecutive seasons just once—back in 2007-08 and 2008-09 when Manchester United did it to them. That gives you a sense of how rare it is to knock the same side out twice running. Yet Villa have already done it once, seeing off Tottenham in the fourth round last season with a 2-1 scoreline at Villa Park.

In the Premier League this term, Villa have already visited Tottenham and won 2-1. As a top-flight outfit, it's worth noting that the last time they beat anyone twice away from home in a single campaign was Norwich City back in 2012-13.

Tottenham have been remarkably consistent in the FA Cup third round, progressing in 18 of their last 19 attempts. They haven't been knocked out at this stage in 11 consecutive seasons since falling 2-0 at Arsenal in 2013-14. Villa, by contrast, have won their last two third-round ties after being eliminated at this stage in each of the seven campaigns before this.

Morgan Rogers has been a particular thorn in Spurs' side, contributing five goals in four appearances against them across all competitions—three goals and two assists. He was among the scorers in that 2-1 FA Cup win last season.

The Prediction

With Tottenham's support potentially turning sour if results continue to disappoint, and Villa brimming with confidence, the stage is set for another London trip to end in tears for Frank's men. Villa's odds of 8/5 to progress look tempting given how this season has panned out.

Emi Buendia, who has netted five times this campaign, struck a particularly stunning effort at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in October. At 4/1, he represents an intriguing bet to twist the knife once more.

How to Watch

Kick-off comes at 17:45 GMT on Saturday, January 10 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. BBC One and TNT Sports 1 will broadcast the action, with coverage beginning at 5pm. BBC Radio 5 Live offers full commentary for those following along on air.