English FA Cup

Spurs enter Hornets' nest

Having failed their Premier League title test against Manchester City in the last minute at the weekend, Tottenham travel to Watford on Friday night - live on ESPN UK (1945 GMT) - hoping to continue their FA Cup campaign for glory.

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Manager Harry Redknapp, distracted by his ongoing court case, may choose to rest a number of his top stars in the quest for a top four spot in the league. Somewhat surprisingly, Spurs are the best placed team outside of Manchester and have received gushing praise over their attractive style, but a run in the FA Cup would also be welcome as it is a tournament they have not won since 1991.

Spurs' first task is to overcome the pain of last week's defeat as Mario Balotelli's late penalty denied them a deserved draw at Etihad stadium. If they can focus on the second-half performance, rather than the first, then they will be heavy favourites as they have lost just one game in ten. In contrast, Watford are on a run that has seen them win only two in eight games and they have lost three of the last four - conceding nine goals in the process.

Worryingly for the Hornets, Tottenham have only lost one of the last 27 FA Cup ties where they have been drawn against lower league opponents (Leicester City in 2006). Six of those ties have been won after a replay and Jermain Defoe, who is likely to be afforded a rare start, has bagged eight goals in ten games in the competition in the last three seasons.

Spurs' attacking ambitions are well known and Watford boss Sean Dyche will have his hands full trying to quell their forays. The club will be without Martin Taylor and Stephen McGinn but Jonathan Hogg is set to be fit. Dyche may well use the 4-1-4-1 used at Birmingham to get Hogg, John Eustace and Prince Buaben into the side while also flooding the midfield to deny the Premier League side any space.

Last time the two clubs met was in the Carling Cup in December 2008, Watford took the lead only to lose 2-1 at Vicarage Road. In a bad week for their opponents, revenge could be a dish best served cold.

Watford player to watch: Marvin Sordell. The club's top scorer this season with eight in the Championship, Sordell has been attracting a lot of attention for his performances. Watford found success nurturing the likes of Ashley Young and now England Under-21 international Sordell has stepped into his attacking shoes with his pace and trickery causing defenders all sorts of problems. It has taken a few years for Sordell to get himself into the first-team at the Hornets, but he has had no trouble fitting right in.

Tottenham player to watch: Jake Livermore. The young midfielder has been given a chance by Redknapp this season, mostly from the bench, and started the 3-0 win over Cheltenham in the previous round. An injury to Tom Huddlestone opened the door and Livermore has grasped his opportunity with both hands as his commitment and passion in the middle of the park have proved valuable in killing off games.

Key Battle: Adrian Mariappa v Michael Dawson. The rock at the heart of the Watford defence, Mariappa is a veteran of almost seven years at the club and also captains the side. His importance was highlighted this week as Dyche rejected a £2 million offer from Newcastle for him, saying of the paltry fee: "My son's got more in his money box." He will come up against Dawson on more than one occasion in the tussle for freedom from set-pieces and the Spurs defender is keen to prove himself again after returning from injury to bolster the backline. Mariappa will need marshalling when he finds himself in the box, but the way these two command their team-mates at the back could be key to keeping a clean sheet.

Trivia: The last time the two met in the FA Cup was not good watching for Watford fans - it was a 5-2 defeat, with Spurs' Steffen Iversen scoring twice in January, 1999. The two times they met previous to that were also heavy defeats 4-1 (1987) and 7-1 (1939).

Stats: There have been 41 goals scored in the last ten FA Cup matches involving Watford.

Odds: Watford (7.00), Tottenham (1.50) and the draw (4.00) are on offer with bet365, while Spurs to win from behind comes in at 7.00.

Prediction: Even with a lot on their plate, Tottenham should have enough to overcome their Championship opponents.

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