Football betting tips: FA Cup
2.5pts Aston Villa to win and over 1.5 goals at 19/20 (Ladbrokes, Coral, Betway)
1pt Lucas Bergvall to be shown a card at 10/3 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt Bergvall to be sent off at 40/1 (General)
All in 90 minutes
BuildABet @ 9/1
- Aston Villa to win
- Over 2.5 goals
- Lucas Bergvall card
- Bergvall to commit 2+ fouls
All in 90 minutes
“I don’t worry about being judged or who’s judging. I think ultimately my responsibility is that I try and get the players I have to perform to the best of their abilities and to tackle the challenges we’ve got at the moment.”
Ange Postecoglou cut a lonely figure on the touchline at Anfield on Thursday night as his Tottenham side turned in a limp display to be thrashed 4-0 in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final with Liverpool.
"It’s fair to say we didn’t really get to the levels we needed to," the Spurs boss continued.
“It was always going to be a big challenge for us, they’re obviously a very good side and in a great moment with all their players in very good form.
“But for us to give ourselves an opportunity, we had to be a lot more aggressive with and without the ball and we weren’t. We allowed them to control the game.
“It was a great opportunity for us to get to a final and to let it slip was disappointing.”
The Australian looked frankly exhausted in his post-match interview, no doubt a result of his team's performances - which have them sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League table - and the unrelenting questions about his tactics, his future and the situation in general.
Unfortunately for both him and what's left of his squad, there is simply no respite.
What are the best bets?
Postecoglou seemed almost as tired as the players themselves after Spurs' latest defeat, and it's no surprise his team is struggling.
The trip to Villa Park will be their 39th game of the season, just two shy of the entire number of fixtures Tottenham played last term - a campaign largely viewed as a success, with the club only narrowly pipped to fourth place by Sunday's opponents despite the sale of Harry Kane days before the start of the season.
With the addition of Champions League football, Aston Villa are also struggling to maintain the same levels they produced in the top flight in 23/24, currently sitting down in eighth.
They haven't suffered the kind of injury crisis Tottenham have, have played a similar number of matches as they had at this point last season when they reached the Conference League semi-finals, and yet Unai Emery was acutely aware of the need to strengthen in January to help his own ailing squad.
Spurs, with an entire starting XI out injured, brought in three fairly unproven players. Villa, with a handful of short-term injuries, significantly upgraded their squad.
This is all a very longwinded way of me saying it's only logical to back ASTON VILLA TO WIN, and combining that with OVER 1.5 GOALS pays a 19/20 that is very much worth taking.
Tottenham won 4-0 at Villa Park in March; six of that starting XI are out injured. They beat Villa 4-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November; six of that starting XI are out injured.
There is nothing in their favour on Sunday.
Rush of blood Bergvall
Postecoglou's admission that his team weren't aggressive enough against Liverpool, and the removal of both Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma after an hour, will almost certainly mean a start for LUCAS BERGVALL.
It's a miracle the teenage midfielder hasn't been SENT OFF for Tottenham yet, with only a terrible refereeing decision in the opening leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final - a match he went on to score the winner in - saving him from being dismissed.
Should Lucas Bergvall have been sent off?
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 8, 2025
The panel discuss Spurs' match-winner's controversial challenges 🔎 pic.twitter.com/EbkhO2YwPI
At 40/1 we should back Sunday to finally be the time his overzealous, and at times reckless, style of play is appropriately punished.
Bergvall has been SHOWN A CARD in seven of his last 15 appearances, despite only starting eight of those matches.
It's a staggering booking every 131 minutes, which makes his 10/3 to receive one at Villa Park an excellent price.
Team news
Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio could make their Aston Villa debuts but Axel Disasi is cup-tied. Fellow January arrivals Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen were thrown straight into Premier League action and may feature again.
Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings are all out.
Mathys Tel should make his full Tottenham debut after coming on at Anfield to replace the injured Richarlison, who took Spurs' to a starting XI of absentees.
He joins Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert in being ruled out of this match. There's a possibility Timo Werner returns from a thigh injury in time.
Predicted line-ups
Aston Villa: Martinez; Garcia, Konsa, Kamara, Digne; Tielemans, McGinn; Malen, Rogers, Bailey; Watkins.
Tottenham: Kinsky; Porro, Davies, Danso, Gray; Bentancur, Bergvall, Bissouma; Son, Tel, Kulusevski.
Odds correct at 1220 GMT (7/2/25)
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