The Independent
·9 febbraio 2025
Aston Villa vs Tottenham LIVE: FA Cup team news and line-ups with Marcus Rashford set for debut
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The Independent
·9 febbraio 2025
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'Disappointing' - Postecoglou on Spurs missing out on EFL Cup final
Aston Villa face Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round of the FA Cup when the two teams clash with each other at Villa Park.
Tottenham come into the game on the back of a resounding 4-0 loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final. Ange Postecoglou’s men were played off the park at Anfield and didn’t register a shot on target during their failed attempt to reach Wembley.
The pressure continues to mount on Postecoglou, with Spurs also languishing in 14th in the Premier League, but progressing into the next round would bring some breathing room.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, meanwhile, lost 2-0 to rivals Wolves last weekend, but their season is progressing well. They sit eighth in the league and have secured an automatic place in the last 16 of the Champions League. Victory over Spurs would continue their strong form and they may call on new recruit Marcus Rashford after his January move from Manchester United.
This has already provided some controversy this weekend...
The FA Cup continues this weekend with the fourth round of the old competition.
But fans of sides in the English top tier will notice a difference in their fixtures, with the video assistant referee (VAR) system not in use.
Introduced to the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, protracted reviews and VAR decisions have become commonplace within fixtures in the division.
English football’s flagship club competition has previously only had VAR in operation at fixtures hosted at Premier League grounds or Wembley due to the infrastructure, workforce and costs that are required for its operation.
But the organisers of the FA Cup have confirmed a different approach in this edition of the tournament.
The extra officials and accompanying technology will only be in place from the fifth round onwards, meaning that all games in rounds three and four will have no VAR regardless of the venue at which they are hosted.
Chris Wilson9 February 2025 16:20