Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has predicted that Tottenham Hotspur will easily come through their FA Cup fifth-round clash against Rochdale on Sunday, and delivered his verdict on Toby Alderweireld’s contract situation.
Spurs travel up north to face League One strugglers Rochdale at Spotland on Sunday after their impressive 2-2 draw against Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Goals from Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen helped Spurs recover from going two goals down within nine minutes against the Italian champions, and secure a crucial away draw that puts them in a good position ahead of the second leg at Wembley.
Attention now turns back to domestic football and the prospect of a tough FA Cup tie against Rochdale, but the task has been made easier by the League One club laying a new pitch before the clash.
Speaking in his FA Cup predictions for Sky Sports, Nicholas predicted a 2-0 win for Tottenham, with Son Heung-Min to score first, and said: “I thought we were going have a good old gritty cup tie and then Rochdale decided to put down a new pitch. Mauricio Pochettino will make a good few changes because that show of mental strength in Juventus will have been a really draining experience.
“Fernando Llorente and Moussa Sissoko will come in as Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen in particular need a rest. Heung-min Son should start and with the new pitch, I think Spurs will get the job done.”
Nicholas also took the opportunity to weigh in on Toby Alderweireld’s contract stand-off with the club, saying that he does not believe there is anything in the rumours suggesting the Belgian is on his way out.
“I think this will be another game for Toby Alderweireld to be eased back in again. I don’t think there is anything more to his absence than managing his recovery because Pochettino is a very honest and open man,” he said.
OPINION
Spurs fans will hope that Sunday’s tie goes off without a hitch, and the new pitch will certainly help. The old surface looked like a sand pit, and Spurs would not have been happy if any of their players sustained an injury because of it. On Alderweireld, fans will hope that Nicholas is right, and that there is nothing more to his prolonged absence than a careful management of his recovery. Spurs have dealt with his absence well, but that does not change the fact that he is one of the league’s best defenders, and is indispensable to this side.