Coventry City vs. Tottenham: Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

After a crushing defeat over the weekend, Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to bounce back in Wednesday night's third-round EFL Cup match against Championship side Coventry City.

Spurs go to the West Midlands to face Premier League powerhouses at The Coventry Building Society Arena, fresh off a North London derby loss to fierce rivals Arsenal. Sky Blues are looking to pull off an upset.

Previous Matches and head-to-head

Coventry returned from a two-week break with a respectable draw at the home of in-form Watford in the Championship on Saturday afternoon. The visitors should have earned maximum points, but their performance was lacking after a lackluster one-goal loss to Norwich City at the CBS Arena before the international break.

Ellis Simms, the unsung hero of the 2023–24 Sky Blues FA Cup campaign, put his team ahead at Vicarage Road. Mark Robins's side should have been up a goal or two by halftime, but neither team scored again, and Hornets midfielder Tom Dele-Bashiru almost equalized the score.

After a successful run in the playoffs for promotion to the Premier League last season, Coventry fans are hoping for a repeat performance this year. However, Wednesday's hosts have had a shaky start to their second-tier mission, winning just once in five games and sitting in fifteenth place.

Sky Blues have beaten Bristol City and Oxford United in the EFL Cup this season, with goals from former Sunderland and Everton striker Simms and summer recruit Brandon Thomas-Asante, respectively, accounting for two of their three competitive triumphs.

Although Coventry has won the FA Cup once, their history in this competition is less stellar. Last season, AFC Wimbledon of League Two knocked Robins' squad out of the EFL Cup in the first round after scoring twice in the previous five minutes at The Cherry Red Records Stadium in August 2023.

With a second-half header from Arsenal center-back Gabriel snatching maximum Premier League points for Mikel Arteta's visitors, Spurs were handed the cruel blow of derby loss on Sunday afternoon, losing their third consecutive encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against their North London rivals.

Despite the Gunners' engine room absence of critical players Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, the Lilywhites had more control and generated more opportunities than their opponents. However, their goal-scoring woes returned.

Spurs are in a challenging situation, competing for 13th place in the Premier League standings. They have only managed four points from as many matches, with their lone win coming against a hopeless Everton team on August 24. Manchester City and Arsenal are now leading the league.

Even though his team has yet to score a goal this season, Ange Postecoglou has maintained his confidence in leading the North Londoners to silverware after a 16-year drought. He has been forceful when asked about the Lilywhites' ability to win trophies.

Last season, while enjoying a perfect start to the Premier League with a 10-game winning streak, Spurs were eliminated from the EFL Cup in the second round by Fulham, their London neighbors. Spurs' much-changed visiting team lost in a penalty shootout at Craven Cottage, squandering a chance at a trophy.

Coventry City x Tottenham Team News

After the preseason match against Hearts on July 17, 2024, Lucas Bergvall of Tottenham Hotspur

Because Ben Sheaf is battling to return from a leg injury by the end of the month, Coventry will be without a midfield replacement when they play Watford this weekend.

At Vicarage Road, the Sky Blues had a new injury worry as Joel Latibeaudiere left the game in the second half due to a knock.

With an ankle problem keeping the Japanese winger out of play until October, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto's injury-plagued 2024 continues into the new year.

Tottenham striker Richarlison is still out with a muscular injury; he is now being treated in the away team's medical room.

Consequently, after his Spurs home debut on Sunday, £65 million summer acquisition Dominic Solanke may keep his starting position at the club's offensive helm.

With Yves Bissouma's ability to travel to the CBS Arena questionable, midfielders Pape Sarr and Lucas Bergvall might see significant playing time.

In Wednesday night's match against Coventry, Wilson Odobert and Timo Werner, who came off the bench in the North London derby loss, may be challenged to score immediately.

Our Predictions

Tottenham to win @ 1.45 on Sky247.ng

We anticipate that Tottenham will be eager to get closer to a much-anticipated trophy after leaving the EFL Cup at the earliest possible moment last season.

Although the Sky Blues have lately shown their cup-competition prowess against Premier League heavyweights, Wednesday night will not be memorable.

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