PREVIEW: TOTTENHAM v CARDIFF CITY

A look at Sunday's Premier League tie at White Hart Lane

Tottenham Hotspur v Cardiff City
Venue: White Hart Lane
Nav it: N17 0AP
Date: Sunday, 2nd March, KO 4.30pm
Match-tag: #TOTCAR (Live tweets on @CardiffCityFC)
LISTEN LIVE ON CARDIFF CITY PLAYER

Cardiff City travel to North London to take on Tim Sherwood’s Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, City’s first league visit in 36 years.

MATCH FACTS

-    Tottenham have conceded fewer headed goals than any other team in the Barclays Premier League this season (1).
-    Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored seven Barclays Premier League goals against Spurs, his joint-highest tally against any opponent in the competition.
-    Former Spurs defender Steven Caulker has blocked more opposition shots than any other player in the Premier League this season (38).
-    Cardiff City have yet to win or concede a penalty in the Premier League this season – the only side yet to do so.
-    Emmanuel Adebayor has scored just once at White Hart Lane in the Premier League this season, with seven (88%) of his eight PL goals this term coming away from home.
-    David Marshall has made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League (106).

KEY PLAYER: Moussa Dembele



A regular in midfield under boss Tim Sherwood, Spurs’ box-to-box midfielder provides a tireless engine room to the midfield, providing the basis for his midfield partners to perform. Dembele has made 38 appearances for Spurs in all competitions this season.

IN-FORM PLAYER: Emmanuel Adebayor



Brought back into the squad by Tim Sherwood, Adebayor has become the vocal point of the Spurs attack in recent months, scoring 11 goals in 14 appearances since December. Prior to the arrival of Sherwood, the Togo International had featured once during the season, as a half time substitute in a 6-0 defeat to Manchester City.

RECENT FORM (ALL COMPETITIONS):

Cardiff City: LWLDLL
Last time out: Cardiff City 0-4 Hull City – Saturday, 22nd February, Barclays Premier League.



City fell to a heavy home defeat to Steve Bruce’s Hull City as a brace from Nikica Jelavic and goals from Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore consigned the Bluebirds to a heaviest defeat of the season.

Team - Cardiff City: Marshall, Taylor (John 74), Caulker (capt), Jones, Campbell (Berget 79), Eikrem, Noone, Cowie, Cala, Fábio, Zaha (Dæhli 46). Subs not used: Lewis, Turner, Whittingham, Gunnarsson.

Tottenham Hotspur:  DWWLLW
Last time out: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Dnipro – Thursday 27th February, UEFA Europa League



Tottenham Hotspur overturned a first leg deficit to see off Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk with a 3-1 win at White Hart Lane on Thursday.

The task was made all the more difficult as the Ukrainian outfit doubled their advantage and took the lead on the night just after half time, before an Eriksen equaliser and Adebayor brace secured a stunning comeback and a place in the next round.

Team – Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Fryers, Dawson, Vertonghen, Naughton, Dembele, Sandro (Bentaleb, 76), Townsend (Lennon, 85), Eriksen, Adebayor, Soldado (Kane, 88). Subs not used: Chadli, Friedel, Paulinho, Veljkovic.    

LAST COMPETITIVE MEETING:

2013/14: Sunday, 22th September 2013, Barclays Premier League – Cardiff City 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur



A last minute winner from Spurs midfielder Paulinho claimed victory for Tottenham back in September despite a resilient Cardiff City display that saw goalkeeper David Marshall on top form once more.

Team - Cardiff City: Marshall, Taylor, Caulker, Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Campbell, Kim, Gunnarsson, Theophile-Catherine, Bellamy. Subs not used: Lewis; Hudson, Odemwingie, Mutch, Cowie, Mason, Maynard.
         
REFEREE: Phil Dowd

Phil Dowd started refereeing at the age of 21 and has enjoyed a lengthy career at the top level of English football since being promoted to the Premier League list in 2001.

He was first appointed as a Football League official in 1997 and quickly progressed. Four years later, he was promoted to the Select Group of referees and took charge of his first Premier League match when Fulham met Everton in December of that year.

Dowd last officiated a Cardiff City match back in 2011 as the Bluebirds claimed a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road on 30th October 2011.

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