The FA Cup "Third Round Saturday" concludes with its most high-profile fixture tonight, Saturday, January 10, 2026, as Tottenham Hotspur hosts Aston Villa. Kick-off is set for 17:45 GMT at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
For Spurs manager Thomas Frank, this is a "must-win" scenario. Under immense pressure after a bruising 3–2 midweek defeat to Bournemouth and a slump to 14th in the Premier League, Frank needs a cup run to salvage a season that has seen the club exit the Carabao Cup early and struggle for consistency.
Match Details: Kick-off & Official Info
Competition: FA Cup (Third Round)
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Kick-off: 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Referee: Craig Pawson (VAR: In use)
Broadcast: BBC One, TNT Sports 1, discovery+ (UK), ESPN+ (US)
The Storyline: Crisis in North London vs. Emery’s Trophy Hunt
Tottenham: A Club Under Pressure
The atmosphere at Spurs is currently volatile. Following the loss at Bournemouth—where Antoine Semenyo scored a 95th-minute winner—players were seen in heated exchanges with traveling fans. Thomas Frank’s tenure has reached a critical point; while the club remains in the Champions League, their domestic form (just two wins in their last 12 games) has left them languishing in the bottom half of the table. To make matters worse, an unprecedented injury crisis has stripped the squad of almost its entire creative core.
Aston Villa: The Efficient Machine
Unai Emery’s Villa arrive in a very different mental state. Despite a goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday, the Villans have won 13 of their last 16 Premier League matches and are firmly in the title race conversation. Emery has made it no secret that he dreams of ending Villa’s 30-year trophy drought, and having beaten Spurs in their last three consecutive meetings (all in 2025), they travel to London as the clear favorites.
Team News & Absentees
Tottenham Team News
Injury Crisis: Spurs are missing Mohammed Kudus (quad), James Maddison (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Dominic Solanke (ankle), and Destiny Udogie (thigh).
Midfield Blow: Rodrigo Bentancur (hamstring) and Lucas Bergvall (muscle) were both forced off in midweek and are sidelined
Suspension: Captain Cristian Romero is out after receiving an extra one-match ban for his reaction to a previous red card.
International Duty: Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are at AFCON.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Spence, Danso, Van de Ven, Porro; Gray, Palhinha; Simons, Tel, Richarlison; Kolo Muani.
Aston Villa Team News
Goalkeeper Change: Emiliano Martínez is ruled out after being forced off against Crystal Palace; Marco Bizot will start.
Missing: Amadou Onana (thigh) and Ross Barkley (knee) remain out. Evann Guessand is at AFCON.
Debut Watch: New January signing Alysson has traveled with the squad and could feature.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Lindelöf, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; McGinn, Buendía, Rogers; Watkins.
Head-to-Head (H2H) & Key Stats
Villa's Streak: Aston Villa won all three meetings against Spurs in 2025, including a 2–1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in October.
Cup History: Villa knocked Spurs out of the FA Cup fourth round last season with a 2–1 victory at Villa Park.
Omen for Spurs: Tottenham has beaten Aston Villa on their way to winning the FA Cup four times (1921, 1961, 1962, 1982).
Defensive Leak: Spurs have conceded 27 goals in 21 league games this season, while Villa has conceded 24.
Tactical Analysis: Battle for the Middle
With so many creative players missing for Spurs, Thomas Frank is likely to rely on the directness of Mathys Tel and the physicality of Randal Kolo Muani. The inclusion of Joao Palhinha, who scored a bicycle kick against Bournemouth, will be vital in disrupting Villa’s midfield.
Unai Emery’s side will look to exploit Spurs' makeshift center-back pairing. Morgan Rogers has been a "Spurs-slayer" recently, with five goal involvements in his last four games against them. Villa’s ability to transition from defense to attack through Youri Tielemans and John McGinn will be the primary threat.
Match Prediction
Spurs are fighting for their season, which often produces a spirited performance. However, Villa’s tactical discipline and superior squad availability make them difficult to ignore. In a high-stakes, open contest, the visitors’ clinical edge should prove the difference once again.
Final Score Prediction: Tottenham 1–2 Aston Villa
