Tottenham will be looking to build on their midweek victory when they host Portsmouth in the FA Cup on Saturday.
After a poor run of form, Spurs picked up a much-needed win as the Lilywhites beat Crystal Palace 4-0. The win kept Antonio Conte’s side in touching distance of the top four, with Spurs falling below United into fifth recently.
Spurs suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup last season, with the Championship side beating the Lilywhites in the fifth round of the competition. Conte will be hoping his side can avoid defeat this time round against League One Portsmouth.
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So, can Spurs advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday? We simulated the game to find out.
We simulated Spurs vs Portsmouth to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Spurs could line up in a 3-5-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Forster; Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Spence, Skipp, Bissouma, Sarr, Sessegnon; Gil, Son.
We predict that the visitors could set up in a 4-4-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Griffiths; Swanson, Morrison, Raggett, Ogilvie; Dale, Morrell, Tunnicliffe, Koroma; Curtis, Bishop.
Spurs controlled the opening stages of the game, though Portsmouth still offered a threat on the break, with Ronan Curtis testing Fraser Forster twice in the opening 10 minutes. Poor finishing was the difference between the two sides as Spurs then took the lead after 31 minutes through Heung-Min Son.
Djed Spence was finding plenty of space down the right, and the defender played a brilliant curling through ball down the left and into the path of Son in the middle. Through on goal, Son got as close as he could before shooting, and the forward found the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
Portsmouth continued to cause trouble on the counter-attack, and they managed to find an equaliser in the 42nd minute when Josh Koroma's cross was tapped in by Joe Morrell from close range. The second half saw Spurs introduce Harry Kane, and the talisman set up Son for his second as Conte's side regained the lead.
The game was very open, and a ball fizzed into the feet of Kane was flicked into the path of Son by the striker, sending the South Korean through on goal again. One-on-one with the 'keeper, Son opted for power over placement, blasting his effort past the 'keeper from inside the box.
Yves Bissouma hit the post when he tried his luck from range in the 74th minute, and Spurs started to dominate the clash as the visitors fatigued. Despite their best efforts Portsmouth couldn't find an equaliser, and the game was put to bed in the 83rd minute as Son completed his hat-trick.
Similar to the second, Kane was the provider again, this time slipping Son through on goal after he overlapped the Spurs captain. Quickly shut down by the Portsmouth backline, Son cut in onto his left and curled an effort into the far corner to make it 3-1 and book the Lilywhites' place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
FIFA 23 predicted score: Tottenham 3-1 Portsmouth
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Heung-Min Son could rediscover his best form on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick to secure a 3-1 win. But, it wasn't an easy test, with Portsmouth matching Spurs' shots in the simulation, causing trouble against a rotated backline.
What do you think the final score will be on Saturday? Let us know in the comments!
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