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Burnley vs Tottenham Hotspur: George Boyd backs confident Burnley to spring FA Cup shock against Spurs

Emmanuel Adebayor could feature for Spurs tonight for the first time in  two months

James Mariner
Sunday 04 January 2015 23:59 GMT
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Emmanuel Adebayor could feature for Spurs tonight for the first time in two months
Emmanuel Adebayor could feature for Spurs tonight for the first time in two months (AFP/Getty)

George Boyd says Burnley head into Monday night’s FA Cup third-round home tie with Tottenham in confident mood as they seek to continue their good run of form.

Sean Dyche’s side have lost just three of their last 10 matches and have recently fought back against both Manchester City and Newcastle United to draw. Boyd found the net in both games and has fond memories of the FA Cup, having reached the final with Hull last May, when he played the final half-hour against Arsenal.

“Nobody expected us to get anything [from visits to Newcastle and Manchester City] but we’ve shown our character. We go into our next run of games full of confidence,” Boyd said.

“It’s a great game and, hopefully, there’ll be a big crowd at Turf Moor to get behind us. The FA Cup still has that magic and I was lucky enough to get to the final last year and that was a great occasion.”

Dyche will make changes to a side that he has refused to alter for the last six matches. Captain Jason Shackell and his replacement Kevin Long sustained injuries at Newcastle on New Year’s Day and Dyche hopes Manchester United’s on-loan defender Michael Keane will be available.

Ben Mee could deputise in the middle of the defence, while Steven Reid would be another option. Sam Vokes will hope to be given another run-out as he continues his comeback from a long-term knee injury.

After opening his Tottenham career with four successive victories, Mauricio Pochettino found form and consistency a problem at White Hart Lane, but his side have in recent weeks taken to their new manager’s style.

The Argentine hopes Spurs can carry on from the 5-3 dismantling of Premier League leaders Chelsea on New Year’s Day, although Tottenham have won on just one of their last six trips to Turf Moor.

“We are very happy with what the team showed against Chelsea,” Pochettino said. “It is not easy. You always need time to change things, but the team are starting to show what we want to see. We are in a process and we need to believe and build our way. Victories like this mean you can improve more quickly.”

Ryan Mason (hamstring), Nabil Bentaleb (international) and Erik Lamela (calf) are likely to miss out for Spurs, for whom Emmanuel Adebayor may make a first appearance in two months.

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