Cup king Roman Pavlyuchenko aims for another knock-out display

11 April 2012

After proving himself a specialist in cup football during his first season at Tottenham, Roman Pavlyuchenko will be keen to demonstrate he still has the magic touch if he is given a chance against Bolton tonight.

Pavlyuchenko's two goals in Sunday's 3-0 win at Wigan, after he had come on as a 72nd-minute substitute, made a compelling case for his inclusion in the FA Cup fifth-round replay at White Hart Lane, while his record in knock-out competitions for Spurs is highly impressive.

The Russian has scored 11 times in 12 cup matches since he moved to north London in the summer of 2008 and he was on target in every round except the final as Spurs lost on penalties against Manchester United at Wembley in last season's Carling Cup.

Despite spending much of the campaign grumbling about his treatment by Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, Pavlyuchenko remains a major asset to this squad.

The 28-year-old's cameo at the DW Stadium suggested he could play a key role in Spurs' fight to win the FA Cup and finish fourth in the Premier League, if only he is given the
opportunity.

"It's not been easy for Roman," said Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. "But his performance at Wigan will have pulled him up because his head might have been down sometimes.

"It was a difficult situation for him because he wasn't playing and Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch are doing well in attack.

"But every day in training, Roman has been brilliant, working so hard and the outcome at Wigan was fantastic for him. Everyone here knows that he is a great player.

"We know his quality and, when he gets a chance, he makes life difficult for the opposition. I am very happy for him as I was for the whole team after Wigan.

"This is a really big week for us, with the games against Wigan, Bolton and Everton, so winning on Sunday was the perfect start to it."

Pavlyuchenko is also a handy man to have around because of his ability to score from the penalty spot.

Spurs have missed four of their last six
spot-kicks, meaning Owen Coyle's side are likely to fancy their chances should tonight's game still be level after extra time.

Niko Kranjcar was pencilled in to take a penalty had Spurs been awarded one at Wigan on Sunday, yet whatever

Redknapp's misgivings about Pavlyuchenko, he regards the forward as one of his most reliable players from 12 yards.

"If I pick Pav, it's based on what I see him do in training and his attitude," said the manager. "He was terrific last week, so I threw him on at the weekend.

"At his best, he is a top player. He has played for Russia on the world stage and we need him playing as well as he did the other day.

"Pav is a terrific lad, not a nasty person, but at times he is a bit laid-back. We have to get him at it and when we do, he is a top player.

"We've never wanted to let him go and I certainly didn't want to sell him in the transfer window.

"Maybe he wanted to go back to Russia, but now let's hope he has a good run, settles down and wants to stay at the club."

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