Final Score: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Newport County
Tottenham Hotspur cruised to victory against Newport County to secure a 5th round ticket in the FA Cup, with a comfortable 2-0 victory. Much like the last leg, the away side started brightly and fearlessly. Right when it looked like another upset was on the cards, they surrendered a silly goal through Dan Butler. Since then, it was all dominance from Spurs who rode to the finish line with an Erik Lamela goal, a player who scored after 504 days.
Apart from the goals, Lamela troubled the opposition keeper twice and sent in a teasing cross only for Llorente to mess it up. In the second half, Spurs kept hold of the ball, passed it around and frustrated Newport with an occasional show of urgency. Pochettino’s 200th game in charge ended in all smiles at Wembley.
Tottenham Player Ratings
Michel Vorm: 8/10
Excellent focus until the very end to stretch out in order to make a save late on. His collection was spot on. Otherwise, he was a mere spectator.
Serge Aurier: 7.5/10
Always invited the overlapping pass, kept running until the end, defended well high up the pitch but final ball let him down at times. A tidy performance.
Toby Alderweireld: 8/10
Considering the fact that he was out since early November, Alderweireld creamed his way into the lineup and the proceedings. He was a massive figure at the back as usual, was brilliant with his man marking and his trademark long diagonals.
Juan Foyth: 7/10
Started off slowly as he played a couple of sloppy passes and was caught on the back foot, but after that, he showed complete awareness.
Danny Rose: 8/10
Proved how deadly he can be in the final third. Rose always threatened down the left-wing, skipped past players and enjoyed a couple of shots on goal. Defensively, he did alright when called upon.
Victor Wanyama: 7.5/10
Broke the opposition’s rhythm whenever they tried to break. Made one exceptional tackle to stop Nouble, who almost set free. Wanyama was as solid as ever and now looks 100% after the long-term injury.
Harry Winks: 8/10
Enriched the attack with some fine hold up play, sharp dribbling and ball carrying. Winks’ fluidity and fluency were on point. Defensively, he intercepted passes and used his body well to snatch the ball back.
Heung-min Son: 7.5/10
Excited the fans yet again. The South Korean drilled two shots on goal that almost went in. He cut inside and displayed his ability to flip flap past opponents.
Moussa Sissoko: 7/10
Bagged an assist and crossed the ball well. His pass completion was great and so was his link-up with Son and Lamela.
Erik Lamela: 9.5/10
Tested the keeper four times, his long-range shooting was praiseworthy. Lamela threaded the play together and was a real force in the No.10 role. His dribbling and the finish were both first class.
Fernando Llorente: 5/10
Just not good enough. One would expect Llorente to muscle his way past this defence but it wasn’t the case. His movement and finishing were both poor.
Substitutes
Christian Eriksen: 8.5/10
In just half an hour of action, Eriksen was in full flow. He created three clear-cut chances, a through ball, curled a cross into the box and produced a long ball. He found his passing range and is showing how much of a difference he makes to this team.
Dele Alli: 7/10
Was unlucky to have hit the post and forced another save. A lively performance from the attacking midfielder.
Kyle Walker-Peters: N/A
Didn’t make a notable impact.