Football

Tottenham Overcome FA

Football   |   January 12, 2022

Tottenham Overcome FA Cup Third Round Fright While Tanguy Ndombele Ridiculed by Fans

Morecambe took an unusual first-half lead via Anthony O’Connor. Harry Winks, Lucas Moura, and Harry Kane responded in the remaining 16 minutes to prevent Tottenham from suffering a surprise defeat. Home supporters booed Tanguy Ndombele due to his replacement.

Tottenham 3-1 Morecambe: Highlights as Spurs Earn a Spot in the FA Cup Fourth Round

Antonio Conte made several adjustments from the loss against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup Semi-final, including naming Harry Kane and Lucas Moura to the bench and resting injured Son Heung-min. However, he selected a lineup that included the likes of Dele Alli, Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele, and Giovani Lo Celso.

On the other side, Morecambe, whose coach Stephen Robinson was unavailable owing to a positive covid-19 test, put in an admirable performance and may take encouragement from the fact that their Premier League opponents found it difficult to break down their defense.

The performance, though, would have verified Conte’s allegations that most of his players are not competent enough to contend for big honors, and Tanguy Ndombele may not be the only one. Spurs maintained their dominance without creating too many chances. 

To prevent an FA Cup shock against Morecambe, Spurs scored three goals inside the final 16 minutes, as they rallied from behind to a 3-1 victory on an occasion when home fans booed record signing Tanguy Ndombele.

After some sloppy defending resulted in Joe Rodon conceding an unnecessary corner, Japhet Tanganga’s offense from the set-piece was worse. He failed to monitor O’Connor’s movement, and the Morecambe’s captain tapped home from a close range, and there were sparking loud celebrations among the visiting supporters.

However, their chances of pulling off a historic triumph were dashed when Tottenham scored three goals in the last five minutes, including one from Harry Winks and two from replacements Harry Kane and Lucas Moura.

Home supporters booed off Tottenham at half-time after seeing second-string underperform. They created opportunities to equalize following the interval. Still, Trevor Carson saved Dele Alli’s flick brilliantly from a corner, and Ryan Sessegnon fired wide following a loose ball dropping him inside the box.

Conte decided enough was enough. He made a triple replacement within the remaining 21 minutes, which sparked Tanguy Ndombele’s act of senseless disobedience, which must undoubtedly mean the end of his Tottenham career.

Tanguy Ndombele was among those replaced, but he was furious and proceeded to stroll around the field at a glacial pace, appearing to slow even further as the home crowd began to voice with anger.

Lucas Moura and Harry Kane’s introductions altered the game’s direction, as Spurs scored three goals inside the closing 16 minutes to win.

Tottenham required a slice of fortune to equalize, as Harry Winks’ overhit free-kick was deflected off Morecambe goalkeeper Carson and flew into the far corner. Harry Winks celebrated his equalizer with Lucas Moura. 

Lucas Moura sealed the rescue attempt five minutes later by dispossessing Ryan McLaughlin on the touchline, sprinting in on goal, and neatly slotting home after rounding Carson. Harry Kane also got in the act, expertly slotting towards the far corner following a set-up by Giovani Lo Celso.

Shrimp’s Bold Strategy Came Close to Paying Off

It would have been unfair to characterize the result as a grab and smash. Even though Morecambe defended tenaciously and depended on goalie Trevor Carson, they posed a danger.

The 27-year-old, Cole Stockton was a constant threat throughout, and the visitors understood how to play on Tottenham’s nerves when they needed to.

The first half saw him capitalize on a loose back ball from Joe Rodon before dragging Ben Davies and firing over the bar early within the second period to seal the win.

And for lengthy periods, the match had all the makings of a massive upset on its hands. Spurs were making blunders due to the high level of pressure applied by the visitors.

However, the substitutions made by the Premier League team affected the outcome of the game. Antonio Conte injected fresh energy into an otherwise quiet exhibition and drastically altered the atmosphere within the stadium.

Immediately following Harry Winks’ score, Kane made an uncharacteristic mistake by missing a header within eight yards as the pressure mounted.

It was their late domination that paid off as Lucas Moura took advantage of a blunder just on halfway line to run free before Harry Kane’s exquisite finish from a tough angle clinched their passage into the 4th round.

What Comes Next?

On Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur will face Chelsea inside the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at 7.45 pm. On the other hand, Morecambe visits Wimbledon on Saturday at 3 pm.