Tanguy Ndombele’s late cameo fired Tottenham Hotspur into the fifth round of the FA Cup, following a 4-1 triumph over Wycombe Wanderers.
Tottenham Hotspur were made to work hard, as they secured a 4-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers, largely thanks to impressive cameos from the substitutes.
The scoreline clearly does not justify the nature of this game as Spurs were barely able to penetrate the Wycombe backline throughout the course of the first half. They were also wasteful in front of goal and deservedly conceded first in the 25th minute, when Fred Onyedinma fired in from close range. However, Tottenham managed to level the scoring late in the first half, through Gareth Bale.
The goal gave Tottenham the ideal headstart for the second half, where they completely dominated the opposition. It eventually paid late in the game, with Harry Winks netting the winner, before Tanguy Ndombele scored a late brace, effectively sealing the victory for the north London giants. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Jose Mourinho’s men following their win over Wycombe.
Joe Hart: 6.5/10
Joe Hart had to be alert early on as he made an important save in the first half, though he could not have done much to deny Onyedinma the goal in the 30th minute. He had a fairly quiet game throughout the second half, with Wycombe Wanderers failing to register a single shot on target.
Japhet Tanganga: 7/10
Japhet Tanganga was drafted into the right-back role in the absence of Serge Aurier and Matt Doherty. He clearly struggled in expressing himself properly, often failing to provide the offensive support. Yet, he came close to scoring a goal in the first half, when his attempt hit the crossbar. Got taken off at half-time, with Mourinho opting for more firepower in midfield.
Davinson Sanchez: 7/10
Davinson Sanchez was culpable of failing to properly clear the ball as it led to Wycombe’s goal in the 30th minute. The centre-back eventually settled into the game after the interval, using his physical and aerial prowess to good effect.
Wycombe lead Spurs!!!
Fred Onyedinma with a very calm finish to give the Championship side a huge boost ?
It's been coming…#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/DsxtxboqcM
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 25, 2021
Toby Alderweireld: 7.5/10
Toby Alderweireld had real difficulty settling into the game, often getting overwhelmed by the Wycombe pressure. But, much like his defensive partner Sanchez, the Belgian had a much more comfortable second half. He even played a key role in the build-up play for the visiting side as they continued to probe the opposing backline.
Ben Davies: 7/10
Ben Davies produced a rather disappointing performance in the left-back position. He simply could not influence the game going forward, making Tottenham far too over-reliant on the services of Lucas Moura on the left flank. One expects much better from the former Swansea City full-back.
Moussa Sissoko: 7.5/10
Moussa Sissoko found it difficult to influence the game in midfield, where he was rattled by the Wycombe pressure. Things started to improve after he was shifted into the right-back position. It improved Tottenham’s penetration on the right flank, with the midfielder providing excellent support for Bale on the far side.
Harry Winks: 9/10
Harry Winks looked promising right from the beginning. He showed a lot of intent while offering excellent ball-progression in midfield. The midfielder also tried to take on defenders and navigate the ball across the press, which is quite rare given his style of play. Winks capped off his delightful performance by scoring the late winner with a composed finish from outside the box.
HARRY WINKS!
What a great finish with his left foot ? pic.twitter.com/Y0WsDMA6gK
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 25, 2021
Lucas Moura: 8/10
Much like Winks, Lucas Moura showed a lot of intent in this game and looked like the only Spurs attacker who was going to make a breakthrough in the first half. The Brazilian eventually did that when his pass found Bale inside the penalty area, with the move resulting in the equaliser. Moura was surprisingly taken off around the hour mark, though.
Erik Lamela: 5/10
It was a disappointing performance from Erik Lamela, who simply failed to properly influence the game. His decision making, in particular, was extremely poor in the final third. The Argentine also looked quite careless and lacked his usual creativity.
Gareth Bale: 7.5/10
Gareth Bale certainly did not have a great first half, missing a host of chances throughout the game. His late equaliser was his first shot on target, but it was a useful one as it gave him the confidence to produce an inspiring second half display. Indeed, the on-loan Real Madrid caused a lot of problems for the Wycombe defenders after the restart. It could be a major positive for Spurs.
Carlos Vinicius: 4/10
Carlos Vinicius was perhaps the worst performer for Tottenham in this fixture. The Brazilian simply could not get himself involved in the proceedings, often lacking the creativity as well as confidence. A poor performance from the forward, who scored a hat-trick in the previous round against non-league side Marine.
SUBSTITUTES
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 8/10
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was brought in at half-time to provide more precision in the Tottenham midfield. The Dane did not disappointing either, winning multiple balls in midfield and adding more composure in the possession phase. In addition, the midfielder provided a host of incisive forward passes, one of which was key to the build-up of the third goal.
Be it against Wycombe or Man City, there is no player in Spurs' side that can give control to the midfield like Højbjerg.
Everything was so open in the first half. Put PEH in, and the air of doubt evaporated
Really excited for Skipp to come back man, we need two of such players pic.twitter.com/oU734kVXXk
— Søøs (@FTHeritage) January 25, 2021
Harry Kane: 7/10
Harry Kane took his time setting into the game after being introduced around the hour mark. His creativity and link-up play became an asset for Tottenham late in the game.
Tanguy Ndombele: 10/10
Tanguy Ndombele’s superb cameo was key in helping Tottenham secure a late victory. He was involved in all of the three goals in the second half, notably providing the delightful pass to Kane shortly after coming on. The Frenchman receives a perfect ten.
Son Heung-min: 7/10
Son Heung-min was extremely wasteful in front of goal after coming on for Lucas Moura. But, he did assist Ndombele for the third Tottenham goal.
Joe Rodon: N/A
Joe Rodon was brought in late in the game to provide some additional defensive coverage. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
