Spurs keep away from FA Cup catastrophe with win over Fifth-tier Tamworth after ET

Tottenham Hotspur survived two massive possibilities for Tamworth close to the top of 90 minutes earlier than ultimately beating their fifth-tier opponents in additional time in Sunday’s FA Cup third-round assembly.

The hosts completed regular time the stronger of the 2 groups. Nevertheless, the superior health of their illustrious Premier League guests appeared to dictate proceedings within the further half-hour, with Spurs scoring thrice by way of a scrappy personal objective and finishes from Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson to register a 3-0 win and advance to the fourth spherical.

FA Cup replays had been scrapped forward of the 2024-25 marketing campaign. Within the earlier format, Tamworth could be planning for a money-spinning journey to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham progressed – barely – however the result’s one other mark in opposition to the regime of Ange Postecoglou. Spurs maintain a 1-0 benefit over Liverpool earlier than the second leg of their League Cup semifinal tie at Anfield on Feb. 6, however their Premier League efficiency has fallen far beneath expectations whereas they sit in twelfth place. Postecoglou’s formidable attacking techniques are commonly criticized for his or her naivety and lack of selection of their strategy to video games.

Spurs had been very near falling out of the FA Cup to the non-league workforce, which might’ve been one of many greatest upsets within the outdated competitors’s historical past. Tom McGlinchey might’ve squared the ball to a teammate as a substitute of firing a near-post shot that was blocked in time added to the top of 90 minutes. From the ensuing nook, Jordan Cullinane-Liburd was introduced with a particularly inviting opening from 12 yards however scuffed his shot towards Antonin Kinsky’s objective.

Tottenham then took management in additional time. Nathan Tshikuna bundled the ball into his personal web when making an attempt to stop a simple tap-in for Dominic Solanke, Kulusevski slotted in a tidy far-post shot, and Johnson concluded the scoring when he fired in a free ball within the 118th minute.

“Now we have to be proud, that was the scrappiest objective that is ever been scored,” Tamworth goalkeeper Jasbir Singh mentioned about Spurs’ first objective. “They did not fancy it so long as the sport went on, and needed to carry on the large boys (from the substitutes’ bench).”