Cup joy for Jose as Spurs cling on...
TOTTENHAM kick-started their faltering season with a 2-1 FA Cup win at home to Middlesbrough last night, with Argentines Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela scoring the goals before George Saville gave Jose Mourinho’s team a late fright.
In days gone by, the old White Hart Lane was treated to some memorable nights as Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa had a love affair with the famous cup competition. This time it was Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela who inspired Spurs with first-half goals that set up a meeting with Southampton in next weekend’s fourth round.
TWO months after the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentines are back in business at White Hart Lane.
Trust the FA Cup to stir the passions of Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela as they scored twice in the first half to help Spurs past Middlesbrough and set up a date at Southampton in the fourth round on Saturday week.
Argentina has been woven into the North London club’s folklore ever since Chas n Dave penned their anthem to the trembly knees of Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa dribbled his way to one of Wembley’s iconic goals in 1981.
Lo Celso’s goal was a gift from Boro goalkeeper Tomas Mejias inside two minutes at the start of the game but Lamela’s stylish solo effort came with echoes of
Villa — turning and gliding forward before adding a clinical finish.
Spurs faded in the second half and there were some alarming moments along the way for Jose Mourinho (right).
George Saville pulled one back with seven minutes to go to bring a fraught ending. But Mourinho’s team survive in the competition and Spurs are now unbeaten in 41 FA Cup ties at home against teams from lower divisions since losing 1-0 against Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest in 1975.
Tottenham are, of course, in the midst of their longest post-war trophy drought and the Mourinho bounce has not lasted as long as chairman Daniel Levy might have hoped.
So they are heavily invested in the FA Cup this season and were wary of Middlesbrough, a team unbeaten in six games and managed by Jonathan Woodgate — a former Spurs centre half who is well versed in the weight of expectation at White Hart Lane.
Woodgate scored the winning goal in the League Cup final in 2008, which was the last time the North London club had their hands on major honours, but his patched-up back three, featuring midfielders Jonny Howson and Paddy McNair alongside Dael Fry, was penetrated within two minutes of kick-off.
Goalkeeper Mejias was attempting to find a pass to Marvin Johnson on the left when Lo Celso anticipated the pass, nipped in ahead of the wing back, jinked inside and curled a low finish into the far corner.
It soothed any early nerves for Tottenham and their quick and highly-technical attacking unit led by Lucas Moura with Lo Celso, Lamela and Christian Eriksen in support.
Son Heung-min and Dele Alli started among the substitutes with Mourinho hoping to give them a breather and the South Americans and Eriksen caused problems for Boro with their mobility and bursts of quick passing.
There were occasional scares in defence where youngsters Japhet Tanganga and Ryan Sessegnon were operating as full backs, flanking Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen in a back four.
Lukas Nmecha wriggled free in the penalty area and forced Paulo Gazzaniga into a splendid block when the score was still 1-0. Three-and-a-half thousand fans in the away end despaired when McNair fired another chance high and wide at 2-0, but he was offside and it would have been ruled out. Lamela gave Spurs a degree of comfort with a fine individual goal, slicing through the red shirts and accelerating into the penalty area before sliding the ball past Mejias for the second.
It was his first goal since a 5-0 romp against Red Star in October and it put the home team in control.
Lamela flashed another effort over from the edge of the box. Mejias made an excellent low save to deny Sessegnon from the left and Tanganga roared forward and fizzed another drive narrowly wide from the right.
Moura and Lamela produced another slick combination on the break, only for the Brazilian to shoot wide, and although Middlesbrough found it impossible to resist at the back, they did not give up at the other end.
Two minutes before the interval they almost pulled a goal back when Ashley Fletcher beat Eric Dier in the air at a free-kick, only to head wide.
Sessegnon missed an open goal early in the second half, somehow lifting the ball over from close range, and might have been relieved to find he was offside.
Boro refused to give in and improved after the interval, passing the ball with more confidence as Spurs lost their intensity, perhaps feeling the job had been done.
Gazzaniga was forced into another strong save from a free-kick by Lewis Wing and Mourinho sent on Son in the hope of killing off the tie.
TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga 7; Tanganga 6.5, Sanchez 6, Vertonghen 6, Sessegnon 6.5; Dier 6 (Alli 86min), Winks 6.5; Lo Celso 7, Eriksen 7, LAMELA 7.5; Moura 7 (Son 61, 6).
Subs not used: Vorm, Cirkin, Aurier,
Skipp, Foyth.
Scorers: Lo Celso 2, Lamela 15.
Manager: Jose Mourinho 6.5. MIDDLESBROUGH (3-5-2): Mejias 5;
Howson 6, McNair 6, Fry 6; Johnson 6,
Liddle 6 (Saville 58, 7), Clayton 6, Wing 6.5, Spence 6 (Tavernier 74, 6.5); Fletcher 6, Nmecha 6 (Gestede 78).
Subs not used: Brynn, Roberts, Wood, Malley. Scorer: Saville 83.
Manager: Jonathan Woodgate 6.
Referee: Craig Pawson 6.
Attendance: 49,202.