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Tottenham Hotspur vs Burnley – Match Report

By Conor Lynch

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The second leg of the 3rd round FA cup match for the Tottenham Hotspur against Burnley was an unexpected thrill. Mauricio Pochettino started a squad which many fans had deemed questionable.

Both Danny Rose and Vlad Chiriches were played out of position within the left wing and right back role respectively, also players who have been long out of favour such as Younes Kaboul and Etienne Capoue returned to the squad, raising the tension in the stands.

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The fact that Tottenham Hotspur conceded twice in the opening minutes could have suggested that this squad would be a catastrophe. Miscommunication between Jan Vertonghen and Younes Kaboul was inexcusable, and the following argument between these two players indicated what could have been the start of a defensive collapse.

The second Burnley goal followed shortly, yet was purely down to an unlucky deflection and can be discarded. Outside of the one legitimate defensive lapse, Tottenham Hotspur went on to defend admirably for the remainder of the game.

Both Jan Vertonghen and Younes Kaboul made terrific tackles on Burnley forwards in one on one situations, preventing a comeback from being killed off by another Burnley goal. Once Tottenham did gain the lead, the back four performed well in keeping possession under pressure inside of their own half, essentially eliminating any hopes of a Burnley comeback.

Tottenham’s attack was both relentless and powerful, going two goals down caused the squad to play with urgency and Michel Vorm often sharply delivered quick throws up the pitch. Paulinho showed glimpses of his last season form, playing with tremendous energy the entire game.

Tottenham’s attack was both relentless and powerful, going two goals down caused the squad to play with urgency.

He finished clinically, won the ball in important positions, delivered precise crosses and regularly out muscled players. He thoroughly showed that he has what it takes to reinvigorate the squad. Another crucial contributor was Andros Townsend, his attack on the right hand side of the pitch was a bullish job, with Burnley defenders often having to double up in order to halt his advances.

It can be noted that the player’s passing is steadily improving, with the majority of his crosses creating meaningful opportunities. Andros will be gutted to not have gained an assist due to Roberto Soldado’s missed opportunity, but his support for his team mate both on and off the ball was commendable, he showed real leadership in getting Soldado back into the game with a quick pep talk.

It would be unfair to label Roberto Soldado’s miss as the highlight of his game, the Tottenham striker further showed that he is an asset to the team’s indirect goal scoring opportunities. He created an assist for Paulinho which brought  the Tottenham Hotspur back into the game, as well as delivering an impeccable pass to Danny Rose for the fourth goal.

Soldado created many opportunities for himself which unfortunately did not come to fruition, but it is certainly encouraging to see him more active within his own chances, and many will certainly wonder if he could be utilised as an attacking midfielder due to his brilliant handling of the ball in the middle of the pitch.

Overall the game showed that even the depths of the Tottenham Hotspur squad show great promise, and that fans should be truly entertaining the prospect of winning silverware later this season.

What did you think of the game?

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