Same old issues get Tottenham ousted from FA Cup

Tottenham Hotspur's French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris looks on during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on February 7, 2021. (Photo by NEIL HALL / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by NEIL HALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

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Mistakes from an unlikely source

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg is ordinarily Tottenham’s most consistent, reliable defensive force. Unlike a number of his teammates, Højbjerg rarely makes a mistake, let alone being culpable for two opposition goals.

A wayward touch got away from him on Everton’s equalizer. Højbjerg coughed the ball up deep in his own territory, allowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin to cash in. Hugo Lloris had a chance to save his teammate’s blushes, like Højbjerg has so often done for the Frenchman, but Spurs’ enigmatic keeper was only able to parry the venomous drive into his own net.

Lightning struck twice just before the stroke of halftime, with incidental contact on Calvert-Lewin compounding the Dane’s misery. The innocuous incident cost Spurs a penalty with just two minutes left in the opening half, which Gylfi Sigurðsson deposited with aplomb.

The stout Dane can be forgiven for a match he’ll want to forget. This one-off performance only goes to prove that even steely, robotic-like Danes are human, fallible and imperfect.

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