Tottenham Hotspur secured their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a narrow 1-0 win over Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday. The only goal of the game came from Pedro Porro, who unleashed a stunning strike from 30 yards out in the 79th minute.
Tottenham dominate possession but struggle to create chances
Tottenham, who are unbeaten under manager Ange Postecoglou, started the game with a strong line-up that included Son Heung-min, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Manor Solomon in attack. The hosts enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territory but found it hard to break down a resilient Burnley defense that was well-organized by Vincent Kompany.
The Clarets, who are struggling in the Premier League, showed their defensive solidity and discipline as they frustrated Tottenham’s creative players and limited their chances. The visitors also posed a threat on the counter-attack, with Lyle Foster and Luca Koleosho testing Guglielmo Vicario in the Tottenham goal.
The best chance of the first half fell to Son, who was played through by Solomon in the 26th minute, but his chip over James Trafford was cleared off the line by Connor Roberts. Burnley also had a couple of opportunities, with Foster forcing Vicario into a fine save in the 55th minute and Zeki Amdouni shooting just wide in the 58th minute.
Porro produces a moment of magic to settle the tie
The second half continued similarly, with Tottenham dominating the ball but struggling to find the final pass or shot. Burnley, meanwhile, defended with determination and looked to hit Tottenham on the break. The game seemed to be heading for extra time until Porro produced a moment of magic to settle the tie.
The Portuguese right-back, who has been impressive since joining Tottenham from Manchester City in the summer, picked up the ball in his half and drove forward. He then unleashed a thunderous shot from 30 yards out that flew past Trafford and into the top corner, leaving the Burnley keeper with no chance. It was a goal worthy of winning any game, and it sent the Tottenham fans into ecstasy.
Burnley tried to respond in the final minutes, but Tottenham held on to their lead and booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup. It was a hard-fought win for the hosts, who had to overcome a stubborn Burnley side that gave them a tough test. Tottenham will now hope to continue their unbeaten run under Postecoglou and challenge for silverware this season.
Player ratings
Here are the player ratings for both teams, based on a scale of 1 to 10:
Tottenham
- Vicario: 8: Made some good saves and was composed with the ball.
- Porro scored a stunning goal and was solid defensively.
- Romero: 8—Led the defense with authority and confidence.
- Van de Ven: 7: Had some shaky moments but recovered well.
- Udogie: 8—was energetic and effective on both ends of the pitch.
- Sarr: 7: He controlled the midfield with his passing and tackling.
- Bissouma: 7 was strong and composed in the middle of the park.
- Kulusevski: 6—showed some flashes of skill but was not very influential.
- Madison: 8: He was creative and dangerous with his dribbling and shooting.
- Solomon: 7—Assisted Son’s chance and was lively throughout.
- Son: 8: He was unlucky not to score and was a constant threat.
Burnley
- Trafford: 7: Made some good saves and could not do much about Porro’s goal.
- Roberts: 7—cleared Son’s chip off the line and was solid at the back.
- Tarkowski: 7: Was strong and organized in the center of defense.
- Mee: 7: Was brave and committed in his challenges and blocks.
- Taylor: 6: Had a tough time dealing with Kulusevski and Porro.
- Gudmundsson: 6: Worked hard but did not offer much going forward.
- Westwood: 6—was tidy but not very adventurous with his passing.
- Cork: 6: Battled well in the midfield but was outclassed by Sarr and Bissouma.
- Koleosho: 7: Was lively and dangerous on the left flank and set up Foster’s goal.
- Amdouni: 6—had a couple of decent efforts but was isolated up front.
- Foster: 7: He scored a good goal and was a handful for the Tottenham defense.
