Tottenham Hotspur progressed to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Burnley on Wednesday, courtesy a decisive header from Lucas Moura.
Lucas Moura’s splendid headed goal made the difference in a low-quality game at Turf Moor in which neither Tottenham Hotspur nor Burnley had a shot on goal in the first half. Despite Nuno Espirito Santo fielding a relatively strong starting lineup for the cup tie, the visitors were pinned back by the home side in the initial phase of the opening period.
However, Lucas Moura provided Tottenham with the much-needed pace in the second half, as one surge through the middle demonstrated. Spurs indeed improved after the interval and started to move the ball quicker with intent. Harry Kane had a couple of decent chances but was off-balance and fired wide.
Giovani Lo Celso had the golden opportunity when Kane slipped him through 1v1 against Nick Pope, but the Burnley goalkeeper pulled off a big save to deny the Argentine’s puffed shot. The deadlock was finally broken in the 68th minute by a well-constructed goal from Nuno’s side.
Son Heung-min and Tanguy Ndombele combined well before sliding Emerson through in the right-half space to deliver a pinpoint cross, which headed home by Moura. Tottenham held off Burnley’s late rally to book their spot in the quarter-finals of the competition. After a confidence-boosting win on Wednesday night for Spurs, The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.
Pierluigi Gollini: 6/10
Starting ahead of Hugo Lloris, Gollini was barely tested all night. Burnley, after all, only mustered just one shot on target, leading to a rather comfortable clean sheet for the Italian goalkeeper.
Emerson Royal: 8/10
Emerson Royal ? Lucas Moura
A Spurs goal made in Brazil. ?? pic.twitter.com/0x5b2hMfiI
— 90min (@90min_Football) October 27, 2021
Emerson got the nod to start at right-back made a crucial clearing near the goal-line from Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s cross early in the game. Had few chances to drive forward in the first half but made a positive impact after the interval with a wonderful cross that set up Lucas Moura for the decisive goal. He took some excellent positions and was solid at the back.
Davinson Sanchez: 6.5/10
Sanchez recovered well from a bit of a rocky start, handling Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes smartly while producing an impressive block from Maxwel Cornet’s cross. As usual, there were a few good defensive moments as well as some weak ones.
Cristian Romero: 7/10
Solid at the back in the physical battle against Burnley’s frontmen, Romero often went flying into tackles and blocks. A good distributor, the Argentine was composed on the ball when playing out from the back. Romero helped his side to withhold the lead late on in the game.
Ben Davies: 6/10
Davies was solid defensively but offered next to nothing in the final third. He needed to overlap far more to provide an outlet for the forwards.
Oliver Skipp: 7/10
The all-action midfielder was composed on the ball. Skipp kept things moving smoothly in the centre of the park, occasionally crushing into challenges to reclaim the ball. He performed an admirable job before getting hooked off in the 66th minute as Spurs vied for the winning goal.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 6/10
The Dane was handed a surprise start instead of getting a rest before the crunch tie against Manchester United and was limited in screening the backline. An average display judging by his high standards. Nevertheless, he provided a solid base from the midfield.
Bryan Gil: 5/10
The young Spaniard came off early with a suspected muscular issue midway through the first half. Gil failed to make an impression before that, and it is a shame that the 20-year-old sustained his injury, after recently emerging as one of the few players on the periphery who are capable of breaking into the starting lineup in the bigger games.
Giovani Lo Celso: 7/10
Lo Celso was deployed in the No. 10 role and was the primary source of creativity for Tottenham. He created an early opportunity for Harry Kane but really should have netted from the glorious chance after being put through 1v1 on goal.
Steven Bergwijn: 5/10
Bergwijn started in his preferred position on the left flank. The Dutchman show a lot of energy and determination to get on the end of some half-chances, but his end product in the final third was poor on the day, and he badly miscued a volley in the first half. He appears to be lacking match sharpness which will only come with regular playing time.
Harry Kane: 6.5/10
Harry Kane vs Burnley (A)
100% dribble success*
2 shots
2 key passes*
1 big chance created*
70% duel win rate*
(*match best)Back to his best ? pic.twitter.com/17tNGTitmZ
— G (@arrywinks) October 27, 2021
After shooting wide with an early opening, Kane rarely troubled Burnley in the first half until he skied his off-balance volley from close range. He was much better after the interval, finding Lo Celso with a fantastic pass, but the Argentine could not take the chance. The England skipper persisted with it and later dropped deep to turn as a playmaker, but it is just not clicking for him right now in front of the goal.
SUBSTITUTES
Lucas Moura: 8/10
Lucas Moura came on much sooner than expected, and although his final ball was lacking at times in the first half, the Brazilian performed several darting runs to cause problems for the Burnley defence. He smashed the header home unmarked, giving Pope no chance, and he was unlucky not to get a second soon after.
Lucas Moura: Elite in the air.
Extraordinary for his height. #THFC #COYS pic.twitter.com/3bb2MO6gtX— Spurs International (@simonyemane) October 27, 2021
Tanguy Ndombele: 6/10
Ndombele achieved the aim of his substitution to provide Tottenham with a forward thrust. He made some great forward surges and showed exceptional ball-control while pressing well when the hosts rallied for a late equalizer.
Son Heung-min: 6/10
Son tried to provide the spark but could not make a significant influence on the game.
Joe Rodon: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
