Tottenham Hotspur travelled to Greater Manchester to take on Rochdale in the fifth round of the FA Cup in what promised to be a tricky tie for Mauricio Pochettino’s men. The Argentinian manager opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation and made a few changes for this contest. They began the match on the front foot but failed to capitalise on their chances and got caught in the counter by the home team. Rochdale scored just at the stroke of half-time through their skipper Ian Henderson to get themselves 1-0 ahead going into the break.
Pochettino’s half-time team talk worked wonders for the visitors as they scored the equaliser in the 59th minute through their new January signing Lucas Moura. Harry Kane came on from the bench and converted from the penalty spot to complete the turnaround for Spurs. However, there was a sting in the tail as Rochdale equalised in the 93rd minute through their super-sub Steve Davies. The match ended with both teams sharing the spoils in a high scoring 2-2 stalemate on the day.
Let’s take a look at how each Spurs player fared during the contest.
GK: Michel Vorm – 5/10
He made a few good saves but had a relatively uneventful game in the Tottenham goal.
RB: Kieran Trippier – 6/10
He made a good block early on and was aggressive going forward. However, he was at fault for not stopping the cross which led to the Rochdale equaliser in the dying embers of the game.
CB: Toby Alderweireld – 6/10
The Belgian looked a shadow of his former self. He struggled during the match and made a few key mistakes while defending but was an aerial threat from dead ball situations going forward.
CB: Juan Foyth – 7/10
He put in a promising performance at the heart of the Tottenham defence. The Argentinian made a few good tackles early on which gave him the confidence to have a solid game in defence.
LB: Danny Rose – 5/10
Not the best game from the English full-back, he looked rusty and his passes missed their mark on a number of occasions.
CM: Victor Wanyama – 5/10
The Kenyan midfielder was caught in possession time and time again during the first half. However, he improved as the game progressed and missed a wonderful opportunity for Spurs in the final quarter of the game.
CM: Harry Winks – 6/10
He put in a tireless shift at the centre of the park but looked rusty during the contest.
RM: Moussa Sissoko – 7/10
He had a rare good game for the visitors. The French midfielder made a number of good runs from the midfield which ultimately opened the door for Lucas to score the equaliser in the second half.
CAM: Lucas Moura – 8/10
The Brazilian was superb on the day and capped off a brilliant performance with a goal for Spurs when he scored the equaliser in the 59th minute via a smart finish from close range.
LM: Heung-Min Son – 6/10
He had a few cracks at goal but was largely frustrated with chances at a premium during the contest.
ST: Fernando Llorente – 5/10
Another disappointing display from the Spaniard. He struggled to get into the game and his link-up play with his teammates left a lot to be desired.
Substitutes:
LM: Erik Lamela – 6/10
He looked a threat after coming on for the final quarter of the game.
CAM: Dele Alli – 7/10
He came off the bench to make a real impact on the game. The English talent earned a penalty late on which almost secured qualification to the next round for the visitors.
ST: Harry Kane – 7/10
The English forward came off the bench to convert from the penalty spot which almost won the game for Spurs.
