Wycombe Wanderers 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 talking points as Jose Mourinho's men advance to the fifth round | FA Cup 2020-21
In an entertaining FA Cup tie at Adams Park Stadium on Monday, Tottenham Hotspur came from behind against Wycombe Wanderers to secure a place in the fifth round of the competition.
Spurs ran out 1-4 winners in the end, although Wycombe certainly made a game of things and took a stunning lead midway through the first half.
Wycombe's lone goal came from Fred Onyedinma, who capitalised on some questionable Tottenham Hotspur defending to slot home from close range.
It looked like Wycombe would carry their lead into the second half, but Gareth Bale deftly scored an equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
Tottenham Hotspur dominated the second half, sending wave after wave of attacks at Wycombe’s defence, which somehow stood firm. Only when Jose Mourinho brought out his big guns – Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Tanguy Ndombele – did the Premier League side break through.
In the 86th minute, Kane saw a shot saved by keeper Ryan Allsop but managed to keep the ball in play. It eventually came out to Harry Winks – who curled a wonderful shot in from range.
Once their resistance was broken, Wycombe essentially folded – allowing Ndombele to add two late goals to cement the result, sending Tottenham Hotspur into the fifth round to face Everton.
Here are 5 talking points from Tottenham Hotspur’s win over Wycombe.
#1 Wycombe didn’t play like the EFL Championship’s bottom side
Wycombe are currently rock bottom of the EFL Championship, and relegation to League One is looking like a distinct possibility for them.
However, up against high-end Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, Gareth Ainsworth’s men looked far better than their league position would suggest.
They played a hard-running, physical game that gave Spurs plenty of problems in the first half. When Fred Onyedinma scored on 25 minutes, it was arguably a deserved goal.
Tottenham Hotspur's defenders Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez were clearly rattled by the strength of Uche Ikpeazu, and for a while, it looked like an upset could be on the cards.
Of course, by the time the second half came around, Wycombe almost completely ran out of steam – perhaps due to the fact that they were coming off a 16-day layoff due to COVID-19. Even then, their defence held fast against a ton of pressure, with the likes of Joe Jacobson and Josh Knight working tremendously hard.
Basically, Ainsworth should be proud of his team’s efforts, even in losing.
#2 Gareth Bale finally looked sharp for Tottenham Hotspur
Gareth Bale’s loan to Tottenham Hotspur has been discussed a lot recently, with plenty of people seemingly ready to write the Welshman’s move off as a failure. While it’s too early to claim that right now, it’s clear that Jose Mourinho has also recognised that Bale hasn’t hit form yet.
The Portuguese stated on the eve of Monday’s game that he couldn’t just “hand Bale minutes” and that he would have to earn them.
Bale was given a rare start in the game, and judging by his performance, he clearly felt like he had something to prove. Sure, the finishing for his goal wasn’t quite perfect, but he was clearly Tottenham Hotspur’s most threatening player for the majority of the game.
At times, the Welshman ghosted past Wycombe’s defenders like they weren’t even there, and he also produced some fantastic touches and passes, giving flashbacks to his original run with Spurs almost a decade ago.
While the opposition wasn’t as strong as the ones that Tottenham Hotspur will have to face in the Premier League, this was the first real sign that Bale is getting up to full speed. And if that’s the case, and Mourinho can deploy him more often, Tottenham Hotspur will be more dangerous than ever.