Marine 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur - 5 talking points as minnows go down swinging | FA Cup 2020-21

In one of the most historic FA Cup ties of all time, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur traveled to eighth-tier side Marine today and came away 0-5 winners.

Tottenham were always favored to beat Marine, who became only the second side from their tier of football to make it to the FA Cup’s third round. And after a slight scare early on that saw Neil Kengni hit the bar, it became business as usual for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Striker Carlos Vinicius opened the scoring from close range on 24 minutes. And by the 37th minute, Tottenham were 0-4 up, with the Brazilian completing a hat-trick and Lucas Moura scoring a free-kick.

The second half saw a professional performance from Tottenham, who added their fifth goal from 16-year old debutant Alfie Devine. nd although Marine put up a valiant effort, they were clearly outclassed.

Here are five talking points from Tottenham’s 0-5 win over Marine.

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#1 Tottenham boss Mourinho proves that he respects the FA Cup

Jose Mourinho showed plenty of respect for Marine and for the FA Cup with his team selection.

Given their crazy schedule this season – a schedule that could get even more hectic if Wednesday’s clash with Aston Villa is postponed – Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho could’ve been excused for not taking tonight’s game seriously.

The truth is that any side Mourinho picked probably could’ve overcome eighth tier side Marine. However, when the teams were announced, fans of both Tottenham and Marine probably had a nice surprise.

Sure, there were no Harry Kane or Son Heung-min, and youngster Harvey White was given his first start in midfield. But this was still a strong Tottenham side, complete with first-team regulars like Toby Alderweireld, Matt Doherty, and Lucas Moura.

Add in the fact that Dele Alli and Gareth Bale also played, and this was proof that for as much as he receives criticism, Mourinho clearly respected both Marine and the FA Cup.

Compare his behavior today to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s refusal to attend an FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury last season – and his use of a full youth side in said game – and it’s night and day.

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#2 Even in losing, Marine showed that the magic of the FA Cup is still alive

Neil Kengni nearly shocked the world when his shot hit the bar in the first half of tonight's game.

If you were to ask many football fans in 2021, they’d probably tell you that the ‘magic’ of the FA Cup has been dead for years. Not only are giant-killing upsets becoming rarer and rarer, but we’ve now reached the point where plenty of EFL Championship managers, not to mention Premier League bosses, barely take the competition seriously.

However, tonight, eighth-tier Marine proved that the magic of the FA Cup is still alive and well.

This was only the second time a team from their tier had made it to the third round of the competition, and from the off, it was clear quite how unique this match was.

Marine’s ground, Rossett Park, was surrounded by terraced houses, meaning that fans could actually attend the game, albeit from their back gardens.

And while their team – made up of part-timers, including a PE teacher and a bin man – were eventually overwhelmed by Tottenham, they still gave a good account of themselves.

Goalkeeper Bayleigh Passant made some strong saves and looked assured overall. Forward Niall Cummins gave Tottenham’s defenders a good physical tussle, and Neil Kengni even hit the bar in the first half with a shot that completely fooled Joe Hart.

Fans watching clearly had a blast. They used air horns throughout the game and even aired Three Lions on a stereo during the second half. It’s clear that even in losing, Marine showed that the FA Cup can still find new ways to surprise us, even in 2021.

#3 Did the game do anything for Dele’s Tottenham future?

Dele Alli impressed tonight, but will his future still lie with Tottenham?

With the January transfer window now open, plenty of questions are swirling around right now regarding the future of Dele Alli.

The England international has barely played a part for Tottenham this season, only making a total of nine appearances before tonight. And with former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino now at Paris St. Germain, current rumors suggest that Dele could be ready to join him in France.

However, just as many rumors suggest that Tottenham don’t want to let Dele go. And so tonight, the attacker was given a chance to start – and hopefully impress – against Marine.

So how did he do? Well, after a bit of a shaky start, Dele was pretty great tonight. Sure, Marine weren’t exactly the trickiest opponents, but Dele had a hand in three of Tottenham’s first four goals. He also finished the game with an 86% pass completion rate and made five key passes, more than any other player on the pitch.

Based on tonight, I’d say it’s worth Jose Mourinho looking to keep Dele around and attempting to re-integrate him into Premier League action. It’s clear that he still has plenty to offer. And with Giovani Lo Celso on the shelf and Tottenham lacking creativity at times, Dele could well prove to be the ace in the hole that Mourinho needs right now.

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#4 Tottenham’s kids show that the future is bright at Spurs

Alfie Devine became Tottenham's youngest ever player tonight - and then scored his side's fifth goal.

Jose Mourinho might not have used as many young players as Aston Villa were forced to in Friday’s FA Cup loss to Liverpool, but he still made the most of tonight’s tie with Marine when it came to blooding academy products.

Midfielder Harvey White was given his first start in place of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. And while he won’t be dislodging the Dane any time soon, he still looked assured and calm in possession. Overall, White made 90 passes, with an impressive accuracy of 89%.

And the second half saw three more youngsters introduced. Of course, we know all about defender Japhet Tanganga – who broke into Tottenham’s first team last season. However, Jack Clarke showed that he’s an exciting – if raw – talent on the left-wing, in a speedy performance somewhat reminiscent of Manchester United’s Daniel James.

And most impressively, 16-year-old Alfie Devine became Tottenham’s youngest-ever player, and then scored a wonderful goal, cutting inside before firing home into the bottom corner.

Whether any of this trio can establish themselves on the first team or the fringes as Tanganga has done is still up in the air. But it’s clear that Mourinho trusts them. And with his reputation as a boss who doesn’t exactly give much time to young players, that’s impressive enough for now.

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#5 Will Tottenham now use Vinicius more often?

After scoring a hat-trick tonight, will Tottenham now make more use of Carlos Vinicius in the Premier League?

When Tottenham signed striker Carlos Vinicius on a season-long loan from Benfica, the feeling was that they finally had the backup for Harry Kane that Spurs fans had wanted for so long.

However, while he’s impressed when he has appeared this season – scoring three goals in five Europa League appearances – he’s largely been absent from Premier League action, making just two appearances from the bench.

Vinicius once again showed his worth tonight, though. He opened the scoring against Marine with two poachers’ efforts and then completed his hat-trick with a beautiful lobbed goal, all in the first half of the game.

Is the Brazilian as good as Kane? Obviously not; Kane is arguably the Premier League’s most outstanding player right now. However, it might well be worth giving Vinicius more minutes in the Premier League now, if only to give Kane a much-needed breather.

With performances like these, he should definitely have earned a crack, at least.