Wycombe Wanderers 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 talking points as Jose Mourinho's men advance to the fifth round | FA Cup 2020-21

It wasn't always easy, but Tottenham are into the fifth round of the FA Cup following their win over Wycombe
It wasn't always easy, but Tottenham are into the fifth round of the FA Cup following their win over Wycombe

#3 Harry Winks makes the most of his chance – but Davinson Sanchez fails to cover himself in glory

Harry Winks enjoyed an excellent game in Tottenham's midfield and took his goal well
Harry Winks enjoyed an excellent game in Tottenham's midfield and took his goal well

Tottenham Hotspur made a number of changes for Monday’s game from the side that beat Sheffield United on January 17th. Some of their lesser-spotted players had very mixed results at Adams Park Stadium.

Harry Winks was selected in his usual deep-lying midfield role but ended up playing in a slightly more advanced role.

The England international was fantastic throughout the game. Not only did he take his goal brilliantly, calmly bending the ball into the net from distance without hitting it with too much power, but he also made some driving runs through Wycombe’s defence in both the first and second half of the game.

Winks is, of course, more known for his passing. Against Wycombe, he completed 62 of his 76 attempts, with three key passes amongst them. This was a very progressive showing from him and should bode well for his chances at Premier League minutes.

Davinson Sanchez, on the other hand, has probably blown his chance at becoming a Premier League regular again after Monday’s showing.

The Colombian never looked confident from the opening minutes up against Wycombe’s physical attackers, and it was an error from him that allowed Fred Onyedinma to open the scoring.

Somehow, the ball simply bounced off him and into the path of the Wycombe attacker, when it would’ve been far easier for him to clear it.

With Jose Mourinho clearly beginning to trust youngster Joe Rodon more, and with Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld already ahead of him in the pecking order, Sanchez’s time at Tottenham Hotspur may be slowly coming to an end.


#4 Tanguy Ndombele is a ridiculous talent

Tanguy Ndombele is on a phenomenal run of form right now
Tanguy Ndombele is on a phenomenal run of form right now

It won’t be news to Tottenham Hotspur fans who’ve watched all of their side’s games during the current season, but Tanguy Ndombele is a simply ludicrous talent. And as more time goes on, the mercurial Frenchman seems to somehow be getting better and better.

Ndombele was only given a cameo appearance on Monday. He came into the game after 68 minutes, with Jose Mourinho clearly having one eye on the clash with Liverpool on Thursday. However, he certainly made the most of it.

Not only did the 24-year-old display some ridiculous skills and touches, he also managed to complete two key passes in his 22 minutes on the pitch. He was also able to score two late goals, taking his total for the season to six.

And if his first goal was relatively simple – he slotted home from close range following an excellent pass from Son Heung Min – his second was phenomenal.

Ndombele was played into the box by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg but was surrounded by two Wycombe defenders. Somehow, the Frenchman was able to drag the ball back between his legs to throw them off and then smash it into the corner of the net.

It’s taken a long time – and some tough love from Mourinho – for Ndombele to start producing the goods for Tottenham Hotspur. However, right now, he’s in a fantastic vein of form and looks like one of the best midfielders in the country. Simply put, it’s a pleasure to watch him in action.


#5 Tottenham Hotspur fans will hope their team show sharper finishing on Thursday

Tottenham will need better finishing if they are to defeat Liverpool later this week
Tottenham will need better finishing if they are to defeat Liverpool later this week

Tottenham Hotspur’s game with Liverpool this Thursday is probably their biggest Premier League match since, well, their clash with the current champions at Anfield on December 16th.

And while Jose Mourinho’s side won comfortably in the end against Wycombe, their fans will be hoping that their team shows better finishing skills on Thursday.

Overall, Tottenham Hotspur finished Monday’s game with a total of 28 shots. 10 of them were on target, with another two hitting the woodwork. How it took until the 86th minute for them to take the lead is anyone’s guess.

From Gareth Bale and Erik Lamela to Son Heung-Min and even Harry Kane, all of Tottenham Hotspur’s players seemed incapable of finding the net with even simple chances. At times, it was worth wondering if fate was against them, even if it was good to see them creating plenty of opportunities.

Of course, Harry Winks eventually broke the seal – and Tanguy Ndombele really finished things off late on – but if they want to beat Liverpool, Spurs will need to be far more clinical than they were against Wycombe.

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