Late Son penalty sees Spurs progress despite impressive Saints performance

A late Heung-Min Son penalty completed a second half comeback for Tottenham as they progressed past Southampton, despite the visitors dominating for large periods of the match.

Tottenham’s Argentine duo Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela missed the clash with thigh and groin injuries, Jose Mourinho hopeful these will not be long-term issues ahead of the winter break.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints had Stuart Armstrong back on the bench whilst Shane Long started up top alongside the inform Danny Ings.

Spurs boss Mourinho emphasised pre-match that now is the time for his club’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele to show his capabilities after battling injuries for much of the campaign with the Frenchman displaying a glimpse of his quality early on, spinning away smartly from Oriel Romeu.

The fixture looked set to be a free-flowing encounter as Ryan Sessegnon and Danny Ings both had chances for their sides earlier on.

Hugo Lloris then had to save from first Sofiane Boufal, Southamton’s goalscorer from the first tie, and then Nathan Redmond as Southampton pushed for an opener.

It was the hosts who would strike first however and it was to be Ndombele who was influential, albeit aided by a kind deflection from the Saints defence.

After Harry Winks lofted the ball through to Ryan Sessegnon, the covering Jack Stephens cleared the ball away. The defender only found Ndombele whose low driven shot which looked destined to go wide deflected off a helpless Stephens, still on the ground from his previous block, and into the back of the net for a cruel own goal.

James Ward-Prowse’s ball through on 18 minutes found Ings bearing down on goal, the Englishmen only succeeding in cannoning his shot back off the crossbar.

Saints eventually found the equaliser on 34 minutes when Redmond’s shot, parried out by Lloris, found Shane Long to tap home.

It was no less than the visitors deserved after numerous attempts at the Tottenham goal prior to Long’s finish.

Ward-Prowse was then replaced by Jannik Vestergaard having suffered what seemed to be a long term injury, Southampton boss Hasenhuttl visibly distressed by the incident.

The second half interval started as the first had ended with Tottenham unable to provide any answer to the Southampton press as Boufal squandered a fantastic chance to give his side the lead.

Despite the dominance from the visitors, Tottenham’s quality will always create chances as shown by Son’s cross which was headed wide from close range by Lucas Moura.

Mourinho switched to a back four with Jan Vertonghen, who had struggled against the running on Ings and Long in between him, departing for an extra man in midfield.

Only one team in this fixture looked likely to score next as Vestergaard’s headed attempt produced a fine stop from Lloris, the Frenchman being kept very busy in the Tottenham goal.

On 71 minutes, Southampton got their reward. Picking the ball up inside his own half, Redmond drove in between Winks and Son before feeding the ball to Ings. From there, the striker squared up his defender, cut inside and curled a low effort past Lloris to give his team a deserved lead.

The goal quickly livened up Spurs’ play and the equaliser was prompt. Substitute Dele Alli revived the ball and fed Moura, who cut inside of Vestergaard and unleashed a shot across Angus Gunn and into the far corner.

Buoyed by their equaliser, Tottenham were now on top as they aimed for progression through a tie which they had been second best for large periods.

And they had the perfect opportunity to do just that on 86 minutes when Gunn fouled Son inside the area.

It would be the South Korean to step up and fire past the Saints ‘keeper to put Spurs in front.

Five minutes of added time were played in N17 as Mourinho’s side claimed a 3-2 victory and a place in the fifth round.

Tottenham XI: Lloris (C), Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen (Gedson, 54), Tanganga, Dier, Winks, Ndombele (Alli, 60), Sessegnon (Sanchez, 90) Lucas, Son

Tottenham unused substitutes: Gazzaniga, Cirkin, Skipp, Parrott

Southampton XI: Gunn, Ward-Prowse (Vestergaard, 40), Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, Hojbjerg (C), Romeu, Boufal (Armstrong, 67), Redmond, Ings, Long (Adams, 81)

Southampton unused substitutes: Lewis, Vokins, Smallbone, Obafemi