Tottenham Hotspur progressed into the fifth round of the FA Cup after a comfortable 3-0 victory again Preston North End. The Lilywhites had Heung-Min Son to thank for the result, with the South Korean scoring two sublime finishes to send Spurs on their way.
It was a poor first half from the Premier League side, who were slow and lethargic in the final third. However, as soon as Son scored a stunning strike early on in the second half, the Lilywhites cruised to victory up north.
Arnaut Danjuma scored on his debut late on to delight the travelling fans. It capped off a fine performance from Spurs, who will now turn their attention to the fifth round draw on Monday night.
In comparison, Preston fought valiantly, but quality eventually prevailed in Lancashire.
-
Woodman's efforts end in vain
The hosts went toe to toe with the Premier League side for the first half, but eventually their efforts tolled. In the opening 45, the visitors had very few chances, but Freddie Woodman was forced into two fine saves.
His first save saw him collapse onto Son's strike comfortably, despite it almost surprising him at the last moment. In comparison, his second save was even better. Son's powerful right-footed strike looked to be heading for the top right corner, however Woodman tipped it over the bar with a firm hand.
It was an impressive performance from the goalkeeper, and it showed that the former Newcastle player still has the potential to impress on the pitch. Although he could not prevent any of the three goals, all three strikes were unstoppable given their precision.
-
Vintage Son
This season, Son has struggled for form, despite winning the golden boot in the previous campaign. After stunning performances against Leicester City and Eintracht Frankfurt this season, many thought he would find form, but that is yet to occur so far.
However, against Preston, Son channeled his vintage style. In the first half, he was lively and the most threatening player. He forced Woodman into two fine saves to keep the score 0-0.
But, in the second half, Son's efforts paid off. His first goal - a stunning left-footed strike from 25 yards - picked out the bottom corner with power and precision, leaving Woodman no chance in goal.
It got better for the South Korean later on. His second goal was just as impressive, as he latched onto Ivan Perisic's pass before firing powerfully past Woodman.
Both strikes came from his weaker foot and delighted the travelling fans. Son will be hoping he can regain confidence from this performance, with Spurs having a crucial match against Manchester City coming up.
-
Instant impact from Danjuma
Not many expected Danjuma to be in a Lilywhite shirt for the remainder of the season. The Dutchman's sensational move to Spurs was out of the blue, with the North London side hijacking his potential transfer to Everton at the last minute.
Despite signing on Wednesday, the winger was able to make his debut for Spurs in the second half. He looked lively and aggressive on the ball. Whenever Spurs lost possession, Danjuma was one of the first to vent his frustration to his teammates.
His passion and intensity were rewarded late on. A flowing moving from Bryan Gil saw the ball land to Dejan Kulusevski, who whipped in a dangerous low cross into the box. The loanee latched onto the cross perfectly and guided a delicate shot into the bottom corner. It capped off an almost perfect evening for Spurs.
-
Sessegnon struggles once again
After signing in 2019, Ryan Sessegnon's Tottenham career has never quite kicked into life. After a loan move to Hoffenheim, it was hoped he would come back and hit the ground running. However, the English full-back has continued to struggle, which was highlighted once again against Preston.
Sessegnon had numerous opportunities to produce dangerous crosses into the box. However, they often hit the first man or were too powerful.
This is a concerning theme for Antonio Conte to work with. The Italian's tactics are heavily reliant on creativity from their wing-backs, but Sessegnon lacks the quality from out wide, which makes Spurs easy to predict in the final third.
Sessegnon was subbed off in the 71st minute, which saw a disappointing night end for the former Fulham youngster. The 22-year-old will need to improve his consistency if he wants a place in Conte's starting eleven.