Here’s Louise Taylor’s match report:
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José Mourinho speaks: “It was a frustrating afternoon but we were losing against a team who defends with a lot of soul and a lot of bodies and us without a target man who we could organise behind. We were the team who had the chances and we missed an easy last ball and we should win it. But we survived and we have to play again at home. In a game where for 90 minutes they had one dangerous situation the game is under control but that’s what it was. The great thing was the way everyone reacted and the boys on the pitch reacted. Then we took risks and we created so many chances in the past 10 minutes but we could only draw.”
Jonathan Woodgate speaks: “[Spurs] are a top, top team. In a Champions League final last season. We had to hang in at times. We know they play a high line so we thought we would have chances to get in [behind]. We’ve stayed with our principles of the game. I was playing with two number eights at centre-back but I thought they stuck at it and we were really good defensively. Mejias [the goalkeeper sel;ected instead of Pears] has been exceptional in cup games and that’s why I went with him today.”
If I was a Spurs fan, I would be a bit worried about the lack of pace in their general play. For all that Middlesbrough were very hard to break down, the passing in midfield was mostly ponderous, which led very quickly to a full-back’s crosses becoming their main outlet. Reminiscent of United anyone?
Middlesbrough’s Paddy McNair, who was excellent, speaks: “We knew before the game it was going to be tough and they would have a lot of the ball. Our shape today was good and we nullified them at times. We were a threat off set pieces all game. I think their keeper made two good save in the first half. It’s really enjoyable [here]. We didn’t start the season as we would have liked but we’ve picked up and hopefully we can sustain that. We’re only six or seven points off the play-offs.”
And here’s what Boro goalscorer Ashley Fletcher had to say: “It was a great ball through from Sav and I had penty of time to think but I just slid it past Gazzaniga. I thought we deserved to get a replay. We had to sustain a lot of pressure but thankfuly we stood strong..”
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Full-time: Middlesbrough 1-1 Tottenham
Middlesbrough win another free-kick. Spurs clear and then Alli overhits a pass and that is that. Boro fans can look forward to visiting the splendour of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in an FA Cup replay. Mourinho will not be happy but Boro were well organised and good value for their draw.
90+3 min: McNair’s cross into the box is too deep and gathered comfortably by Gazzaniga.
90+2 min: Spurs pass the ball around the Boro defence but they can’t find a way through. Boro break and Nmecha is clipped by Eriksen in the Spurs half. A huge cheer goes up as Boro can waste a few precious moments now and may even have a chance of a winner themselves.
90 min: Lamela skips past Clayton and fires a low cross at the near post that Mejias gobbles up. There’ll be four minutes of added time.
88 min: Oh-Aurier! McNair misses his attempted tackle on Lamela, who breaks past him and towards the edge of the box. He could shoot but chooses to feed Aurier outside him. The full-back takes a touch and can win it from eight yards, but wallops a hopeless shot over instead. Oh dear!
87 min: Spence loses possession in the corner and Spurs can build another attack.
86 min: Eriksen’s free-kick from 40 yards runs out of play for a goal-kick. I imagine both these teams could do without a replay. Boro have a rare foray forwards and win a throw-in deep inside the Spurs half.
84 min: Saville is booked after hooking Lo Celso’s legs from underneath him with a cynical foul that probably felt very necessary. Lamela gives referee Stuart Attwell a piece of his mind and is booked for his boisterous views.
83 min: Mejias is at it again. Racing out of his box to clear into the stands after Eriksen popped a clever pass into teh path of Lo Celso. Mejias has justified his starting place ahead of Pears today. He’s been solid.
82 min: Lamela pops the ball into Aurier, who races past him into the box. His low cross is cleared and a moment later Moura cuts inside and curls a wonderful shot towards the top corner that Mejias turns around the post with a strong hand. That’s a brilliant save.
80 min: Spurs are bossing possession but the pace has gone out of their play. When they get anywhere near the Boro boss the red shirts swarm all over them like angry bees.
78 min: Moura slips his dancing shoes on and tries to wriggle his way through the massed Boro ranks but slips after working himself a yard of space. He wins a corner, mind. Eriksen whips it into the near post but Boro clear.
77 min: The Boro goalscorer Fletcher is replaced by Nmecha, who makes his debut after signing on loan from Manchester City with Patrick Roberts on Thursday.
76 min: Eriksen’s first corner is cleared. His second is walloped out of play after the Spurs playmaker was looking for Alli on the far touchline side. File that under “Experimental Jazz”.
74 min: Lamela whips a dipping shot at goal from 25 yards that bounces in front of Mejias, who gets a fingertip too to send round the post. That was a classy hit and a fine save.
73 min: Eriksen whips a stinging cross into the penalty spot towards Moura that Howson does ever so well to read before heading clear. Spurs are slowly building up the pressure again now.
70 min: Gestede is on for Roberts and he has an immediate sight of goal. Vertonghen takes a heavy touch after Aurier’s crossfield pass. Spence pounces on it and feeds the newly-arrived striker inside him, who takes a touch and curls a weak shot straight at Gazzaniga from 20 yards. He should have done much better then. Perhaps he’s not got the Teesside chill out of his system yet.
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69 min: It’s all gone a bit scrappy. Clayton pops a ball into the corner that the wind grabs hold of and takes away for a throw-in.
66 min: Johnson is on for Coulson as Woodgate shuffles his pack. Coulson’s run his little red socks off.
65 min: Aurier slams a cross into Coulson and the ball deflects out to Eriksen on the edge of the box. He shapes to shoot but as he pulls the trigger Boro’s defenders crowd him out.
63 min: It was Spence who lost sight of Moura as Aurier’s cross came in. Woodgate will be disappointed with that as his side have been so well drilled before that moment of slackness. Having said that, Spurs have increased the tempo since going behind.
Goal! Middlesbrough 1-1 Spurs (Moura 61)
Spurs are level! Aurier finds space on the right. He drills a lovely ball to the back post, where Moura steps off his marker and heads across Mejias and into the far corner. Aurier has been Tottenham’s best player. Lovely header too.
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59 min: Moura twists and turns in the box before swivelling and finding Son, but the Spurs forward is hounded by McNair and Howson, who calmly levers Son off the ball before clearing.
57 min: Aurier has been Spurs’ best outlet today. He floats a cross into the back post that Boro clear. Vertonghen, who looks to have moved over to left-back, picks up possession and whips a cross into the box that Mejias jumps to collect under no pressure.
56 min: Mourinho has seen enough. Lo Celso is on for Sessegnon and Lamela is on for Winks.
54 min: Roberts pings a pass into Coulson, who only half controls as he tries to get in front of Aurier, but Gazzaniga is alert to the danger and rushes out to collect before the Boro winger can get to it first.
52 min: I would be interested to know what Mourinho said at half-time. You would have expected his side to come out with greater intensity but they just shuffled around for five minutes before that Boro goal.
Goal! Middlesbrough 1-0 Tottenham (Fletcher 50)
A goal! At last! Saville clips a brilliantly-weighted pass through a gap in Spurs’ defence for Fletcher to run on to. Dier plays him just onside. He takes one, two, three touches as he races into the box and slides it to the side of Gazzaniga – who gets a hand to it but not enough to stop it going into the net. The Riverside erupts!
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48 min: Son drives through midfield and finds Sessegnon outside himjbut the youngster wastes a good chance to cross and dribbles a harmless ball behind everyone instead.
46 min: Boro are the liveliest side at the start of the second half. Coulson has a run at Aurier, who matches him for pace, and blocks the Boro winger’s cross. Then Roberts has a pop from 25 yards but Dier blocks that. This is better, though. From small acorns and all that.
It's the second half!
45 min: Stuart Attwell blows really hard on his whistle and it’s the second 45. Let’s hope it’s better than the first.
An email! “No big fan of how VAR is used for judging offsides but if we are to assess its use we need to somehow count all the times players opt not to simulate because they know they will be caught out,” writes Håkan Burden. “Not an easy feature to measure but I do believe there is less drama today.” I’m not sure technology would have helped bring much drama to that first half, Hakan. It would have taken a lion invading the pitch to liven up at that first 45.
Some half-time reading from your man Barry Glendenning:
Half-time: Middlesbrough 0-0 Tottenham
And that was a half of football. There’ll be another one coming up in 15 minutes.
45 min: Winks goes over after rolling his ankle. He looks in pain but he’ll soldier on till half-time and get treatment then. Mourinho could do without another injury.
44 min: Alli is booked for Dele Alli-ing himself into the air after McNair’s attempted challenge on him over by the touchline. There was no contact but Alli was outnumbered three to one and threw himself in the air.
42 min: Aurier curls a devilishly deep cross to the back post, where Sessegnon is lurking … but Spence leaps and gets the slightest of touches to it to discombobulate the Spurs full-back, who slashes his volley wide.
40 min: There have been 13 goals in the other FA Cup ties taking place at the same time as this one. If you don’t believe me, you can count them all here on our live scores page.
38 min: It’s going to take some twinkle-toed skill or a very clever pass from Eriksen, Moura or Winks to unlock this Boro back three. They’re ever so well drilled. Woodgate-esque in their composure too. And that’s without Ayala marshalling them.
36 min: Fletcher runs down a blind alley after a rare Boro attack. We need some magic of the Cup. Perhaps this will help.
34 min: Son controls a long ball under great pressure and does well to find the onrushing Moura. He drives forwards to the edge of the box and rolls the ball wide for Aurier. His cross is whipped in to the front post where Alli flicks and misses the chance to score with an extravagant backheel. To be fair, it was a difficult chance and it was probably the only way he could score as the cross was slightly behind him.
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32 min: Spence drives forwards on the right after a neat one-two makes a spectator of Sessegnon. He has ta great chance to play in Roberts for a shot but his final ball is stabbed far too hard and rolls out for a goal-kick. That attack came after some patient possession at the back dragged Spurs out of position and gave Spence the chance to stretch his legs. That was much better play.
30 min: “Oh my gosh, there’s no VAR? What are we going to do?” squeals JR in Illinois. “If there’s no VAR then how are we supposed to verify that the referee’s calls are correct? (In case it’s not apparent I’m totally fooling around though if there was VAR at The Valley right now then West Brom should have had a penalty kick (and with VAR there’s about a 50% chance they would have got one) because a while back Naby Sarr blatantly stuck his hand up and knocked away a ball that was destined to land on Charlie Austin’s toe.)“
28 min: Spurs are firmly back in control and win their seventh corner. Eriksen whips a delicious ball in to the back post where Fry clears.
26 min: Spurs race up the other end and win a corner. Coulson fails to hook the ball away on the edge of the box and Sessegnon’s eyes light up as he picks up possession. But his shot is wasteful and sails off over the bar and towards the River Tees.
23 min: Winks concedes a free-kick. McNair hooks it into the far post, where Fry leaps highest and heads powerfully at goal. Gazzaniga is alert though, and throws himself down to make a fabulous save. The ball arrives at Saville’s feet and he slams a shot at goal that Gazzaniga saves again! A third shot from Saville is cleared off the line by Dier. Spurs survive!
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21 min: Aurier whips a cross into the near post and McNair sparks momentary panic among the home fans as he sidefoots wide of said post by no more than an inch. the Spurs clrner is headed out for another flag-kick, which is curled in to the penalty spot where Moura handballs.
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20 min: Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. Spurs are winning the possession cup.
18 min: Aurier dinks a cross to the back post, where Sessegnon is waiting … but he’s offside.
16 min: Spurs are getting a lot of joy down the flanks which is odd considering that Boro are playing with wing-backs. All the pretty Spurs passing is going around the three Boro centre-backs, though, who are resolutely keeping their shape and not exposing any gaps.
14 min: Tottenham have completely robbed Boro of their early mojo by not letting them have the ball for what feels like the past 10 minutes. It’s flattened the atmosphere too.
12 min: Spurs win a corner. Eriksen swings it in but Fletcher leaps highest and clears.
10 min: Spurs are starting to find their groove now. Moura slaloms through midfield and slips a lovely ball in behind the Boro defence that Son is this close to getting to ahead of Mejias. The Boro keeper launches himself at the ball, though, and gets a strong hand on it to send the ball squirting to the edge of the box. Moura picks up the loose ball and slams a shot into a Boro defender – and this time the ball sails away to safety. This is lively.
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8 min: Eriksen gets a sight of goal from just outside the box and clatters a shot straight at Mejias. It must move in the air slightly because the Boro keeper struggles to gather it in and is relieved to see it bounce back out of his midriff and past Son, who was lurking in the Kane position, nearby.
6 min: Some good news. There will be no VAR at the Riverside today!
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4 min: Boro play the ball out from the back calmly. Spurs squeeze them back and then Howson pops a simple ball down the channel for Roberts. The ball is worked across the front line to Coulson, who wins a corner after clattering the ball into Aurier’s arm. There’s an appeal for a penalty but it was outside the box and Aurier could not move his arm out of the way. The corner leads to a corner on the other side. Not that either cause Spurs too many problems.
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2 min: Boro win a corner after Spence slams a cross into Sessegnon. Moura heads clear and Coulson volleys well over from the edge of the box. It’s a fast start from Boro though. They’re well up for this.
Peep! It's the first half!
1 min: Boro get the game under way. Patrick Roberts makes his debut for them today. He signed on loan from Manchester City on Thursday. He has an eye for goal all right. He’s one to keep an eye on.
The teams are out and the fans at the Riverside are making a fair racket despite there not being a full house. Boro are resplendent in red. Spurs are glowing bright in white. We’ll be under way very shortly.
All matches in the FA Cup third-round are kicking off a minute later than they would ordinarily to encourage fans to ‘Take A Minute’ to think about looking after their mental health, as part of the Heads Up campaign. It’s an important initiative. For more information, click here.
José Mourinho speaks:
I love [the FA Cup]. Tottenham love [the FA Cup] … the history. Tottenham supporters too. But this is just the third round, the first match for us. If we want to think about Wembley, the semi-finals, it’s a long way off. It’s a difficult job and I wouldn’t forgive myself [if I picked a weakened team] and I would be to blame if I faced this game in a light way. We are in a difficult moment. I have lost players. The squad is not at its maximum potential. A cup is a cup and the FA Cup is more special than any other cup. Middlesbrough are in a good moment. If we come here with the wrong mentality it’s not going to be easy.
Robbie Keane and Jonathan Woodgate were speaking to BT Sport earlier. “The two of us know exactly what we need from each other,” says Keane. Woodgate is of the opinion that just because they’re young it doesn’t mean they haven’t already learnt a lot. “When people say they have no experience we’ve both been in the game for 20 years. We have no fear but let’s not forget that Tottenham are a world class team. We have a chairman who has put untold money into this football club and we want to have a [Cup] run for him.”
Of course, Boro’s assistant manager is former Spurs striker Robbie Keane. Here’s his son meeting José earlier. By the looks of it, Mourinho may have mistaken him for a pesky opposition ballboy. It’s not the warmest welcome you’ll ever see.
So both managers have made changes after hectic Christmas fixture pile-up but not as many as you might think. A quick glance at both sides in their last games shows that Boro have made four changes and Spurs, I think, have made three. Son starts for Spurs after his suspension. The last time he faced Boro at the Riverside he did this while scoring both goals in Spurs’ 2-1 win:
Sonny somehow finds the net! 🤯#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/MubSkVTJ0T
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 5, 2020
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Team news!
Middlesbrough: Middlesbrough: Mejias, Howson, Fry, McNair, Spence, Clayton, Saville, Coulson, Roberts, Tavernier, Fletcher. Subs: Nmecha, Gestede, Johnson, Wood-Gordon, Wing, Liddle, Brynn.
Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen,Sessegnon, Winks, Dier, Lucas Moura, Alli, Eriksen, Son. Subs: Sanchez, Lamela, Vorm, Lo Celso, Skipp, Tanganga, Parrott.
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
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Preamble
Afternoon! The last time Spurs won a trophy was 2008, when Jonathan Woodgate’s towering 94th-minute header sealed a dramatic 2-1 win over Chelsea in the League Cup final. He’s Middlesbrough’s manager these days and still knows the value of winning a cup. “Cups are what dreams are made of,” he said in the buildup to today’s third-round FA Cup tie. They’re also a handy way of forming a bond with your club’s fans, something that José Mourinho is keenly aware of.
In each of his first full seasons at Porto, Chelsea (in his first spell), Inter and Manchester United, he has won a trophy. He knows how much the FA Cup means to Tottenham. They’ve won it eight times and are third favourites with the bookies to add number nine to that impressive haul. With Pep Guardiola putting Manchester City’s focus on the Champions League and Jürgen Klopp placing Liverpool’s attention on the Premier League, the Cup offers Spurs a very good chance to end their 12-year trophy drought.
Mind you, Boro are in cracking form. After a dismal start to the season in which Boro goals were a rare as hen’s teeth, Woodgate has finally got the balance right between defence and attack. They have won four in a row since 20 December and conceded only one goal. Tottenham’s form has been far more patchy. A draw at Norwich and a defeat at Southampton in which Harry Kane injured a hamstring has made for a gloomy start to 2020. Mourinho will hope a Cup tonic can lift Spurs fans’ spirits.
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