Tottenham recorded the biggest away win in club history on Friday as Fernando Llorente scored a hat trick to help crush fourth-tier Tranmere 7-0 in the third round of the FA Cup.
Tranmere held out until Serge Aurier got Tottenham rolling with a strike from 25 meters (27 yards) five minutes before halftime.
Son Heung-min set up Llorente and Aurier early in the second half and made it 4-0 with a goal of his own in the 57th.
Llorente then added back-to-back goals in the 71st and 72nd before late substitute Harry Kane capped the demolition.
Besides the biggest road victory for the club founded in 1882, it was also its largest margin of victory since beating Wigan Athletic 9-1 in 2009.
AP
Relive all the action below:
Good evening and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's FA Cup third round clash between Tranmere Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur, brought to you from Prenton Park.
Kick-off is at 7:45pm this evening with the teams due to be announced an hour before, when we'll begin our full build-up towards one of the most eagerly anticipated weekends on the calendar.
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Team News
The Tottenham team is in!
Changes
Spurs have made eight changes to their starting lineup for tonight's trip to Tranmere. Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen are left out, but this is still a strong team. Dele Alli, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min give most Premier League defences nightmares, so Tranmere will need to be at their best to stop them.
And here's Tranmere's team. Watch out for James Norwood, League Two's top scorer with 16 goals to his name so far this season.
This is a big night for the home supporters at a sold-out Prenton Park. But it's one they should enjoy. After enduring a difficult few years - the Birkenhead club dropped out of the Football League and into the National League - Tranmere are now back in League 2 and challenging for the playoffs. Expect a raucous atmosphere at Prenton Park this evening.
For Tottenham, the expectation will be comfortable progression into the fourth round of the FA Cup. They know, though, how tricky a visit to a League 2 side can be. Spurs were held to a draw by Newport County in last year's competition, a result they will hope is not replicated tonight.
Tranmere and Tottenham have not played each other since the 2001-2002 season, when Spurs won 4-0 at Prenton Park in the League Cup third round and 4-0 at White Hart Lane in the FA Cup fifth round. The home side will be hoping for a very different scoreline this time around.
Here's some excellent pre-match reading to whet the appetite: Miguel Delaney on the meaning of the FA Cup.
The atmosphere at Prenton Park is building nicely now.
Dele Alli will lead Spurs out tonight. He's got experience of playing at a lower level with MK Dons, so that may well be the thinking behind it. Pochettino has often been accused of not approaching cup competitions seriously, but that isn't the case tonight. He's fielding a strong team, which should be good enough to secure victory and keep Spurs in the hunt for another trophy.
Pochettino has been speaking to BT Sport:
It’s going to be a very difficult game because the FA Cup always forces you to give your best. You cannot talk about levels in this type of competition and if you don’t take it the right, the game can be problematic. We have to have the same level of motivation and energy and after that our quality should appear, but if we do not have that, it will be difficult.”
Recent history suggests Spurs shouldn't have too many problems with this tie. The draws at Newport and Rochdale are still fresh in the memory, though.
The teams are out at Preton Park. Kick off is imminent...
Tranmere 0-0 Tottenham
3 minutes
As expected, Spurs are dominating the ball in the early stages, attempting to quieten the noisy home fans and assert themselves on their opposition. Tranmere deal with an early corner but it's all Tottenham at the moment.
Tranmere 0-0 Tottenham
6 minutes
The hosts look well organised and disciplined. They're harrying Spurs' players well, denying them time and space on the ball.
Tranmere 0-0 Tottenham
7 minutes
Son misses a big chance to give Spurs the lead. Tranmere's experienced captain, McNulty, is caught out and Llorente plays the ball through to Son. He runs in on goal but can't beat the onrushing Davies.
Tranmere 0-0 Tottenham
10 minutes
Mark Ellis has got a very long throw, almost Rory Delap-esque. He hasn't been able to launch one into Spurs' box yet, but that might come in useful later on.
Tranmere 0-0 Tottenham
13 minutes
Another big chance is wasted by Tottenham. Son, waiting patiently on the edge of the box, feeds Lucas, who needs only to pick his spot. But he's off balance and can't get any power on his finish. Davies makes a comfortable save and Tranmere survive.
Tranmere 0-0 Tottenham
16 minutes
Davies hits one from distance after seeing a free kick into the box cleared. The shot has plenty of power on it, but it's straight at his namesake Davies, who has been a busy goalkeeper so far.
