There are no alarms for Spurs and no surprises for Fantasy managers as League Two side Newport County are beaten 2-0 in the final replay of the FA Cup fourth round.
After needing a late goal from Harry Kane to keep his side in the competition when the teams first met late last month, Mauricio Pochettino wasn’t inclined to risk many of his big names for the Wembley follow-up.
The coach made ten changes to the side that drew with Liverpool on Sunday, with Ben Davies and Jan Vertonghen rested, Kane and Kieran Trippier left on the bench and Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli only introduced in the second half.
Just Son Heung-min remained from the Anfield epic and he was a lively presence throughout, setting up Spurs’ second goal before being taken off on the hour with Saturday’s north London derby presumably in mind.
If Newport were daydreaming of a cup upset, an own goal in the 26th minute injected a dose of reality as Moussa Sissoko’s cross deflected off a defender and left visiting keeper Joe Day high and dry.
Spurs never allowed complacency to creep into their game and it was only a combination of Day’s heroics and Spurs’ profligacy – Fernando Llorente missed a range of big chances and Alli hit the bar when put clean through – that kept the score respectable.
But in truth, the tie was over once Erik Lamela had steered home Son’s pass in the 34th minute.
The Argentinian’s career has been in limbo for over a year since picking up a serious hip injury and last night’s goal was his first in 17 months.
He remains unsurprisingly rusty and poses little threat to Spurs’ established attackers for now. New signing Lucas Moura, another possible midfield rotation option for Pochettino, wasn’t eligible for the tie as he signed after the first match in Wales.
The League Two side refused to give up the ghost, but only had one shot on target all night – and that came in injury time at the end of the match – as a Spurs defence which included Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose made it four consecutive home clean sheets in all competitions.
The experienced pair, out since Gameweeks 11 and 22 respectively, will intensify the risk of rotation among Spurs defenders, although it would be a surprise if either featured in this weekend’s clash with Arsenal.
Alderweireld is perhaps the more likely to be used against the Gunners, but only if Pochettino opts for three centre-halves for the derby.
And with Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier all currently available, the Belgian can afford to be eased back into the fray.
Spurs’ reward for last night’s win is a fifth round trip to League One strugglers Rochdale.
Unless there is a major upset in that tie, a quarter-final place beckons, which means Gameweek 31’s home match with Newcastle will have to be rescheduled.
Little by little, Spurs’ squad is now returning to full strength, which is well-timed with league, FA Cup and Champions League fixtures to fulfil over the next month.
Then again, the six matches to play from this Saturday to early March are sufficiently well-spaced not to demand excessive rotation from Pochettino, with Alderweireld and Rose the most likely to upset the status quo, while the potential impact of Moura is yet to be gauged.
FA Cup Fifth Round Draw
Leicester vs Sheffield United
Chelsea vs Hull
Sheffield Wednesday vs Swansea
West Brom vs Southampton
Brighton vs Coventry
Huddersfield vs Man United
Rochdale vs Spurs
Wigan vs Man City
At present, we have just two confirmed fixtures for Gameweek 31 – Liverpool vs Watford and Stoke vs Everton, though this is, of course, subject to change.
For example, the loser of the Huddersfield vs Man United match will have a Gameweek 31 fixture, as both their respective opponents (Crystal Palace and West Ham) are already knocked out of the FA Cup.
Although the outcome of these results will mainly affect the Gameweek 31 schedule, then, it’s worth bearing in mind that Man City’s trip to Wigan may yet influence the Gameweek 28 calendar.
This is due to the knock-on effect of City’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, which takes place on the weekend of Gameweek 28.
That Wembley Stadium match has forced Arsenal’s home clash with Pep Guardiola’s side to be moved to Thursday March 1, keeping it in the same round of fixtures.
However, should City draw away to the Latics at the first attempt, their replay would take priority over that league encounter with the Gunners and force it to be again rescheduled to another date, moving it out of the Gameweek and leaving both with a blank.
A reminder that Ben Crellin’s Twitter Moment provides full detail on the scenarios that could develop for Gameweek 31 and beyond.
