Tottenham maul the Lions
LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur booked an FA Cup semi-final place with a 6-0 thrashing of third-tier London rivals Millwall yesterday, but an injury to Harry Kane marred the party as they marked their last tie at their current White Hart Lane stadium.
England international Kane, the Premier League’s joint top scorer with 19 goals, had to hobble off after falling awkwardly and suffering an ankle injury in a sixth-minute challenge with defender Jake Cooper during their sixth round tie.
Yet his absence was not missed on the day as Spurs’ South Korea striker Son Heung-min netted a brilliant hat-trick and Kane’s replacement Christian Eriksen also scored a beauty before Dele Alli and substitute Vincent Janssen got in on the act.
Eriksen made the key breakthrough with a brilliant snap shot on the turn on the half-hour mark before Son crashed home a thunderous left-foot strike 10 minutes later.
The Korean then struck a sweet first-time, right-foot volley from Kieran Trippier’s through ball in the 54th before Alli netted his 16th of the season in all competitions, a tap-in after a well-crafted move, in the 72nd.
The icing on the cake was a first goal from open play in the 79th minute for Spurs’ under-achieving striker Janssen. The Dutchman may yet be needed in their title challenge if Kane, who will be assessed today, is out of action for long.
Son’s third came in stoppage time, a volley that slipped through the clutches of hapless Lions keeper Tom King.
“A hat-trick from Son and Janssen scored... the team was good. We need to congratulate them, they were waiting for the opportunity and they took it and stepped up,” said Spurs manager Mauricio Pchettino.
“In football you always need to be ready. Not only him (Janssen) but different players too will have the opportunity to play more and they need to be ready.”
Elsewhere, Liverpool kept their push for a top-four finish in the Premier League on course as Emre Can thundered home a second-half winner to complete a hard-earned 2-1 comeback win over Burnley at a relieved Anfield yesterday.
While nowhere near their scintillating best, typifying the Merseysiders’ uneven form of 2017, Liverpool displayed real character to strike back after going behind to an Ashley Barnes goal after seven minutes.
With the league’s worst travellers Burnley dreaming of their first away win of the season, the out-of-sorts Reds were grateful to equalise just before halftime through their first shot on target from Georginio Wijnaldum.
Liverpool looked short of ideas before German international Can produced what Jurgen Klopp’s called a “wonderful” goal from seemingly nowhere just after the hour mark, bending his low 25-metre strike into the bottom corner past a despairing Tom Heaton.
Meanwhile, Craig Shakespeare has been appointed as Leicester City’s manager for the rest of the season, the Premier League champions announced yesterday. – Reuters