Spurs are f inding their old sparkle
FORM: LO CELSO, LAMELA PROVE A GOOD COMBINATION
Jose Mourinho likened Giovani lo Celso and Erik Lamela to Tottenham Hotspur’s former Argentinian FA Cup heroes as they combined to send his side past Middlesbrough at the second time of asking on Tuesday.
Paired for the first time since Mourinho took charge last year, they were both on target within the opening 15 min as Tottenham won the third-round replay 2-1.
Lively Lo Celso produced a cool finish after 2 min to open the scoring and Lamela did the same shortly afterwards for his fourth goal of the season.
Both impressed as second-half substitutes in Tottenham’s 1-0 home defeat by Premier League leaders Liverpool last Saturday and provided the out-of-form hosts with much-needed spark to get past Boro and set up a fourthround tie away to Southampton.
Older Spurs fans could be forgiven for going all misty-eyed about Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa, the Argentinian duo who shook up English football when they arrived to a ticker-tape welcome at White Hart Lane in 1978.
Lamela and Lo Celso have a long way to go to win the kind of adulation they enjoyed but inspiring Spurs to a first FA Cup title since 1991 would do the trick.
“They played very well. I don’t think Ardiles and Villa would have been ashamed at all,” said Mourinho, who started the game with five south Americans.
“They played well. The team played well. There were some sloppy passes in the second half.”
While attacking midfielder Lamela has made more than 200 appearances for Tottenham since signing from Roma in 2013, Lo Celso’s loan spell from Real Betis had been frustrating after he picked up an injury. He is beginning to show the kind of form that would convince Tottenham to make his move permanent, though.
“Gio has been step by step. He was so, so good against Liverpool and so, so good here again. I am happy with the boys. They played with intensity.”
The form of Lamela and Lo Celso is timely for Tottenham with Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen, out of contract in June, reportedly close to signing for Inter Milan. –