KRUL END FOR JOSE
Norwich No.1 leaves Mourinho sick as Parrott SPURS ......... 1 NORWICH ........ 1 AET, 1-1 90 MINS, NORWICH WIN 3-2 ON PENS
JOSE MOURINHO saw his Spurs knocked out of the FA Cup by Norwich on penalties to leave their season in freefall.
The Premier League’s bottom club reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1992 after Tim Krul saved Steven Bergwijn’s spot-kick.
Teams bossed by Mourinho have come out on top only once in the nine penalty shoot-outs he has overseen. And Spurs have now lost four consecutive games in all competitions and are set to finish another season without a trophy.
They trail Leipzig after a home defeat in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 and sit seventh in the Premier League.
Yet Mourinho said: “I don’t have one single negative feeling towards my players. In fact I feel the opposite, they tried fantastic things.
“I am really sad for the boys. We didn’t deserve the result but that’s football.”
Subs Erik Lamela and Troy Parrott also missed penalties for Spurs in the shoot-out.
Michel Vorm had saved Kenny McLean’s first kick but the Dutch keeper was unable to make amends for his terrible blunder which gifted Norwich an equaliser in normal time.
Spurs had taken the 13th-minute lead when captain Jan Vertonghen headed home a free-kick from Giovani Lo Celso.
Backed by 9,000 travelling supporters, the Canaries battled to stay in the game.
And Vorm, who had not started a game since September 2018, dropped a long-range shot from McLean after 76 minutes to allow Josip Drmic to level.
Spurs started well and Lucas Moura’s lay-off set up Lo Celso but his shot was saved by Krul.
The reprieve did not last long as the home side were ahead after 13 minutes.
Norwich midfielder Mario Vrancic was booked for a foul on Lo Celso and it gave Spurs a free-kick.
Lo Celso put over a cross and, when Krul got caught in two minds, Vertonghen rose to head home.
Just when it looked like
Spurs would take charge, Norwich came back at them and Tottenham’s thirdchoice keeper Vorm – making his first start in 533 days – looked rusty.
He made a smart save from Emi Buendia but then horribly spilled Lukas Rupp’s long-range shot.
The Canaries put Spurs under the cosh and you could feel the nerves in the stadium as Norwich took charge of the second half.
The equaliser was coming and it arrived in 78 minutes following Vorm’s clanger.
Norwich sub McLean unleashed a 20-yard shot and, when Vorm spilled, Drmic chased in to score.
And it was left to the shoot-out that Norwich came out on top on with Krul the hero.