Lucas rescues Spurs, Chelsea in FA Cup stroll
LONDON: Lucas Moura kept Tottenham’s FA Cup hopes alive with the equaliser in their 1-1 draw at second tier Middlesbrough, while Callum Hudson-Odoi got back in the groove as Chelsea cruised to a 20 win over Nottingham Forest in the third round on Sunday.
Tottenham haven’t lifted a major trophy since 2008 when current Middlesbrough manager Jonathan Woodgate scored the League Cup winner against Chelsea.
Woodgate was on course to dent Tottenham’s bid to end that wretched run when Ashley Fletcher put Middlesbrough ahead in the second half at the Riverside Stadium. But Brazilian winger Lucas headed the equaliser to send the tie to a replay in north London later in January.
Keen to win silverware in his first season, Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho had made just three changes, with Son Heung-min returning from a three-match suspension and replacing the injured Harry Kane.
Son twice came close to putting Tottenham ahead in the first half and the visitors should have gone in front when Ryan Sessegnon fluffed his chance from Serge Aurier’s cross.
Tottenham were never completely convincing and, with only one clean-sheet since Mourinho took over, there was a familiar feeling when Middlesbrough snatched the lead in the 50th minute.
Fletcher beat Tottenham’s attempt to play offside, ran through on goal and fired past Paulo Gazzaniga, with no VAR in use to question the goal.
Tottenham hit back in the 61st minute, Aurier’s cross picking out Lucas for a thumping header.
“When we were losing 1-0 without strikers or the power to play inside their defensive line, at that moment I had the feeling of ‘we are in trouble’,” Mourinho said.