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Tottenham Hotspur avoided a potential banana skin to commence their FA Cup campaign with victory over Burnley, indebted to Pedro Porro‘s wonder strike late into the second half.
Vincent Kompany’s Clarets were both resilient and spirited and had squandered a couple of good opportunities – notably with Zeki Amdouni firing over in the first half – but Ange Postecoglou‘s decision to name a strong team paid off.
Porro was praised for his “unstoppable thunderbolt” by commentator Conor McNamara and rightly so; Spurs faced the growing possibility of a replay – or worse – as the closing stage drew near, but the Spaniard ensured his side advanced.
Pedro Porro’s game vs Burnley in numbers
Porro is in with a shout for Tottenham’s standout player of the season so far, having now posted one goal and six assists across all competitions.
With the hosts in need of some inspiration, the 24-year-old popped up with a pivotal moment after winning the ball and sending a fierce strike hurtling into the top corner, Arijanet Muric dumbfounded and inanimate.
Pedro Porro: Stats vs Burnley |
|
---|---|
Stat |
# |
Minutes played |
90′ |
Goals |
1 |
Touches |
119 |
Accurate passes |
59/71 (83%) |
Key passes |
3 |
Dribble attempts |
2/3 (66%) |
Ground duels won |
8/13 (62%) |
Tackles |
4 |
Clearances |
1 |
Interceptions |
3 |
*Sourced via Sofascore |
Handing him a 9/10 match rating, the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick summed up the impressive display, writing: ‘Won the match with a brilliant screamer. Was Spurs’ most creative player before then, pinging a number of eye-catching diagonals towards Johnson.’
With Tottenham now through to the fourth round, Porro has demonstrated his worth once again as a key component to this exciting project, and while he was immense, the attempt of Rodrigo Bentancur in the centre of the park was perhaps more galvanising for the Spurs squad.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s performance vs Burnley
2023 was not friendly to Bentancur but the Uruguayan will now be hoping that his recent return from injury has ended the incessant issues that have left him sidelined.
Starting against Bournemouth in the Premier League on New Year’s Eve, the £75k-per-week midfielder was handed a role from the outset once again but this time produced a commanding showing to remind supporters of his quality.
As per Sofascore, Bentancur indeed flourished from his deep-lying role, winning six of his ten ground duels, taking 83 touches, completing 86% of his passes (only losing possession 11 times) and creating two key passes.
He also succeeded with four of his five attempted dribbles on the evening to showcase a progressive quality that can serve as a penetrative tool to break and stretch opposing lines.
Kilpatrick handed Bentancur an 8/10 match score, and given the scant match action he has had over the past year, this is most promising: ‘The captain for the night was quietly impressive at the base of midfield. His return to fitness ahead of schedule has been a major boost for Spurs.’
While Spurs weren’t at their best, there is plenty to take from the win and Postecoglou will now look forward to the return of Premier League football, continuing their restored form.
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