Spurs head to Adams Park to take on Wycombe Wanderers, who currently languish at the bottom of the Championship with just 3 wins in 23 league games. Due to a covid outbreak, the Chairboys haven't played in 16 days. The last time we played them, it was also in the FA Cup in 2017 when the then League 2 side lost a 4-3 thriller at the Lane after Mauricio Pochettino, who had a tin ear for the domestic cups, picked a weakened side that fell behind 2-0 and 3-2 before calling in the cavalry to save the tie in the second half. Mourinho has always given the cup competitions the respect they deserve, but he will no doubt feature some of the lesser lights with games against Liverpool, Brighton and Chelsea to come in quick succession. The winner gets Everton away in Round 5. Here is a look back at the tie from 2017:
Thanks for that video, Golara. It reminds me that we will, once again, be blessed with the presence of the brilliant Adebayo Akinfenwa this afternoon. Here we have his post-match interview after Wycombe secured promotion to the Championship last year.
Afinfenwa is a great character, but he will start on the bench tonight. I particularly remember Cameron Carter-Vickers have a real nightmare of a game back in 2017 with Afinfenwa rag-dolling him for most of the afternoon.
And it's: Hart Tanganga Sanchez Alderweireld Davies (c) Winks Sissoko Lamela Bale Moura Vinicius subs: Aurier, Rodon, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Bergwijn, Son, Kane, Gazzaniga
Here are the teams! Wycombe (4-4-2): Allsop; Grimmer, Knight, McCarthy, Jacobson; Wheeler, Thompson, Bloomfield, Onyedinma; Ikpeazu, Muskwe Subs: Stockdale, Samuel, Pattison, Mehmeti, Adeniran, McCleary, Charles, Kashket, Akinfenwa Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Hart; Tanganga, Sánchez, Alderweireld, Davies; Sissoko, Winks; Bale, Lamela, Lucas Moura; Carlos Vinicius Subs: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Rodon, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Bergwijn, Son, Kane Referee: Jon Moss
The sub bench tells you subconsciously what Mourinho thinks of the starting XI (that he doesn't entirely trust them to do a job). Good to see Tanganga and Bale back in the team, but with Winks and Sissoko in midfield, we lack creativity. As we saw back in 2017, the Chairboys are no pushovers and they have a history of giant-killing, having got all the way to the semi-finals back in 2001.
Let's hope we put this one to bed early, and need not call on many of the subs. We'll be hosting Liverpool in the League on Thursday, then go to Brighton on Sunday. No point putting mileage on any of the Liverpool starters if not necessary.
If someone would take a moment at halftime to explain the offside rule to Vinicius it might be helpful.
Man, we should be ahead by 5 goals or so. I think this lineup can win - Moura, Lamela and even Winks are blowing by defenders. We are getting a ton of shots. Hopefully we score quickly so that Jose doesn't need to bring on the big guns. A little surprised that Louisiana travel is a sponsor of the Chairboys. That explains why the keeper's uniform is the same colors as my avatar.
I would've envisioned some halftime changes before the equalizer. Perhaps it will have brought that eleven another 15 minutes, or so.