Middlesbrough defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup thanks to Josh Coburn’s extra-time goal, leaving Antonio Conte’s team without a trophy again. Chris Wilder‘s team won another Premier League scalp in their incredible FA Cup run as the 19-year-old replacement slammed a close-range goal into the top corner.
We look at five lessons we can draw from Middlesbrough’s win over Tottenham…
Spurs’ Fixation with Short Corners Leads to Disaster
Middlesbrough defenders anxiously searched the penalty area for Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Cristian Romero, and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. A short corner was given to Harry Winks before they even noticed, and the Englishman’s hazardous whipped cross was merely ushered out to safety.
Tottenham attempted to catch Middlesbrough off guard with their next corner kick, but the ball wasn’t placed in the penalty area at all. Spurs could’ve tested Middlesbrough’s nerves with a sumptuous delivery into the box for their big players to sprint on to, given their first corner of the game occurred in the opening exchanges.
Overdependence on Lloris Clearly Exposed
Hugo Lloris appeared to be keeping Tottenham’s chances of winning silverware alive on his own at times. At the very end of the game, the Frenchman made a slew of saves from the likes of Isaiah Jones and Marcus Tavernier, and he made even more in extra time.
Tottenham’s manager Antonio Conte will be concerned about Tottenham’s over-reliance on Lloris, given that they used what was arguably their best starting XI available at the time. The Italian will want his team to make significant and continuous progress.
Spurs’ Instability Continues to Plague Them
Boro made a strong start to the game, although they were aided by Tottenham’s lethargic first 45 minutes. The Londoners were shockingly lethargic, especially when the ball moved into the final third, aside from Matt Doherty’s chance right before half-time.
Middlesbrough overloaded the midfield areas and pressured them high up the pitch, reducing Spurs to a compact, counter-attacking side at times. While Leeds United was on a losing streak, Tottenham’s crispness, efficiency, and speed from their performance at Elland Road were missing at the Riverside. Their inconsistency and lack of potency may come back to haunt them this season.
Wilder’s Revenge
Middlesbrough’s manager Chris Wilder seems to have updated his fashion sense from his Premier League days at Sheffield United, wearing a sleek grey coat, a white shirt, and a black tie. His open and unique style of game, in which the two outside central defenders frequently overlap their center midfielders, is still in place.
While Wilder’s unique playing style drove the ‘Blades‘ to an excellent ninth-place finish in his first season in the Premier League, the rest of the league seemed to pick up on their manner at Bramall Lane, resulting in the team finishing bottom the following season and Wilder losing his job. But, as he has done since taking over at Middlesbrough, Wilder demonstrated that he’s not a one-trick pony, as the ‘Reds’ wreaked havoc on Tottenham.
Middlesbrough, unlike most clubs outside the Premier League, wasn’t willing to sit off Conte’s side and instead chose to take the game to him at every opportunity.
Top 4 or Failed Season for Spurs
Conte’s final act with Chelsea and, as it appeared at the time, in England was to win the FA Cup. However, with Tottenham out of the Europa Conference League and the title race, the FA Cup was his sole option for silverware.
The Italian has been outspoken about his former achievements and how he prefers to compete for titles and trophies rather than finishing in the top four. Conte’s ability to get Tottenham into that elusive fourth place will certainly be a good indicator of how well his first-half season has gone.
However, with crucial meetings against Everton and Manchester United (for which you can find odds at online casinos by the link featuring top providers and sportsbooks as an addition to their offers) looming on the horizon, the Italian is clearly keen to put an end to his side’s 14-year trophy drought.
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