Match report: Tamworth 0-3 Tottenham: Substitutions save Lilywhite blushes

Tottenham Hotspur made it past fifth-division side Tamworth FC in the third round of the FA Cup but James Maddison and co needed extra-time to get the job done.

I think I’ve just watched the wrong Tottenham Hotspur. This was a far cry from the team that battled Liverpool, but in the end, all’s well that ends well.

Looking at the lineup, it was clear Ange Postecoglou meant business. Eight first-team regulars started against a National League side, and with the North London Derby just days away, I was stunned.

Timo Werner made his first start as a striker, evoking memories of his 19/20 Leipzig days, but sadly, it was more of the Chelsea version we saw today. None of us were expecting Spurs to need over 100 minutes to find a breakthrough, but here we are.

Let’s have a look at our Tamworth 0-3 Tottenham FA Cup match report:

First half: Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur

As expected, Spurs dominated possession right from the off, but the 3G artificial pitch seemed to have them second-guessing every touch. The ball stopped, skipped, and rolled in the strangest ways, and frankly, Tottenham never truly figured it out.

Tamworth, however, adapted quickly and nearly stunned Spurs in the opening minutes. Enoru’s surging run forced a save from Kinsky, setting the tone for what would be a long night.

Tamworth’s long throw-ins caused discomfort in the Spurs box – a fresh way to remind us of Spurs’ usual set-piece struggles. Despite dominating possession (79% in the first half), Spurs lacked conviction in the final third. Maddison provided the rare bright moments, forcing a couple of saves, but couldn’t inspire the team to find the opener.

Tamworth, though toothless in attack, played with spirit, limiting Spurs to an xG of just 0.43 in the first half. The hosts, despite having only 7 touches in Spurs’ box, made Spurs work harder than anyone anticipated.

Second half: Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Things didn’t improve much after the break. Spurs continued to move the ball aimlessly, with the midfield oddly opting for back passes when no pressure existed. Porro, who had shown promise in recent games, reset himself to default – the bad kind. Misplacing 28 passes against a non-league side that posed little attacking threat is quite the achievement.

Timo Werner, playing as a striker, had two golden opportunities to give Spurs the lead. A delightful chipped pass from 17-year-old Mikey Moore was met by a bizarre decision to head the ball to the far post, and then, a one-on-one with Singh saw him shoot straight at the keeper’s feet. Honestly, how many of us thought he’d score? Not me. Unsurprisingly, when Ange made his first change, it was Moore, not Werner, who made way.

Johnson, another culprit, spent most of the half delivering lazy diagonal passes and cutbacks that rarely troubled Tamworth’s stubborn low block. If not for Bissouma’s last-ditch block to deny McGlinchey at the death, this report might have read very differently.

Tamworth held firm for 90 minutes, earning every bit of applause from their fans. Meanwhile, Spurs were left red-faced, struggling to break down a defence featuring part-time players, including a Zara sales assistant who gave Porro a torrid time. Spurs fans were more than happy to head to extra time after the nervy ending to the second half.

Extra time: Tamworth 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur

It took the introduction of big guns; Son and Kulusevski to save Spurs from complete embarrassment. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 101st minute via a scrappy own goal – a cruel deflection off Tshikuna after Solanke’s initial effort. Relief.

Six minutes later, Kulusevski doubled the lead after being set up by Son, slotting calmly into the bottom corner. Johnson added a third in the 118th minute, capitalising on a tired Tamworth defence and winning back possession to fire home.

Takeaways

• Lack of 1v1 success: Spurs’ attackers rarely win 1v1 situations these days, barring Kulusevski and Bergvall. Perhaps it’s time to be more daring—it opens up spaces and makes life easier.
• Predictability in attack: Spurs’ attacking play is painfully repetitive. Diagonal passes, cutbacks, and hopeful crosses made it easy for Tamworth to identify and adapt, exposing a lack of creativity in breaking down compact, low-block defences.
• Bergvall’s brilliance: A special mention for Lucas Bergvall, who was brilliant after coming on. His heat map shows how he covered nearly every inch of the middle and final thirds. His twists and turns were pure Moussa Dembele vibes – a promising future awaits.
• Brennan Johnson’s poor showing: If Johnson hadn’t scored that last-minute goal, He would have definitely drawn more criticism. Those lazy, terribly slow low passes hoping to find another attacker didn’t make any sense. I don’t remember a single time he took on an opposition defender – just diagonal passes, random crosses, cutbacks, and back passes against a 16th-placed National League defence. He has to do better.

Conclusion

This game felt more like Sunday League than FA Cup, complete with taped goal nets and a small but vocal crowd. Ultimately, Spurs got the job done, but not without a few blushes along the way. With the North London Derby looming, the focus now shifts to ensuring this performance remains a one-off. For now, all is forgiven – as long as we win that one.

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