Norwich progress after FA Cup shootout

Our FA Cup campaign ended in penalty shootout defeat to Norwich City on Wednesday evening after the two sides couldn’t be separated after 120 minutes of football.

It was all square at 1-1 after 90 minutes, Jan Vertonghen having given us a 13th-minute lead which we held all the way until the 78th minute when Josip Drmic levelled it up for the Canaries. Neither side could find a winner in a drab extra half-hour and so it went to penalties to decide the fifth round tie.

We took an early advantage when Eric Dier scored and Michel Vorm superbly saved Kenny McLean’s spot-kick. But the shootout quickly turned against us as Erik Lamela, Troy Parrott and Gedson Fernandes all missed, leaving Norwich 3-2 winners and they progressed to the quarter-finals.

We made three changes to the team that lost at home against Wolves three days ago, Vorm, Oliver Skipp and Vertonghen replacing Paulo Gazzaniga, Ben Davies and Japhet Tanganga at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was Vorm’s first start since Inter away in September, 2018, while Skipp was back in for his first start since our Carabao Cup away trip to Colchester earlier this season.

The first chance for either side came in the 11th minute following a quickly-taken free-kick on half-way. Lucas Moura broke through midfield and laid off for Giovani Lo Celso but his left-foot shot was well saved by Krul. Two minutes later though, we were ahead. Max Aarons fouled Steven Bergwijn wide on the left, Lo Celso delivered a deep free-kick and Vertonghen climbed highest to head home at the back post.

Both sides were positive in possession which made for a fairly open game, even if there weren’t too many real goalscoring opportunities over the next 20 minutes or so. That changed when the visitors stepped up the pace for a spell, carving out their first clear-cut chance on 34 minutes, Emi Buendia making a bit of space for himself in the left channel before driving straight at Vorm, who then saved from Lukas Rupp but only just, spilling the initial 25-yard effort before gathering the rebound behind him. It then needed a superb block from Dier to prevent Mario Vrancic’s right-footer hitting the back of the net. It was almost 2-0 on the stroke of half-time though, when Norwich played themselves into trouble. Tom Trybull was on his own goal-line when he passed to Vrancic inside the area. Lucas was in quickly to dispossess him but Krul was equally swift off his line to block the Brazilian’s effort and we went in with just the one goal advantage at half-time.

Norwich opened the second half on the front foot, Vertonghen doing well to block Buendia’s shot while Vorm was quickly off his line to gather from Todd Cantwell after they cut through our defence. We made a change on 54 minutes, Gedson replacing Bergwijn and the Portuguese midfielder was only on the pitch for a matter of seconds when he forced Krul into a save. At the other end, back came Norwich, Vorm saving from Buendia while Vrancic lifted a 25-yard free-kick just over the crossbar. We introduced Lamela into the fray as well as we looked for the second goal to kill off the tie, but we were short of ideas in attacking areas and couldn’t create that one chance. Instead, the opportunity fell to the Canaries and they snaffled it up with 12 minutes remaining. Substitute McLean picked up the ball about 25 yards from goal and hit a powerful shot straight at Vorm, it bounced off the goalkeeper and Drmic was on hand to bundle the rebound home.

That sparked us into action and we piled on the pressure, almost regaining the lead when a ball across the area ran through to Serge Aurier and his right foot shot was heading in until Ben Godfrey produced an impressive goal-line clearance as he flung himself across his goal. It was literally one-way traffic as we launched attack after attack, balls flying into the Norwich area but nothing would quite drop for us and the whistle blew for the end of the 90 minutes – and so to extra time.

With the additional half hour, we were able to bring on another substitute and did so seven minutes in when Parrott replaced Dele but in truth there was very little to shout about in the first half, Aarons blocking Gedson’s shot from a tight angle the extent of the goalmouth action. It wasn’t much better in the second period, with lots of midfield play but very few chances. Lamela whipped in a free-kick wide on the right but Krul gathered high above everyone in the six-yard box, before the Argentine was outnumbered as he tried to burst into the area on our next attack. Our best chance fell to Gedson in the 118th minute, Lo Celso laying it off to him following a driving run but the final shot went high over the bar.

And so to penalties. Dier stepped up first and scored low to Krul’s right, McLean went first for Norwich but Vorm produced a magnificent save to his left. Then Lamela shaved the top of the crossbar with his spot-kick but Adam Idah converted to make it 1-1 after two penalties each. Lo Celso coolly sent Krul the wrong way to put us back ahead, Marco Stiepermann responded by converting his to level it up. Next up, youngster Parrott, whose confident kick was well saved by Krul and Cantwell put Norwich ahead 3-2 with a kick high into the net. It was left to Gedson to keep us in it, but his penalty was easily saved to his left by Krul - and that was the end of that.

Penalty shootout

Spurs - Dier - scored
Norwich - McLean - saved
Spurs - Lamela - missed
Norwich - Idah - scored
Spurs - Lo Celso - scored
Norwich - Stiepermann - scored
Spurs - Parrott - saved
Norwich - Cantwell - scored
Spurs - Gedson - saved

Key moment

The two saves in the shootout from Krul proved decisive but the key moment was our second penalty. Lamela stepped up just moments after Vorm’s excellent save to keep out McLean’s spot-kick and had the Argentine scored, a two-goal advantage might well have done the trick. Unfortunately though, he put too much loft into his kick and it clipped the crossbar on its way over. Minutes later, it was all over, the end of another cup campaign on penalties following our exit to Colchester in the Carabao Cup.

Jose's view

Jose Mourinho said: "After the equaliser, the team had an incredible reaction. Normally, you could just die, and even in a moment where Lucas was not playing, Bergwijn was not playing, without them, the boys who were on the pitch tried absolutely everything to win. We were so close in 90 minutes, so close in 120, then we lose on penalties. It was frustrating and I repeat, I’m very sad for the boys."

Reaction on Spurs TV

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Vertonghen 13; Norwich - Drmic 78.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Skipp 71; Norwich - Vrancic 12, Hanley 73.

Referee: Paul Tierney.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Light rain, gentle breeze, five degrees.

Attendance: 58,007.