Lucas heads us into Carabao Cup last eight - match report and reaction

Lucas Moura’s first goal of the season was enough to send us through to the fifth round of the Carabao Cup after a narrow 1-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening.

The Brazilian forward – who had started on the bench but entered the fray on 25 minutes following an injury to Bryan Gil – headed home the only goal of the game in the 68th minute to give us a deserved win over a Clarets side that had just one shot on target all night.

After a fairly lacklustre first half from both sides, we were much more dangerous after the interval and almost took the lead on 64 minutes with the game’s first shot at goal, only for Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope to make a fine save to deny Giovani Lo Celso.

Four minutes later though we made the all-important breakthrough when Emerson Royal’s cross was met with a downward header from Lucas which beat Pope and we almost doubled our lead on 71 minutes but this time the England stopper saved Lucas’ 25-yard rocket.

The anticipated late flurry from Burnley duly arrived as they went all out for an equaliser, but apart from one Ashley Barnes shot which was comfortably saved by Pierluigi Gollini, we saw out the game to book our place in the last eight.

Slow start, strong finish

It really was a disappointing first half of football as neither side managed to get into their stride, the blustery conditions possibly playing a part. But we picked up the pace in the second period and were always on top, finally getting the breakthrough we deserved.

An early chance arose after just three minutes from a swift break, Lo Celso sliding a pass in to Harry Kane down the left channel and he took his shot early but it was well wide of the target. There was very little goalmouth action in either penalty box during the first period, although we dominated the possession statistics. There were half-chances at times, Steven Bergwijn missing his attempted volley from Royal’s cross, while Lucas drove through the heart of the Burnley midfield but his final ball was cut out and the danger averted for the hosts. Kane had the last opportunity of the half but his acrobatic attempt from 10 yards flew well over the bar.

Both sides came out with more intensity after the interval and Burnley created their first glimmer of a chance on 53 minutes when a deep cross from Erik Pieters was headed back into the danger zone by Johann Gudmundsson but it hit the arm of Jay Rodriguez and a free-kick was awarded.

A double substitution was made by both managers in an attempt to make the breakthrough, Sean Dyche introducing forwards Chris Wood and Barnes while we brought on Heung-Min Son and Tanguy Ndombele a few minutes later, replacing Bergwijn and Oliver Skipp.

Just two minutes before our change, we had a golden opportunity to open the scoring, Kane putting Lo Celso through on goal on the edge of the area but Pope denied him with a fine stop. However we did find a way through shortly after thanks to a Brazilian combination as Lucas headed in Royal’s tempting cross. Pope kept his side in the game with an excellent save from Lucas, who picked the ball up 35 yards out and strode forward before hitting a fierce drive which the goalkeeper tipped away at full stretch.

Burnley tried to make the most of that moment by applying late pressure in a bid to stay in the competition. With six minutes left, Maxwel Cornet headed the ball in to Barnes, whose shot-on-the-turn was saved low down by Gollini before Davinson Sanchez made a superb clearance inside the six-yard box from Cornet’s dangerous cross from the left. Their last chance felt to Pieters, but he blasted a shot over from the edge of the area and we held on for the final stages of what was our fourth League Cup victory over Burnley in the eighth meeting between the two sides in the competition.

Head Coach Nuno Espirito Santo made six changes to the team that started at West Ham on Sunday with Gollini, Sanchez, Bryan, Lo Celso, Bergwijn and Ben Davies all coming in. Matt Doherty was back from injury and took his place among the substitutes, while Kane captained the team at Turf Moor.

Reaction on Spurs TV

'The boys did well'

"We showed character and played a good game," said Nuno. "We had a lot of chances, a lot of situations where we could have done better, but it was a very good game, a tough team to play against, Burnley, a good team, and the boys did well.

"We worked hard, we were organised, and we played good football. In the first half we could have finished the actions better, and we had clear chances in the second half to make a different score, but congratulations to the players because they did very well."

Match data

Goal: Spurs – Lucas 68.

Yellow cards: Burnley – Roberts; Spurs - Son.

Referee: Peter Bankes.

Venue: Turf Moor.

Weather: Light rain, fresh breeze, 15 degrees.