FA Cup

PEDRO PORRO showed Trent Alexander-Arnold he has some competition for the title of most electrifying right-back-turned-playmaker around.This game was looking like the first dull encounter of the Ange Postecoglou era and heading towards an unwanted replay.
Pedro Porro produced the big moment of quality to send Spurs in round fourCredit: Getty
Porro wellied it past Burnley keeper Aro MuricCredit: Getty
Muric could only watch it fly past himCredit: Rex
That was until Porro, Spurs’ shining light all game, stole the ball in the 78th minute and let fly from 25 yards.
The Spaniard could not have hit it any sweeter, as it flew into the top corner with all the laser-like precision of a vintage Cristiano Ronaldo howitzer.
Porro has been a revelation this season under Postecoglou, quietly undergoing one of the most impressive full-back transformations since Patrice Evra all those years ago at Manchester United.
Evra famously struggled during his first six months in English football but then went on to become a United legend.
It is fair to say Porro had a nightmare in the second half of last season, after arriving from Sporting Lisbon, amid the end of the Antonio Conte era and the chaos that followed it.
Fans were left wondering just what Postecoglou was going to do with the Spain international, who did not start the first game of the season at Brentford.
The answer has been to turn him into one of the most creative players in the league who, like Alexander-Arnold, makes a mockery of his alleged right-back position by popping up all over the shop and making things happen.
Spurs badly needed him here as they looked out of ideas without all their injured players and particularly inspirational captain Son Heung-min, who has jetted off to the Asian Cup with South Korea.
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In fairness to Postecoglou, he went as full strength as he could – not that he had an excuse not to, given how few games there are this month.
Spurs were boosted by the return to the bench of star defender Micky van de Ven after two months out with a hamstring problem. Within a minute, fans were singing the Dutchman’s name.
Unlike their hosts, Burnley did make changes – five in total – and it was fresh face Anass Zaroury who was the centre of attention in the early stages.
First, the Moroccan risked giving away a penalty with a clumsy tackle on Destiny Udogie that VAR looked at but agreed with on-field ref Sam Barrott’s decision not to give a spot-kick.
Then Zaroury stung the fingertips of Guglielmo Vicario with a fizzing drive from distance.
In the 16th minute, nigh-on all of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, including Postecoglou, were applauding in honour of 16-year-old Spurs fan Harry Pitman, who was tragically stabbed to death on New Year’s Eve.
Without Son, the goal-scoring burden fell even more on Richarlison, who has finally found his shooting boots for Spurs over the festive period with five goals in as many games.
But he still has a long way to convince the fanbase he is good enough to be a regular for them.
Zeki Amdouni missed a sitter at the end after keeper Muric won a header in the Spurs boxCredit: Reuters

And the way he squandered two first-half chances, weakly firing at the keeper, will have done little to persuade them.
Burnley should have taken the lead when Zaroury impudently flicked the ball over the Spurs backline to play in team-mate Zeki Amdouni, who somehow got it stuck under his feet and then blazed over from a few yards out.
Spurs tried to up the tempo after the break – during which Burnley’s star striker Lyle Foster was subbed off – but they lacked creativity.
The absentee list, which also included James Maddison and Manor Solomon, was telling.
Postecoglou took action by bringing on Bryan Gil for Gio Lo Celso and moving Dejan Kulusevski into the middle.
It did not appear to have the desired effect and as Richarlison failed to make the most of another opening in the Burnley box, a replay looked inevitable.

Yet from the resulting move, as Muric threw the ball out to sub Ameen Al-Dakhil, Porro burst into action to change the narrative.
He tackled Al-Dakhil, drove towards the box, took aim and let fly.
It whistled into the top corner for a magnificent first goal of the season and one worthy of winning any game. 
Spurs almost made it 2-0 when sub Ryan Sessegnon making a surprise return after a lengthy spell out with a hamstring problem saw Muric tip his shot wide.
Muric then went up for a Burnley corner deep into seven minutes of stoppage time, but Spurs held out to ensure it was Porro’s day.
The 24-year-old told SunSport in an exclusive interview that there is a saying in Spain that “the sun will come up tomorrow” – ie that better times will be ahead, no matter how gloomy things look.
After last season’s misery, a new day has certainly dawned for Porro in N17.
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BOBBY DE CORDOVA-REID survived a mass rotation to fire Fulham into the fourth round of the FA Cup.The winger was just one of three players to keep his place in the starting XI that beat Arsenal last Sunday.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid fired the only goal in the first halfCredit: Reuters
De Cordova-Reid celebrates his FA Cup winnerCredit: Getty

And after scoring the winner to down the Gunners last weekend, De Cordova-Reid scored again to see off stubborn Rotherham.
But where Fulham showed power and panache to see off last season’s Premier League runners up with a brilliant fightback, they struggled against the Championship’s bottom team.
De Cordova-Reid’s classy first half strike was one of few highlights in a gritty performance that nonetheless opens up a second cup front for Marco Silva’s in-form team. 
With a trip to Liverpool high in the manager’s mind for next Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi final first leg, Silva took the opportunity against such lowly opposition to rest most of his key men.
In particular, the absence of midfield general Palhinha always leaves a hole and there is no doubt that the home team’s tempo was down a notch or two compared to recent games without him.
Even so, you shouldn’t have to be on tip top form when hosting a side that hasn’t felt the thrill of victory on the road in any shape or form since November 2022.
That is now 29 successive games for the long-suffering Yorkshire club’s fans who rallied around 500 hardy souls for a Friday night trip to South West London in faint hope of a rare away win.
Silva made eight changes to the team which fought back from a goal down against Arsenal at the weekend to claim a spirited 2-1 victory.

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He at least kept faith with De Cordova-Reid against the ailing Millers and it proved decisive.
After 24 minutes of toying around, Fulham finally got the breakthrough but thanks to a defensive lapse.
Left back Sebastian Revan, on loan at Rotherham from Aston Villa, cracked under pressure trying to play his way out of his goal area.
His rash clearance only found its way as far as De Cordova-Reid on the edge of the box who hammered a right foot shot into the top corner with his second touch.
Harrison Reed later hit the post and Wilson also went close but scuffed a shot from the edge of the area.
Millers’ keeper Viktor Johansson then saved one-handed from a Tosin header and again stopped a powerful drive from Wilson as the struggling second tier side put up a surprisingly stubborn rearguard fight while failing to register a single shot on target.
Despite their superiority, Silva still had to bring on fresh faces deep into the second half to inject some energy into the performance.
Club captain Tom Cairney and Brazilian winger Willian came off the bench with 16 minutes left.
With just thirty seconds of five minutes added time left, Fulham squandered a cracking chance to seal the game.
They broke free from their own half with Willian on the ball and sub striker Carlos Vinicius in hot pursuit.
But the two Brazilians failed to summon up any Samba soccer magic and Vinicius rolled a lame shot straight at the keeper when put clean through by his fellow countryman.
Rotherham defender Sebastian Revan outleaps Fulham’s Rodrigo MunizCredit: AFP More