Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Burnley (5 Jan, 2024) Game Analysis

Pedro Porro scored his first goal of the season to send Tottenham Hotspur through to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Burnley on Friday.

Eight-time FA Cup winners Spurs and Burnley looked destined for a replay before Porro broke the deadlock in the 78th minute of a lackluster match when he intercepted goalkeeper Arijanet Muric's throw, firing home a long-range rocket into the far top corner.

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“[Porro] “He shoots a lot in training, misses a lot, but today he scored and it was an incredible goal,” Brennan Johnson, a smiling Spurs striker, told ITV.

The victory was a relief for Ange Postecoglou's team, which was missing several key players due to injury and international selection, including South Korean captain Son Heung-Min at the Asian Cup, as well as Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma, both present at the African Cup of Nations.

“At the end of the day we've already gone through to the next round, that's what you have to take from it, because I think cup games are a unique beast and we're through to the next round, so that's the 'essential.'” Postecoglou said.

“We were a little wasteful in the final third because we had most of the ball, most of the territory.”

Burnley's best chance came in the first half when Zeki Amdouni received a smart shot just outside the penalty area but took a poor first touch and fired the ball over the bar. They rarely threatened as Spurs found a way to claim victory.

There are 27 matches scheduled for Sunday, while Wigan Athletic host Manchester United on Monday. Everton and Crystal Palace face off in a replay on January 17 to conclude the third round.

The fourth round is scheduled for the weekend of January 27.