Sheffield United stun Tottenham in FA Cup thanks to Iliman Ndiaye's ...

2 Mar 2023

The Guardian

Sheffield United stun Tottenham in FA Cup thanks to Iliman Ndiayes

Iliman Ndiaye came off the bench to score the only goal of the game at Bramall Lane as Sheffield United reached the sixth round of the FA Cup by beating Tottenham 1-0

Sheffield United stun Tottenham in FA Cup thanks to Iliman Ndiaye’s solo goal

Sheffield United’s priority for the season is to earn promotion to the Premier League but the fans leaving Bramall Lane on Wednesday singing about being “off to Wembley” will have forgotten about that for 90 minutes.

The home side’s performance proved they can compete with those in the league above. They battled throughout, allowing Tottenham to keep the ball but stopping them from creating many chances. The hosts only needed one, which Iliman Ndiaye took thanks to some quick feet and composed finishing. The Senegal forward was eliminated from the World Cup by Harry Kane & co in Qatar but gained his revenge on a chilly night in South Yorkshire.

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Paul Heckingbottom, who watched from the stands due to a ban, made eight changes to his team, with one eye on the lunchtime trip to Blackburn in the Championship on Saturday. Spurs spent the night passing side to side because they were unable to break down the hosts. The performance was meek from the visitors, devoid of a catalyst and desire. Antonio Conte will be eager to return to the dugout following surgery to avoid another tame outing.

Kane was left out, despite his desire to play every game possible, and without him Tottenham looked blunt in attack. Lucas Moura, making his first start since 1 November, was the main threat but in his most influential moment he chipped a cross on to the bar. His colleagues in the final third, Richarlison and Son Heung-min, looked like individuals rather than a cohesive unit.

Kane was summoned in the 65th minute as Spurs attempted to avoid extra time. He entered the field to chants of: “You’re just a shit Billy Sharp.” The Tottenham striker will have been pleased to get on to the pitch to warm up amid low temperatures and a swirling wind that ensured the rain got into the face of those pitchside.

It was, however, a home substitute that injected life into the cup tie and electrified the ground. Ndiaye superbly controlled the ball inside the area, defeated three Spurs defenders and took aim for the bottom corner to score with United’s first shot on target to send the home fans wild and the club into the next round and a tie with Blackburn at Bramall Lane. Ndiaye has previously been targeted by Nottingham Forest and looks set to be in the Premier League next season, whether it is with United or another club.

Heckingbottom said of Ndiaye: “He has shown a slightly different audience what he can do with a top goal. Iliman can do it against anyone, handling the ball in tight areas at the top end of the pitch, where the best players do damage like that. He is unbelievable with the ball, there are not many Premier League players that can do what he does with the ball. He has added goals and assists but we still want more from him.”

Without Kane Tottenham looked lost in the final third, with the picture perfectly painted by Richarlison when he took aim for goal and found the corner flag. Spurs had no response with Kane suffering from the same problem as Richarlison as no chances were created for him. The good news for Kane is he is unlikely to be left out again because the team are completely blunt without him.

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The Championship leaders, Burnley, needed a 90th-minute goal from Connor Roberts to edge out the 10 men of League One Fleetwood and advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 20 years.

Vincent Kompany’s side played with an extra man for more than 45 minutes after Cian Hayes was sent off in first-half stoppage time, but were in danger of being taken to extra-time by a Fleetwood side who showed why they had come into this match on the back of four straight clean sheets.

When the goal did come it was harsh on the visiting goalkeeper, Jay Lynch, who made fine saves from Halil Dervisoglu and Charlie Taylor in quick succession only to be beaten from close range as Roberts’ flick diverted Vitinho’s shot through a crowded area into the net.

It was reward for a Burnley performance that had seen them dominate possession all night and register 31 attempts at goal against a side playing in the fifth round for the first time.

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Quick GuideBurnley 1-0 Fleetwood Show

The Championship leaders, Burnley, needed a 90th-minute goal from Connor Roberts to edge out the 10 men of League One Fleetwood and advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 20 years.

Vincent Kompany’s side played with an extra man for more than 45 minutes after Cian Hayes was sent off in first-half stoppage time, but were in danger of being taken to extra-time by a Fleetwood side who showed why they had come into this match on the back of four straight clean sheets.

When the goal did come it was harsh on the visiting goalkeeper, Jay Lynch, who made fine saves from Halil Dervisoglu and Charlie Taylor in quick succession only to be beaten from close range as Roberts’ flick diverted Vitinho’s shot through a crowded area into the net.

It was reward for a Burnley performance that had seen them dominate possession all night and register 31 attempts at goal against a side playing in the fifth round for the first time.

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“It is not a regret [to leave Kane on the bench],” the Tottenham assistant head coach, Cristian Stellini, said. “We need to look in the medium period, we have many games. Kane played in the last six games, one time with fever, one time with a problem, we have to take care of our best player. It’s not about Harry because we played with Richarlison, Lucas Moura and Sonny. I think it is good enough to play in this competition and against this sort of team.”

Elimination leaves Spurs relying on the Champions League to secure silverware this season. Stellini said: “I think we missed a big opportunity and we have to apologise to the fans. Today there were 5,000 of them here to watch our performance and we apologise because we missed a big opportunity.”

Topics

FA Cup

Sheffield United
Tottenham Hotspur
match reports

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