Tottenham Hotspur avoided an FA Cup upset by comfortably dispatching Preston North End 3-0 in the competition's fourth round. A superb second half brace from Son Heung-Min and debut goal for new signing Arnaut Danjuma sealed the victory, with Fraser Forster rarely troubled in goal.
Ahead of the fixture there was concern regarding Harry Kane who had been dealing with an illness throughout the week that saw him participate in just one training session ahead of the game. The 29-year-old was subsequently named on the bench, with the versatile Ivan Perisic moving into the front three.
Despite being without their star man, Spurs looked bright in attack in the first half but struggled to find the key final pass. That changed in the second half when Son fired in a delightful effort from distance before doubling his tally with a smart close-range finish. Danjuma then added a third when he tucked home a Dejan Kulusevski cut-back.
READ MORE: Every word Cristian Stellini said on Son, Danjuma, Richarlison injury and Sol Campbell chants
Antonio Conte's side now enter the draw for the fifth round in the hopes of finally helping Spurs end their long wait for silverware. Here is how the national media reacted to the victory.
Evening Standard
Heung-Min Son netted a brilliant double as Tottenham beat Preston 3-0 in the FA Cup despite the absence of Harry Kane, with new signing Arnaut Danjuma also scoring on debut.
The England captain stayed rooted to the bench at Deepdale after struggling with illness all week, the first time he has missed a game all season after 29 consecutive club starts as he waits to move past the late Jimmy Greaves as Spurs’ outright all-time leading goalscorer.
But it mattered little as Son boosted his confidence amid a poor season by his usual lofty standards with a fantastic second-half brace that broke the resolve of Championship side Preston, who conceded another late on as Danjuma swept home to cap off a lively cameo that showed a tantalising glimpse of what he could offer for the remainder of the campaign.
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Daily Mail
Out of Lancashire's gloom came two gleaming bolts of pure gold from the boots of Heung-min Son and Tottenham negotiated this tricky cup-tie at Preston without the need for Harry Kane to remove his winter woollies.
Son struck twice inside 20 second-half minutes, the first a delightful strike from 30 yards to light up an otherwise ordinary affair and the second on the turn from closer range to end the hopes of their Championship hosts.
New signing Arnaut Danjuma, who rejected Everton to sign on loan from Villarreal, came off the bench to add a third on his debut and Spurs eased into the FA Cup fifth round.
They are still in pursuit of their first major trophy since 2008, which will have come as some relief to Antonio Conte as he made the return journey south having taken the calculated risk of resting many of his first regulars.
Conte's gamble involved seven changes, including Kane, who has been battling a fever since scoring the only goal of the game at Fulham on Monday and missed two days of training.
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The Mirror
This was a snapshot of life without Harry Kane. So it was a good job that Heung-Min Son and his pals read the script - and stepped up.
For too long, the burden of goalscoring responsibility has weighed down on Spurs’ talisman. If only for last night, he needed someone to relieve him of it - and his main partner-in-crime finally obliged.
It may only be a fleeting respite, but at least the South Korean did a job for boss Antonio Conte. Until Preston’s resistance was broken late in the second half, few others seemed capable. It’s staggering that Kane has played in so many matches with the onus, almost solely, on him to find the net.
At some stage - and it could come sooner than everyone thinks if Manchester United do firm up their interest - it will come to pass that Kane cannot be relied upon any longer.
Perhaps that’s why Richarlison was brought to the north London club. Perhaps... maybe. But there’s little evidence that he’s going to score goals by the bucketful that Kane has delivered on a regular basis. What was it? Ten last season as Everton’s leading scorer?
Until Son re-discovered his shooting boots in Lancashire, it looked for all the world as if Spurs would fluff their lines again. There was too little life, invention and a decided lack of a cutting edge. The latter has all too often fallen to Kane to sort out. And he has. But the club has to be weaned off him at some stage.
And, despite the victory, this was just another demonstration of why it is that Levy and Conte cannot crack it.
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