A professional job
Ultimately Tottenham turned up in the misty Preston rain and they did exactly what was required of them at Deepdale.
The first half might have been a slow probing affair from the visitors but in the end the energy it caused Preston to expend made the difference in the second half. On paper it was a tricky tie against a very organised Championship side but when you have the quality of someone like Son Heung-min, a goal can come out of nowhere and that proved to be decisive on Saturday evening.
Spurs had 69 per cent of the possession on the night and sent 13 shots at goal to Preston's five, with six on target to the visitors' one with 5,600 noisy travelling Tottenham fans cheering them on from a packed stand.
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Antonio Conte was able to make seven changes without affecting the scoreline and hand much-needed rests, physically and mentally, to Cristian Romero and Hugo Lloris after their World Cup final exploits while Harry Kane finally did not have to start a game this season and despite his illness earlier this week will have had 13 days between matches when he returns to action.
"We are happy because we started the game like we expected from the team. We made some changes but nothing changed from the last performance so we have to be happy for that," Spurs assistant boss Cristian Stellini told football.london as he took on his usual domestic cup media duties for Conte.
"We created a comfortable second half because we played a great first half and the ball moved quickly. We have only to wait for the right moment to find the solution like Sonny did. It was a great performance.
"We started very well and our pace in the game was high and we allowed Preston only to try to find the ball, to try to take the ball. They defended very well in the first half but they ran a lot and I mentioned the three in the back because they never allowed them to counter attack in the first half and it was a good first half. Then the difference in the second half was Sonny finding the target and that created the comfort.
"I think [the difference] was energy and they had problems because they ran a lot in the first half and it's not easy to play against a team like us. The difference, you have to show the difference and we asked our players to follow the last game against Fulham and we started very well again."
On a confident Son being a key part of Tottenham's ambitions in the second half of the season, Stellini added: "It's important. It's important because we spoke a lot about changing mentality and what it means to change mentality is really important to have players who didn't play the last game and if we make changes the result is the same.
"For Antonio it's very important to have a team and a squad where every player plays the same level and nothing changes if you make changes. This is a good point to start because we have a tough schedule and a lot of games to play, with games every three days and we need to have the confidence to make changes."
Spurs will find out who they will face in the fifth round in Monday evening's draw and they will be ball number one among a field that contains less and less Premier League rivals with every passing game.
Only eight other top flight teams remain and West Ham and Fulham must still get past Derby and Sunderland respectively to take their place in the next round.
Tottenham have plenty still to play for this season and the FA Cup has to be given the attention it deserves as their best chance of some long-awaited silverware.
Son strikes back and Danjuma's dream debut
There are few sights better in football than Son Heung-min's wide grin after he has scored a spectacular goal and it's an image Tottenham fans have not seen enough of this season.
The 30-year-old is one of the north London club's most potent weapons because when all other methods of attack have been exhausted, Son's ability to curl home stunning goals from distance can open up any game.
That's why his unexpected malaise this season has hit Spurs and Conte so hard. They've lost their most unpredictable weapon, the man who can find a bit of magic to unlock the most turgid game.
Saturday night showed once again that a Son cracker can destroy a game plan as the compact defending team has to abandon that and instead attack and subsequently leave space in behind them for Tottenham to exploit.
The first goal at Deepdale was one out of the top drawer, a trademark Son strike. Japhet Tanganga played a short pass to him and pointed for the South Korean to pass it on to Yves Bissouma.
Instead, Son took a touch to get it out from under his feet and then curled the ball perfectly around a defender and inside the left-hand post.
His second goal was technically as good as he took a clever flick from Ivan Perisic into his path before spinning on a sixpence in the Preston box, turning his defender inside out, and then launching another left-footed shot that the keeper could only get fingers to on its way in.
"I needed those goals for my confidence," Son told BBC Sport after the game. "As a striker or as an attacking player, the important thing is that you get that goal. It's important that I could help the team go to the next round. I'm very, very happy."
The challenge now for Son, who could be seen giving his warm-up jacket to a shivering young Spurs mascot as they walked out for the match, is to harness this confidence. He's had similar moments with six previous goals in three matches and each time he returned to his quiet state for the following game.
Stellini told football.london that he hopes this brace kickstarts the South Korean properly this time.
"Absolutely yes [this was a big night for his confidence]. He's a top player," said the Tottenham assistant boss. "He has only to wait for the right moment and feel comfortable to find the space to attack and to play one vs one and this evening was a good game for him."
It was put to the Italian that perhaps Son thrives on the added responsibility that falls on his shoulders when Kane is out of the starting line-up. There have been many occasions when Son has stepped up to drag Tottenham through matches when the England captain has been out injured.
"I think so. We can feel this from Sonny and without Harry he was the most important striker for us and we played with Perisic not in his perfect position so Sonny was important to find a way to score and to let the team win," said Stellini.
It's gone under the radar somewhat due to Kane's record chasing, but Son has now racked up 139 goals for Tottenham and only six players in the history of the club have scored more as he overtook George Hunt's 138 on Saturday night, with Jermain Defoe's 143 in sight. The next target will be Cliff Jones on 154.
The other element in pushing on Son could be the arrival of Arnaut Danjuma. The Netherlands international, who turns 26 on Tuesday, was signed on loan from Villarreal with an option to buy for Spurs of just over £21m.
Danjuma predominantly plays on the left-hand side so will provide competition for Son, although on Saturday he came on to play through the centre of the front three.
He could not have asked for a better start after a move that involved Bissouma, Bryan Gil and then Dejan Kulusevski resulted in the Swede picking him out with a low pass and although the new man's effort was scuffed it proved to be the perfect touch to send the ball rolling inside the left-hand post.
The Lagos-born attacker showed off his own trademark celebration and roared his delight at the Spurs fans behind the goal.
Scoring on his debut is already one step up on many of the attackers who have joined the north London club over the year. One who did manage it was Danjuma's Netherlands team-mate Steven Bergwijn and the new Tottenham man will want to secure more game time than his predecessor did.
The key will be impressing Conte with every chance he gets in the weeks ahead and his ability to drive with the ball at his feet and his attacking movement will give the Spurs boss a valuable option to turn to.
"Danjuma, it was a good start for him to score in his first game," said Stellini. "We are looking forward to working with him, we have to discover this guy, he can play in many positions in the three in front."
One option Conte didn't have on Saturday was Richarlison. The Brazilian gave away his non-inclusion somewhat by turning up to cheer on his compatriot Lucas Moura in his tentative first steps after injury for the U21s on Friday night, after the first team had departed for Preston.
Richarlison was Spurs' big signing of the summer, a £60m transfer from Everton, but a string of injuries have prevented him from really making his mark yet, despite having starred at the World Cup with Brazil.
He has started just five Premier League matches for Tottenham since joining and four in the Champions League, with nine substitute appearances. He has also weighed in with just two goals, both coming in one game with his match-saving turn against Marseille.
This injury appears to be a smaller one at least and Stellini expects the Brazilian to be back for the visit of Manchester City next weekend.
"He had a small problem in the last few days. We tried to recover him but it was not a good idea to recover him. We had just Harry Kane sick and so it was not a good idea to risk him. We will find Richarlison next week," he said.
"No, no, no, it was a different injury [to his previous hamstring problem]. He recovered well, he has a small problem in his adductor but nothing special."
If Spurs can get all of their attacking options fit and firing, and don't let too many go in the coming days without replacing them, then Conte will have a diverse range of options to get his team smashing in the goals.
Bissouma and the back three
Son took the headlines but it should not be glossed over that Spurs were near faultless at the back.
Conte's makeshift back three of Japhet Tanganga, Davinson Sanchez and Clement Lenglet were so solid that goalkeeper Fraser Forster did not have a notable save to make on his return between the sticks.
All three have come under fire at points this season for their defending and although this will be dismissed somewhat because it came against a Championship side, they worked hard as a unit and helped Spurs keep a fourth clean sheet in their past six matches.
Sanchez in particular, as the captain for the day, was a loud, organisational presence, constantly pointing and telling the other two where to be and what to do.
Stellini was keen after the game for the defence and the Colombian, known as Patron within the club, to be recognised for their efforts.
"We are happy for that but I also want to mention the three at the back because they played a really good game. Sanchez was captain, it was a good match for Patron and all the three at the back," said the Italian.
"The three in the back never allowed Preston to counter attack in the first half."
Tanganga and Sanchez have been linked with moves away from Spurs in these final days of the transfer window but unless Spurs can find a late replacement for the price they want, it's difficult to see Conte allowing them to head out ahead of a busy schedule of games.
Another player who impressed in front of the defence was Yves Bissouma. The summer move to Spurs has not worked out yet for the Mali international with Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg the pairing of choice for Conte.
Saturday brought a rare chance to see Bissouma and Bentancur together and on the night it was the former who impressed the most.
Bissouma made two key passes, including being heavily involved in Spurs' final goal with his driving run, and at the back he completed one tackle, one interception and two clearances in a confident display.
The 26-year-old has an air of arrogance (the good kind) when he's playing against lower opposition and he needs to bring that dominant side of his game back into his Premier League performances against the top half sides.
Stellini told football.london on Friday that he believes Bissouma is still adapting to life as a rotation player in a strong squad rather than a guaranteed starter.
"[He hasn't been able to rediscover last season's form] because it's different the club he plays, different expectation on every game," said the Spurs assistant head coach. "Bissouma, when you change the club you need to understand quickly the moment.
"Sometimes when you play every game then you start to be a player that gives rotation to you team it's not easy for Bissouma, but for all the players.
"You have to understand what is your position in the team and what the team needs from you. Not in every club is the same. Maybe Biss needed time. At the moment we are happy with him, he's a player we can use in every game."
Bissouma has the ability to be one of the Premier League's best midfielders and has been in recent years at Brighton. Conte and the player need to find a way together to unlock that from him in a Spurs shirt.
The arrival of Pedro Porro and what else?
It was noticeable that just a couple of hours before Pedro Porro emotionally waved his farewell to the Sporting fans and applauded them before touching the club badge, his future Spurs team-mates gave yet another glimpse of why he's needed desperately to make Antonio Conte's system work.
Both of Tottenham's wing-backs struggled to make much of an impact at Preston. Matt Doherty put in a quiet display at the worst possible time for him.
On the other side Ryan Sessegnon racked up Spurs' best defensive stats of the day with four tackles, two interceptions and one clearance but his attacking play was at times ponderous and his crosses wayward with all six of them failing to find a team-mate.
Only one of his nine long balls reached their target while his pass success rate was 70.6%, better than only Ivan Perisic (68.8%) and Fraser Forster (54.6%) in the visitors' starting XI.
Emerson Royal replaced Doherty late on and after recent impressive defensive displays, he was unable to add much going forward.
That's where Tottenham hope Porro will make the difference in a vital part of the Conte system to form an exciting right-hand side of the team that will contain Romero, Bentancur, Porro and Kulusevski.
At 23-years-old Porro is one for the present but also one for the future and while he has had plenty of experience in the Spanish and Portuguese top flight and in the Champions League, he will need to adapt to the Premier League.
His compatriot Sergio Reguilon never really did that on the other side despite a promising start to life in England. Porro does at least have one leg up in having been on the books of an English club before but he was constantly loaned out throughout his time at Manchester City, heading to Real Valladolid before two years at Sporting before a permanent move there last summer.
Porro has responded well to the Tottenham links in the past month, boosting his attacking stats which will impress a head coach in Conte who demands his wing-backs play as auxiliary strikers, wingers and defenders all in one.
The Spaniard now has 11 assists and three goals to his name this season, meaning 14 goal involvements in 25 matches for Sporting in this campaign. His final game, the Taca de Portugal final (League Cup final) on Saturday night, ended in a 2-0 defeat to Porto and Spurs fans will be hoping he harnesses that frustration to push their club to some silverware to add to his league winner's medal in Portugal in 2021.
The transfer for Porro has been a prolonged one with Sporting holding firm but football.london understands that barring any unexpected delays from the Portuguese end, Spurs had planned for the Spaniard to undergo his medical at Hotspur Way on Monday along with the signing of contracts with the two clubs close to finalising a compromise over the structure of a deal which will see Tottenham pay around 45m euros (£39.5m) in sections.
football.london reported back in December that Spurs' priorities for the January transfer window were a right wing-back and an attacker, one on a permanent deal and the other on a loan to buy, and they have addressed both of those with the imminent arrival of Porro and Danjuma having already made his debut.
While Spurs will continue to monitor the market for any late opportunities that arise to bring forward summer plans for two new centre-backs and a central midfielder - a long-term successor to Hugo Lloris remains a summer target - the expectation at this stage is that it is more likely Porro will be the last of their first team arrivals this month.
Those within Spurs had distanced themselves from links with Milan Skriniar in the past week with the Inter man heading to PSG.
The north London club do have an interest in 21-year-old Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie, who saw his value sky rocket after impressing at the World Cup with Ecuador. However, a summer deal is currently seen as more likely for anyone chasing the 6ft defender unless a still pricey loan-back agreement can be made with the Bundesliga club who are not keen on losing him this month.
When it comes to younger players, Spurs have extensively scouted 17-year-old Jobe Bellingham, younger brother of England star Jude, along with most of Europe's top sides, but the current expectation among most interested parties is that the Birmingham teenager could eventually join his brother at either Borussia Dortmund or the England midfielder's next club.
football.london understands Tottenham are close to wrapping up a deal for young Chelsea forward Jude Soonsup-Bell this week after previous contract talks between the Blues and the striker, who turned 19 this month, stalled. The youngster is expected to undergo his medical at Spurs on Monday.
The move would initially be to bolster Spurs' academy but with the prospect of a summer loan for the teenager, who made his Chelsea debut under Thomas Tuchel in the Carabao Cup last season but comes to the end of his contract this summer. Manchester City are also believed to have previously made a move for the youngster, who will move to Tottenham on a free transfer but with Chelsea holding a sell-on clause.
One issue for Conte and Spurs' first team will come in the Champions League as Porro's arrival along with Danjuma would take them two over their limit of 17 for "non-locally trained" players.
That makes a departure for either Bryan Gil or Lucas Moura likely. There has been strong interest in the former in the shape of loan moves, including ones with an option to buy, with Sevilla among the leading contenders.
Gil again impressed in a little cameo against Preston, with some nice touches and he was heavily involved in the build-up to Danjuma's goal. However, the Netherlands international's arrival pushes the talented Spaniard down the pecking order as does the tentative return of the experienced Lucas Moura.
Lucas' inflamed tendon problem across the season has been even more difficult to solve because the Brazilian will have good days when he feels little to no pain and others when it is quite the opposite.
A little run of good days led to Friday night's goalscoring 45-minute return for the U21s and the player will be hoping he suffers no adverse reaction in the days ahead.
With Spurs not taking up the December option to extend Lucas' contract, he is a free agent in the summer and it is understood he would be open to a January move.
However, unless a late deal for a replacement arose, it is difficult to see Conte sanctioning an exit for both Lucas and Gil.
With one of them, Conte's front three has Son and Danjuma on the left, Kane and Richarlison through the middle and Kulusevski and one of Lucas and Gil on the right, with Danjuma and Richarlison both able to play centrally or on the left and the latter also able to play on the right.
Gil's exit would be more financially beneficial for Spurs with a loan fee and wage savings and developmentally beneficial if is a straight loan, while with Lucas they would save on his wages for the remaining six months of his contract.
Right wing-back is the other overloaded area of the squad and both Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty are considered non-locally trained in the Champions League squad. If Porro does arrive as expected then offers will be looked at for both players, although Doherty brings left-sided cover as well which Conte appreciates.
Djed Spence has been given the green light to head out on loan by the club, who up until now have been turning down loan offers with options or obligations to buy, with Brentford understood to have offered the latter. Leicester, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon are among the clubs that have shown interest in recent weeks in the 22-year-old who missed out on yet another matchday squad on Saturday.
Academy product Harvey White is also understood to have been told he can go out on loan again with a number of clubs having shown interest in the 21-year-old, who made his Premier League debut at Crystal Palace this month. Spurs could also consider a loan move for talented youngster Alfie Devine.
Dane Scarlett will remain at Portsmouth for the remainder of the season after Spurs let the one-week period pass this month in which they could have recalled the teenage striker who was back in the starting line-up for Pompey this weekend.
The likelihood is that Spurs will end the January transfer window as they did last year with two new faces and they will hope that both end up being as season defining.
The difference to last year will be that Conte made a point after that window had closed that Spurs had numerically weakened their squad with four first teamers leaving despite the better balance that Bentancur and Kulusevski brought.
If Tottenham can add quality and balance this time without weakening then it's been a January transfer window of progress even if the upgrades must continue to come in the summer.
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