Tottenham Hotspur have booked their quarter-final place in the FA Cup where they will face their Premier League rivals.
Martin Keown has told the Daily Mail that the path that Tottenham have taken to the quarter-final of the FA Cup is a positive one for the squad, and suggested that Erik Lamela and Fernando Llorente are two players who will have particularly benefited from their run so far.
Spurs find themselves in the last eight where they will face Swansea City for a spot in the semi-final. And while the draw has seemingly been kind to them, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have not made it easy for themselves.
After seeing off Wimbledon, they needed replays to get the better of both Newport County and Rochdale – with the latter being dispatched by a score of 6-1 largely thanks to a hat-trick from Llorente on Wednesday. And Keown has suggested that the run has probably been particularly helpful for the Spaniard as well as Lamela.
“This cup run has been good for Tottenham’s squad,” he told the Daily Mail. “Erik Lamela has been able to get game time and Fernando Llorente came in last night and got a hat-trick.
“It is great for their confidence and helps build a stronger squad.”
Pochettino would have undoubtedly preferred for his side to see off each of their opponents in one tie as they look to battle on multiple fronts, but their progress has given a number of their more peripheral players to get more of a chance.
And that should only benefit the side as they look to keep progressing in the Champions League and secure that top four in the Premier League.
If they need to use any of their fringe players, they will come in having gained that little bit more game-time, and that may perhaps help give those players the confidence to believe that they can make an impact in the other competitions.
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