MX23RW : Thursday, January 10 10:07:05
Jan 4, 2019 at 7.45pm UK at ​Prenton Park
Attendance: 12,553
TranmereTranmere Rovers
0-7
SpursTottenham Hotspur
FT(HT: 0-1)
Aurier (40', 55'), Llorente (48', 71', 72'), Heung-min (57'), Kane (82')

Alli: Tottenham are enjoying playing together

Alli: Tottenham are enjoying playing together
© Reuters
Much-changed Spurs thumped Tranmere on Friday.

Dele Alli was pleased with the way Tottenham equipped themselves and avoided a potential FA Cup banana skin at Tranmere in record-breaking fashion.

The third-round weekend kicked off at a sold-out Prenton Park on Friday night, when the TV cameras were in place in hope of an upset by a club with an impressive cup pedigree.

But Mauricio Pochettino's side had other ideas, running out 7-0 winners at the League Two play-off hopefuls as they racked up their biggest ever away win.

Fernando Llorente's hat-trick complemented Serge Aurier brace, with goals from Son Heung-min and substitute Harry Kane completing the rout.

"We all enjoy playing together, we all want to play the same way and we know the philosophy we have here," Alli, Spurs' captain for the evening, said.

"We all want to get the ball up high, move it quickly, interchange and make it difficult for the other team. We did that.

"We're all happy for Fernando because he works so hard, he came in, took his chance and scored a hat-trick – he couldn't do more."

Llorente was one of eight alterations made by Pochettino at Prenton Park and justified his inclusion with a quickfire treble.

Aurier was another brought in for the match, but few expected him to have a goalscoring impact – never mind net two.

The right-back opened the scoring in spectacular fashion with the only goal of a tense first half, before turning home a cross as 299-day wait for a goal ended in style.

"To be honest, when he lined-up for it I was a bit like 'oh no, not Serge – don't hit!" Alli told Spurs TV.

"But he's a fantastic player and he's got great quality.

"He's hit and miss with those long strikes but it came off and we're thankful because they made it very difficult for us and sometimes it takes quality like that to change the game and to turn it around.

"We did that, and I think second half it was obviously a positive performance."

While Tottenham look to build on that display in Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea, Tranmere return to League Two action at Cheltenham next weekend.

Micky Mellon's side sit ninth in the standings after making an impressive return from a spell in non-league, with the Rovers boss now looking to push on up to the play-offs.

"If you're going to compete with these kinds of teams, there's a whole host of things I could say that 'we've got to get better at that', 'we've got to get better at that'," Mellon said.

"I think we all know that, but the important thing is now we move it as momentum moving forwards as a football club because it's only one game in isolation.

"We've come an awful, awful long way and to get games like this was part of the game plan, if you like, to keep moving the club forwards.

"So, we'll use it as that, we'll have a weekend off now because we've had a tough period but back in Monday and away we go again."


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Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino pictured on January 4, 2019
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool21173149103954
2Manchester CityMan City21162356173950
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs21160546212548
4Chelsea21135338162244
5Arsenal21125446311541
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd21115543321138
7Leicester CityLeicester219482523231
8Watford218583031-129
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves218582325-229
10West Ham UnitedWest Ham218492932-328
11Everton217683131027
12Bournemouth2183103140-927
13Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton217592429-526
14Crystal Palace2164111926-722
15Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2146111529-1418
16Burnley2153132142-2118
17Cardiff CityCardiff2153131941-2218
18Southampton2137112138-1716
19Fulham2135131947-2814
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield2124151337-2410

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