Tottenham secured a spot in the EFL Cup's last 16 with a decisive 3-0 win against Doncaster Rovers. The match took place at home on Wednesday. Thomas Frank made several changes to the lineup for the game against Grant McCann's League One team. Despite these changes, Tottenham's superior talent was evident as they took control early, scoring twice within the first 20 minutes.
Joao Palhinha initiated the scoring with an impressive overhead kick in the 14th minute. This came after Ian Lawlor, Doncaster's goalkeeper, deflected Xavi Simons' corner towards him near the penalty area. Just three minutes later, Wilson Odobert increased Tottenham's lead. He skillfully bypassed Tom Nixon and delivered a cross that deflected off Jay McGrath into his own
net.
Doncaster captain Owen Bailey nearly reduced the deficit before halftime. However, Antonin Kinsky, Tottenham's backup goalkeeper, made a crucial save by tipping Bailey's volley onto the post. In the second half, Bailey continued to challenge Kinsky with another attempt, while Glenn Middleton narrowly missed with a curling free-kick.
A late goal by Lucas Bergvall was disallowed for offside, but Tottenham eventually secured their third goal. Brennan Johnson scored after receiving a pass from Bergvall and cleverly chipped over Lawlor to confirm the victory.
Historically, Tottenham has been successful against lower-tier teams in this competition. They have advanced in 18 of their last 19 EFL Cup matches against such opponents. The only exception was in the 2019-20 season when they lost on penalties to Colchester United. Doncaster has struggled against top-flight teams in this tournament, losing 14 out of their 17 encounters.
Despite Tottenham's win, their attacking performance wasn't overwhelmingly dominant based on expected goals (xG). They accumulated an xG of 1.62 compared to Doncaster's 0.73. This statistic highlights that while Spurs were efficient in converting chances, Doncaster also had opportunities during the match.
This victory reinforces Tottenham's strong record in cup competitions against lower-league teams. Their ability to capitalise on early chances set them apart from Doncaster Rovers in this encounter.
