London: Jose Mourinho admitted Tottenham got lucky after Son Heung-min’s late penalty secured a dramatic 3-2 win against Southampton in FA Cup fourth-round replay.
Mourinho’s side were 12 minutes away from being knocked out after squandering the first-half lead given to them by Jack Stephens’ own goal. Shane Long and Danny Ings scored as Southampton hit back to take the lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
But Lucas Moura equalised before Son won and converted the decisive penalty with just two minutes left. “I have to be honest and say I think the best team lost on the pitch but my team were the ones with more heart and went to their limit,” Mourinho said. “We suffered but we deserved to win because we were in our limits. Southampton were fresher than us but we played with our souls and heart .”
Tottenham, who last won the FA Cup in 1991, will host struggling Norwich in the fifth round in the first week of March. Aiming for the first trophy of his reign, Mourinho, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino earlier this season, will be relieved Tottenham avoided a surprise exit from a competition he has not won since 2007 with Chelsea.
Tottenham are without a major trophy of any kind since the 2008 League Cup and Mourinho would dearly love to end that drought (AFP)
