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Tottenham cruised into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Doncaster on Wednesday.
A stunning overhead strike by Joao Palhinha put Spurs ahead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before Jay McGrath’s own goal ended the League One side’s slim hopes of an upset.
Brennan Johnson got on the scoresheet late on as Thomas Frank’s men set up a crunch tie with Newcastle in round four.
JAMES SHARPE picks out the talking points from a routine night for Frank’s team.
Star shines in surprise role
When the team-sheets were handed out, most people’s first thought was that in the absence of first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, it would likely be youngster Archie Gray who would partner Kevin Danso in the back-line.
Gray was often used as a makeshift centre-back by Ange Postecoglou, sometimes even at full-back, but when the whistle blew it was clear this was not how Thomas Frank saw things.
Archie Gray was a surprise choice in midfield put the Spurs starlet repaid Thomas Frank’s faith
Joao Palhinha set the tone for a comfortable night for Spurs as they beat Doncaster 3-0
It was fellow central midfielder Joao Palhinha who slotted into the back four instead and Gray was given the nod in the middle of the park – and he showed exactly why he’s so highly-rated. He’s 19 but plays with a confidence and experience far beyond his years.
He made great runs off the ball to create space for his team-mates, his passed the ball with confidence and battled physically when needed.
Frank confirmed this is where Gray is at his best in his eyes. ‘I think Archie can play centre-back and right-back but I see him more as a midfielder and I liked to see him today in that position,’ he said.
‘We saw his running power, very willing to run in behind, very good when he has that drive with the ball. It was a fine performance.’
Night to forget for Tel
If Mathys Tel thought this would be his chance to put pressure on Richarlison and Dominic Solanke, things did not go to plan.
The Frenchman snatched at two dangerous crosses from the right so badly that he completely missed the first one from Brennan Johnson, when even the slightest contact would have given him a certain goal, and bare got a touch on the second late in the second half.
Mathys Tel wasted an opportunity to put pressure on Richarlison and Dominic Solanke
That he was able to get into those scoring positions was a positive that Frank preferred to focus on after the game.
‘I don’t think he has been on a bad run. He played striker against West Ham which he did quite well and worked hard to arrive in the right areas which he did tonight so in terms of a performance it was a step up. Then we can look at the end product to score the goal but the performance to arriving in the box I was very happy with. I think it was a step up.
‘His ability to arrive in the box and the pace to run in behind and get in the right areas was good. His pressing abilities are very good. His link-up play is something that is a good level but can be even better.’
Williams-Barnett becomes becomes No 900
With three minutes left on the clock, 16-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett replaced Tel to make his first-team debut for the club and become the 900th player to represent Tottenham.
The teenager has been a sensation for the side’s under-21s this season, scoring six goals and registering four assists in just six matches, including a hat-trick in a recent thumping of Leicester.
His arrival was greeted by a roar from the Tottenham crowd and the youngster showed no signs of nerves. He looked confident in the short period he was on the pitch, beating his marker to play a neat pass to Destiny Udogie in a move that ended in Lucas Bergvall putting the ball in the net but seeing his effort ruled out for offside.
This was clearly the first appearance of many Williams-Barnett will make in a Spurs shirt and was yet another examples of how players seem to be making their breakthrough even younger, after the likes of Max Dowman at Arsenal and Rio Ngumoha at Liverpool.
‘Over the last many years, the focus on talent development in academies across the world is so big,’ said Frank. ‘The Talent pool is bigger, these talents coming through are. younger and younger.
‘One thing is tp debut when you are 16 but the next step, and much more important, is how they take the next step forward. It is very tough to keep going and get into the first team but the first step is very important. ‘It is always a pleasure to be part of a young player’s debut.’
Loan star gets his moment
Williams-Barnett was not the only Tottenham teenager on display. Damola Ajayi, 19, is on loan at Doncaster and was given permission by Spurs to play against his parent club.
Ajayi has started all three of Rovers’ games in the Carabao Cup, scoring in their 4-0 demolition of Championship leaders Middlesbrough in the first round, and showed flashes of what he is capable of.
Inside the first 10 minutes, he picked out team-mate Toyosi Olusanya with a cross only for the striker to head wide a great chance.
Ajayi, who scored in the Europa League victory over Elfsborg last season, is yet to start a league game for Doncaster, making seven substitute appearances but Rovers boss Grant McCann insisted he still has a big role to play.
‘He’s getting better all the time,’ said McCann. ‘He is going to play a lot of games at our club. When you move from under-21 level to first-team football it is a different kettle of fish. It’s more physical, faster, so he is adjusting and we are working with him all the time. He has serious ability, he showed it in glimpses here, created a few chances in the first half. He’ll soon be ready to start week in, week out.’
