‘We were the best team’: Mourinho insists Tottenham ‘in control’ despite defeat to Everton

TOTTENHAM Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has claimed that his side played better than Everton despite the 5-4 defeat to the Toffes on Wednesday night.

Hosts Everton scored the winner in extra-time through Bernard to send them into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

In a topsy-turvy match in which Nigeria midfielder Alex Iwobi played 70 minutes, Tottenham scored first through Davidson Sanchez but Everton then scored three quick goals via Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and a Gylfi Sigurdsson penalty to take a 3-1 lead with two minutes left in the first half.

Spurs were however quickly back on level terms, Erik Lamela scoring just before half-time and Sanchez bagging his second of the night and the equaliser 12 minutes into the second half.

Richarlison gave Everton the lead again in the 68th minute, but substitute Harry Kane dragged Spurs level in the 83rd minute to take the game into extra-time.

Bernard, who replaced Iwobi, struck the brilliant winner in the seventh minute of extra-time off Sigurdsson’s third assist of the match.

 “We take the positives, and the positives were a fantastic effort by the players, fantastic attacking football from the first minute, immediately a great combination and header from Lamela and a save from Olsen,” Mourinho said in his post-match interview.

“It was like that for the whole game. When we had the ball, we were really good, we were dominant, we were in control. We were the best team in my opinion. We were very good, and that hurts more. The players gave everything.”

It was just the sixth time ever that a side managed by Mourinho has conceded at least four goals, and the first time in a cup match since Chelsea’s 4-2 defeat to Bradford City in January 2015. But Mourinho believes his team should have scored more.

He said: “After half-hour, it’s (should be) two-zero, three-zero, game over. Certainly, in five minutes, we were 3-1 down. But even so, an incredible reaction.

“We were trying to find the strength, desire and quality to get back into the game again.”

The former Real Madrid manager admitted that the result broke his heart because he was confident his side would go through to the quarter-finals.

“I always thought we were going to win it,” he said. “So, yes, heart-breaking, but I go with the positives and the positive was again the big heart by the players.”

According to Opta statistics, Wednesday’s match was the highest scoring FA Cup game between two top-flight teams since February 1961 when Sheffield Wednesday won 7-2 against Manchester United.

It was also the first time Mourinho has seen his team concede five goals in a game since January 2015, when his Chelsea side were beaten 5-3 by Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs in the Premier League.