Jose Mourinho says he beat Southampton without “any players” after his Tottenham escaped a fourth-round FA Cup exit.
After hanging on against Southampton in Wednesday night’s replay and managing to turn the game on its head in the final 10 minutes, Mourinho admits the Saints had been the “better team” on the night.
Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son handed a depleted Spurs side victory after Southampton goals by Shane Long and Danny Ings had overturned an early Jack Stephens own-goal.
Tottenham's Lucas Moura. Picture: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Mourinho lost five players to injury, had a half-fit Dele Alli and was unable to pick Steven Bergwijn.
The Special One says: “I had to manage this chess game without pieces.
You know - no bishops, no kings, no queens. Very, very hard with so many injuries and problems. No Bergwijn.
“We lose so many: [Moussa]Sissoko, Harry [Kane], and today [Erik] Lamela, [Giovani] Lo Celso and Bergwijn. It is so difficult. The best team lost. The best team on the pitch lost.”