On a night of high drama at Bramall Lane, Sheffield United sent Tottenham Hotspur crashing out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory. The Championship high-flyers, who have been in impressive form this season, produced a resilient performance to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
The Blades started the game brightly and took the lead in the 15th minute when Moussa Sissoko was dispossessed in midfield by John Fleck. The midfielder then drove forward and played a neat pass to Che Adams, who fired a low shot past Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal.
The goal seemed to spark Spurs into life and they began to dominate possession, but they were unable to create any clear-cut chances. The closest they came was when Dele Alli fired a shot just wide of the post in the first half.
In the second half, Spurs continued to press for an equaliser but were unable to break down a stubborn Sheffield United defence. The Blades held firm and were able to see out the game to secure a famous victory.
The result was made even more impressive by the fact that Sheffield United had to play the majority of the game with 10 men after John Egan was sent off for a second yellow card in the second half.
The victory was made even sweeter for the Blades when substitute Ismaila Ndiaye scored a late winner in the 90th minute. The Senegalese midfielder fired a low shot past Lloris to send the home fans into raptures.
The result means that Sheffield United are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 2003. They will now face either Manchester City or Swansea City in the next round.
For Spurs, it was a disappointing end to their FA Cup campaign. They had been hoping to win the competition for the first time since 1991, but they were unable to break down a resilient Sheffield United side.
The result also means that Spurs have now gone five games without a win in all competitions, and they will be hoping to turn their form around when they face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday.
