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Tottenham Hotspur players celebrate an own goal from Tamworth’s Nathan Tshikuna, second right, during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham endured the humiliation of being taken to extra time by Tamworth, an opponent nearly 100 places lower in English football’s pyramid, before winning 3-0 and avoiding one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history on Sunday.

Defending champion Manchester United also advanced from the third round by beating Arsenal 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. Joshua Zirkzee converted the clinching penalty for United, which played from the 61st minute with 10 men following Diogo Dalot’s sending-off.

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Four days after beating Premier League leader Liverpool 1-0 in the English League Cup semifinals, Tottenham’s team of established internationals toiled against a group of part-time soccer players whose main jobs included bricklaying, selling zippers and being a financial advisor.

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A massive surprise was on when fifth-tier Tamworth forced extra time with the score 0-0, only for the hosts to concede an own-goal in the 101st minute and then strikes by Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson to disappoint the majority of the 3,700 fans inside the tiny stadium called The Lamb.

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Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou felt compelled to bring on his top players including Son Heung-min, Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke from the substitutes’ bench to eventually overpower Tamworth, which is 16th in the National League and was playing in the third round for first time since 2012.

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“It’s very easy on a day like this to lose your head when things aren’t going your way and you realize the consequences,” Postecoglou said, “but for the most part we stayed calm, persistent and got through.”

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Ninety-five places were between the teams in the league pyramid.

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“Amazing day and a shame we couldn’t get over the line,” Tamworth midfielder Tom McGlinchey said. “Back to work lecturing tomorrow — back to the day job unfortunately.”

In previous years, Tamworth would have earned a money-spinning replay by holding Tottenham to a draw in regulation time. However, replays were scrapped from this season because of the increasingly busy calendar.

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There was some hilarity before kickoff, with the game having to be delayed because of an issue with the netting on one of the goals. A Tamworth player got on a teammate’s shoulder to fix the problem.

READ: Tottenham collapse at Brighton ‘as bad as it gets’ Bayindir is United’s unlikely star

The last time Altay Bayindir played for Man United, the goalkeeper conceded a goal from a corner in a loss at Tottenham in the English League Cup quarterfinals.

On Sunday, he was United’s savior by saving one penalty from Martin Odegaard in normal time to send the game against Arsenal to extra time at 1-1 and then another from Kai Havertz in the shootout.

United scored all of its penalties to keep the defense of its trophy on track in the unlikeliest of manners.

Bruno Fernandes put United ahead in the 52nd minute at Emirates Stadium only for Dalot to pick up his second yellow card and leave the visitors with 10 men for the final half-hour of regulation time.

Within two minutes, Arsenal equalized through Gabriel’s deflected shot and then squandered a chance to go ahead after Havertz was adjudged to have been fouled by Harry Maguire in the area.

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Odegaard’s penalty was heading to the bottom corner but was tipped aside by Bayindir, whose save to keep out Havertz’s penalty was very similar.

Joshua Zirkzee converted the clinching penalty and that was also redemption for the Dutchman, who was substituted in the 33rd minute of a recent Premier League game against Newcastle and jeered by some United fans.

Premier League teams advance

There were no problems for other Premier League teams playing lower-league opposition, though Newcastle did have to come from behind to beat fourth-tier Bromley 3-1 after conceding an eighth-minute opener.

Lewis Miley, Anthony Gordon and William Osula scored at St. James’ Park for Newcastle, which earned an eighth straight win in all competitions.

Eberechi Eze’s goal secured Crystal Palace a 1-0 win over third-tier Stockport, while Ipswich beat Bristol Rovers — also from the third tier — 3-0 thanks to goals by Kalvin Phillips, Jack Clarke and Jack Taylor.

Southampton beat second-tier Swansea 3-0, with Tyler Dibling scoring twice.

In Sunday’s other game, fourth-tier Doncaster beat Hull 5-4 on penalties after the score was 1-1 at the end of extra time.

Fourth-round draw

Man United’s reward for beating Arsenal was a home match in the fourth round against Leicester, which is managed by former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. Van Nistelrooy was in temporary charge of United for its win over Leicester in a League Cup match in October.

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Liverpool will play second-tier Plymouth away and Manchester City was drawn away to either third-tier Leyton Orient or second-tier Derby.777oreo

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