On his last visit here, an irate José Mourinho railed at everything from ball boys to backroom staff but on this occasion his prime source of frustration stemmed not from Southampton but rather the protracted transfer saga surrounding Christian Eriksen, who is close to sealing a €20m move to Internazionale. Mourinho pointed the finger at the Serie A club before shrugging his shoulders at the manner in which fixtures are piling up for
Tottenham Hotspur after having to settle for a replay.
Before kick-off Mourinho bemoaned his side’s congested schedule and, after Sofiane Boufal cancelled out a wonderfully crafted Son Heung-min opener, the Portuguese has another game to add to the list. Son struck after a magical weaving run by Giovani Lo Celso, which appeared to pave passage to the fifth round – but they face a replay after Boufal lashed home inside the box from a cutback by Danny Ings. Lo Celso had a first-half goal disallowed by the video assistant referee, while Ings thrice went close to levelling before Boufal’s late intervention. Mourinho was at pains to say an extra game causes no drama but Eriksen’s departure most definitely rankles.