Tottenham are looking forward to a major trophy in 2022 for their 14th year as the Premier League side suffered a 1–0 FA Cup defeat at championship high-flyers Middlesbrough.
Chris Wilder's side made headlines in the fourth round, with a penalty shootout victory at Manchester United, and they fought against Spurs in a marathon 120-minute run.
Teen star Joshua Coburn proved the difference maker in extra time on a few occasions nights at Riverside Stadium, as visitors to Antonio Conte struggled to raise their game on the night.
Another Cup frustration raises more questions about Conte's future in north London as the 2008 League Cup win seems like an eternity for Spurs fans.
Spurs eliminated from FA Cup: why this happened
Tottenham's failure to register a shot on target until the hour mark told the story of their struggle, with the best chance of 90 minutes falling to Eric Dier.
Conte opted for a strong starting XI with the attacking trio of Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevsky but they failed to make an impact on the well-drilled borough back three.
The Italian was unsure of how to break up the hosts' resistance, but their decision to switch from a three-man defense ahead of stoppage time backfired, as Wilder's batsmen failed to overcome by throwing as many forwards as possible. are.
Conte cannot be accused of selecting a weak team to travel to the northeast, but a lack of ideas of late - when a measured approach is needed - means it is a step ahead and tottenham's side. To take two steps back again.
Will Tottenham stay in the top four?
The defeat ends Tottenham's chances of winning the trophy this season, with a League Cup semi-final exit and a disastrous Europa Conference League group collapse, which is already on Conte's record.
Spurs are now focused on securing the highest possible Premier League finish with a European qualification push on Conte's card.
Tottenham are currently seventh in the Premier League with 13 games to spare, but they have important matches ahead of their rivals.
A fifth or sixth place would still secure a European spot, and a seventh place could even suffice for a Europa Conference League playoff spot, depending on which team wins the FA Cup. But it will fall far short of Spurs' preseason objectives.
The average points required for a place in the Champions League is 71.5, which would require Spurs to win around 10 or 11 of their remaining 13 games.
Days after Tottenham's trophy win
After winning the Serie A title with Inter Milan less than 12 months ago, Conte was included in Spurs in November 2021 with the tag 'serial winner'.
The FA Cup exit means Spurs' last trophy win remains Juande Ramos's 2008 League Cup (Carabao Cup), with defeats in the 2009, 2015 and 2021 League Cup finals and the 2019 Champions League final.
It has been 5️⃣1️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ Days since Tottenham won a trophy! ❌🏆#TottenhamHotspur #Tottenham #Spurs #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/F6I6WbwVb0
— Sportskeeda Football (@skworldfootball) March 1, 2022