Fernando Llorente’s hat-trick helped fire Tottenham Hotspur to a crushing 6-1 victory over third-tier Rochdale on Wednesday in an FA Cup fifth-round replay.
It was however a match packed with contentious decisions that thrust the VAR system back into the spotlight.
Llorente’s second-half treble, a double from Son Heung-min and a late effort from Kyle Walker-Peters in driving snow at a freezing Wembley Stadium settled the game.
But tensions had threatened to bubble over before the break.
The Video Assistant Referee disallowed an early Tottenham goal before awarding them a disputed penalty kick, which was converted by Son, only for referee Paul Tierney to chalk off his effort.
Tierney also booked the player for stopping during his run-up.
Rochdale’s Stephen Humphrys cancelled out Son’s opener, rubbing salt into Spurs’ wounds and ensuring the halftime debate centred on the VAR system.
The system is being trialed in the FA Cup this season.
Spurs made those arguments academic, however, with five goals after the break to set up a quarter-final tie away to Premier League strugglers Swansea City.
Part of the debate surrounding VAR is about the length of time it takes for decisions to be made and how fans are often left in the dark about the reasons behind them.
Both issues were illustrated after six minutes at Wembley.
Spurs thought they had opened the scoring when Erik Lamela tapped into the net, but a lengthy pause followed before the goal was chalked off by the VAR.
But replays suggested it may have been for shirt-pulling by Llorente.
Son gave Spurs the lead when he curled home from 12 metres after 23 minutes.
Two minutes later the VAR was called upon again after the referee said Kieran Trippier was pulled down by Matt Done outside the area.
The video assistant said the foul had continued into the box and awarded the penalty kick, which Son stroked home.
But the referee ruled his effort out and produced a yellow card because he stopped and re-started during his run-up.
Humphrys drew the third tier side improbably level when he took the ball in his stride and beat Spurs goalkeeper Michel Vorm.
The second half, however, was barely a contest.
Llorente chipped Spurs into the lead from Lucas Moura’s through ball, toe-poked the ball home from close range to make it 3-1 and completed his hat-trick with a header.
Son tapped into an empty net after 65 minutes and 20-year-old Walker-Peters netted his first Spurs goal in stoppage time.
