Tottenham were forced to come from behind before securing a 4-1 FA Cup win over Wycombe Wanderers.

The Championship's bottom club stunned their Premier League opponents when Fred Onyedinma capitalised on fine work by Uche Ikpeazu.

Gareth Bale went close either side of the opener and was on hand to level in first-half stoppage time.

Spurs dominated after the break, although Jose Mourinho felt the need to introduce Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Tanguy Ndombele - the latter sealing a place in round five with a late brace after Harry Winks' classy 20-yard chip gave the visitors the lead for the first time in the 86th-minute.

Gareth Bale must earn every minute on the pitch at Tottenham with Jose Mourinho insisting he does not give them out easily. 

On loan from Real Madrid and facing an uncertain future, Bale is yet to hit the heights since delighting Spurs fans with his return to the club in September. 

Issues with the winger's form and fitness have meant he has only started one Premier League match, while he is yet to complete 90 minutes in any competition. 

Ahead of Monday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Wycombe Wanderers, Mourinho was asked if it would be beneficial to give Bale regular outings of between 30 and 60 minutes to build up his fitness and confidence. 

Mourinho, however, suggested performances in training held the key to his decision. 

The former Madrid head coach hopes Bale will come through this week unscathed in order to boost his chances of a long run-out against Championship outfit Wycombe. 

"I cannot give players minutes," Mourinho said about Bale. "Minutes on the pitch are not something I can give. I wouldn't go in this direction.  

"We all know the difficulties he had for a couple of seasons. We all know that he arrived injured. We all know that even this season he has been a little bit up and down with small things.  

"The most important thing is to be consistent and training without any problems. 

"When a player is consistently training high intensity without any kind of problems then the player is ready not to be given minutes but is ready to earn minutes. That to me is a different thing." 

Mourinho added: "This week, he is working every minute like everybody else at a good intensity.  

"Let's see the way he reacts to that accumulation, to that load of work. Let's see how he reacts by the end of the week.  

"If he feels - because it is also about his own feelings - that the week that he had has had a positive impact on him and his confidence, he will play the match on Monday." 

Amid reports Tottenham would not be extending Bale's loan spell for a second season, Mourinho insisted last week that no decision had yet been made.

Jose Mourinho has clarified Dele Alli was only left out of the Tottenham squad against Sheffield United due to injury.

The absence of Alli from the matchday squad in Spurs' 3-1 away Premier League win last Sunday was another talking point in a turbulent season for the attacking midfielder.

Alli has only started one Premier League game this season and has been linked with a move away from Spurs, with Paris Saint-Germain a mooted destination.

Mourinho insisted a tendon injury was the reason Alli was left out and listed him among the injury doubts for Monday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Wycombe Wanderers.

"The reason he did not play or was not selected for Sheffield is everything in relation to the injury that he has," Mourinho told reporters when asked about Alli.

"It's not an injury that will keep him out for weeks and weeks like Giovani Lo Celso.

"But is an injury that doesn't allow him to train fully with the team and like in the last couple of days, no chance for him even to train. So that's the situation for now.

"The injuries that have no doubts about playing or not playing is still Gio, who will be a couple more weeks. We have two or three players who have small injuries.

"Matt Doherty, who was not involved at Sheffield [is a doubt], Dele Alli has not been training in recent days with small problem in the tendon but not sure that he can [play], and Serge Aurier, not really well. 

"We still have three days before the match though and the only one I can say is out is Gio."

Mourinho recently praised the turnaround in midfielder Tanguy Ndombele’s Tottenham career, hailing his attitude.

But he insisted that should not have been perceived as a direct comparison with Alli ahead of what he expects to be a tough test against Championship outfit Wycombe.

Mourinho said: "I don't like to go in that direction, I was speaking specifically about Tanguy. 

"I didn't want to accept any responsibility in the change. That's the way I look at things. We are an external source of motivation. The real source is the player himself. 

"I was speaking of course in a very happy way about the Tanguy transformation and the way he is playing.

"With all the respect to Marine [in the last round], Wycombe is a different level, is a more difficult challenge. What we did well against Marine is not enough to win against Wycombe. 

"They are fully professionals, they are talented people, they have ambitions. We need more than we gave against Marine. 

"With all the professionalism the boys behaved there, but we need more because the game is going to be more difficult."

After facing Wycombe, Tottenham have a huge Premier League match at home to champions Liverpool on Thursday.

Jose Mourinho has insisted he is happy with his striker options at Tottenham amid speculation linking the club with a move for Southampton star Danny Ings.

Ings is reportedly a top target for Spurs with his contract due to expire in 18 months and the England international seeking Champions League football.

Mourinho was adamant he would not directly respond to questions about Ings given he is employed by another club.

But the Spurs boss is happy with his options at centre-forward, which include on-loan Benfica forward Carlos Vinicius.

"Let's go bit by bit," Mourinho said.

"[We have] two strikers, we are not a team that needs a third striker because the third striker is Sonny [Son Heung-min]. 

"Of course we have the best [Harry Kane] and we are happy with Carlos.

"Carlos is not our player, he is a Benfica player, but he is a player we are helping to develop and he is helping the team so we are happy with the situation.

"Ings of course I refuse totally to say any word about him because he is a Southampton player and I respect that."

Mourinho was also asked about reports linking Gedson Fernandes with Torino, having previously said the player's 18-month loan with the club could end early.

Fernandes is, like Vinicius, on loan from Benfica, but the midfielder has not started a single Premier League game in a year at the club.

"We don’t speak with other clubs," Mourinho said of the Torino reports.

"We speak with Benfica. Since the moment where we felt that we were not giving to Gedson the possibilities of playing many matches, we felt that we didn't have the right to keep him. 

"If he stays, great. Every time he plays he does always well. But we never felt the right to keep a player that is not our player and is not playing. 

"Benfica knows we are open to cooperate with a friendly club like they are. If there is any other club involved, that I cannot confirm."

Spurs are away to Championship side Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup fourth round on Monday.

Jose Mourinho is preparing for Tottenham's Premier League clash against Aston Villa to go ahead as scheduled on Wednesday.

After a significant coronavirus outbreak, Villa used youth players in a 4-1 FA Cup loss to Liverpool on Friday.

The outbreak has put their hosting of Spurs at risk, but a postponement would create more fixture chaos for Tottenham.

After a 5-0 FA Cup win over Marine on Sunday, Mourinho was asked when Tottenham's next game would be and the Spurs head coach responded: "Wednesday."

"No-one has told me any different that I am not going to play so tomorrow morning we'll start preparing that game," he added.

"The same Tuesday, unless we're told different."

Spurs are fourth in the Premier League table, four points behind Liverpool and Manchester United.

Jose Mourinho was delighted to see Carlos Vinicius' patience for minutes rewarded with a hat-trick and praised Tottenham's professional approach in the 5-0 FA Cup beating of non-league Marine.

Brazilian forward Vinicius made just his fifth start of the season, four of those coming in the Europa League, and netted three times in the first half of the third-round tie at Rossett Park on Sunday.

Vinicius plays second fiddle to Harry Kane and Mourinho felt his performance was emblematic of a Spurs team that showed plenty of respect to their eighth-tier opponents, who are 116 places below them in the English football pyramid.

"It is nice for him. Of course, for a striker that doesn't play a lot because in front of him is the big one," Mourinho told BBC Sport.

"Every time he has a little chance to play, like in the Europa League, he is there for us and we are very happy.

"I think the boys were professionals and didn't stop until the game was over in terms of the result. 

"The attitude was positive and that means a lot for me and also for the competition and to Marine's guys, because they felt we played seriously."

Lucas Moura was on target with a superb free-kick as Spurs led 4-0 at the break, with 16-year-old Alfie Devine making history as Tottenham's youngest ever player and scorer after drilling home the fifth on the hour.

Brazil forward Lucas was thrilled for his compatriot Vinicius, saying: "I'm very happy today, very happy for my friend Vinny, let's go for the next game."

Jose Mourinho revealed Tottenham have managed to carefully "hide" their COVID-19 problems as he insisted Premier League chiefs must not let the season descend into chaos.

The Spurs manager is relishing the distraction of an FA Cup tie at Marine on Sunday, describing the competition as "absolutely beautiful" and promising to take a star-studded squad to face the minnows.

But Tottenham would be left in an "impossible situation", according to Mourinho, if next Wednesday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa is called off.

Villa have experienced a major outbreak of coronavirus cases and their first-team training facilities were closed ahead of Friday's cup clash with Liverpool.

Tottenham have already had a London derby with Fulham called off under similar circumstances, and fixtures are piling up.

Mourinho wants a solution to be found and appealed for "leadership" from league top brass, suggesting there should be ways found to allow games to go ahead.

"The only thing I can say is that since pre-season, we knew that eventually it would happen to us, to have difficult situations to manage and to play again with 14 players," Mourinho said.

"I think every club was mentally ready for it."

Mourinho pointed to his former club Chelsea fielding Petr Cech at under-23 level recently, with the veteran goalkeeper coming out of retirement in case he is needed in a crisis.

"Every club was mentally ready for an extreme situation of having a lot of players not available to play," said Mourinho.

"In our case, we didn't have that extreme situation yet but we had problems. We had problems that of course with the legal right that we had, we managed to hide it, to hide it in a way by not telling who was positive and who was not able to play.

"But we are also having our problems. But we always thought we would always play. I cannot say much more than that."

Tottenham, like all clubs, have not been obliged to identify players who have tested positive for COVID-19, which has allowed Mourinho to avoid cases being publicised.

Those affected must go into self-isolation, but it appears Tottenham are in a good way ahead of their trip to Marine.

Mourinho remembered facing lower-league sides during his coaching career, pointing out the day his Chelsea side lost 4-2 to Bradford City in the FA Cup fourth round, back in the 2014-15 season.

"The FA Cup is absolutely beautiful," he said. "That's why, even knowing that I would love to rest all my guys. I cannot do it. It's not about being afraid, it's about giving the guys what they deserve.

"I'm not taking everybody. But out of 20, I take 19 first-team players. so you can imagine how strong we go."

Mourinho promised he would even enter the Marine club raffle, which offers a top prize of managing the eighth-tier team in a pre-season friendly. With no gate receipts, Marine are understandably looking for other ways of monetising the glamour tie.

"I will buy a ticket. Even if I win, I cannot do it," Mourinho said. "I don’t think I will have conditions to do that, but the meaning of it yes, I will be buying it."

The Northern Premier League North West part-timers and Spurs will go down in the record books as having the biggest gap between each other in the pyramid in the history of the FA Cup when they meet at Marine Travel Arena.

Marine sit sixth in their section of the eighth tier of English football, while Tottenham are fourth in the Premier League, reached the final of the EFL Cup this week and remain in the hunt for Europa League glory.

Mourinho will demand victory, of course, and will be quietly testing his players' appetite for the romance of the game.

"This is just a match that can show me how much they love football," he added. "Nothing else."

Jose Mourinho expects his Tottenham side to take minnows Marine from dreamland "back to reality" in a historic FA Cup third round tie on Sunday.

The Northern Premier League North/West part-timers and Spurs will go down in the record books as having the biggest gap between each other in the pyramid in the history of the competition when they meet at Marine Travel Arena.

Marine sit sixth in the eighth tier of English football, while Tottenham are fourth in the Premier League, reached the final of the EFL Cup this week and remain in the hunt for Europa League glory.

Mourinho has vowed to show the Merseyside club respect and will take a squad that could include Gareth Bale and Erik Lamela north this weekend along with the likes of Jack Clarke and Harvey White.

The Spurs boss said in a press conference on Friday: "I don't think they want to play against Tottenham under-23s, they want to play against a Tottenham team with the players they admire, they follow.

"We are trying to know their striker, their centre-back, their tactical organisation, the exactly same way we do with other opponents. I think the same way, they feel happy to play against us.

"I feel very happy to play against them. I understand the dream. It's up to us to bring them back to reality, but I clearly understand the dream. Nobody puts a foot on a football pitch feeling they are going to lose. We are top professionals. It's up to us to make them understand that as soon as possible."

Liverpool have provided video analysis of their Premier League rivals for Marine and Mourinho, whose side will get changed in the clubhouse bar, says that is to be expected.

The Portuguese said: "Liverpool helping Marine I think is normal, they are neighbours, I am pretty sure there are emotional connections between them. if they gave analysis, access to certain kinds of footage that they would not have, I feel it absolutely normal.

"What we can expect? First of all, we need to see the pitch. It's important for the safety of the players. I believe they are trying to have the best possible pitch. Then it's a group of boys playing the game of their careers.

"What can we do except respect them and win the match? I always believe to respect these teams is to beat them, is to play with a good team with responsibility, with motivation.

"A team that goes there and wins the game. That is respect. That is the cup mentality of the big teams. If we go there and we lose, of course it would be amazing for them, but would be a lack of respect from us."

Jose Mourinho warned Tottenham would be left in an "impossible situation" if their game at Aston Villa is postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak and called on the Premier League to show "leadership".

Villa are expected to field a young side in the FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool on Friday, as a large number of first-team players and staff tested positive for coronavirus this week.

Spurs already had a derby at Fulham called off on December 30 after the Cottagers were hit by the virus and a scheduled trip to Villa Park next Wednesday is now in doubt.

Tottenham will also face Manchester City at a later date of April 25 due to the pandemic and given they are fighting for honours on four fronts, Mourinho suggested they would refuse to accept any more postponements.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's FA Cup tie at Marine, he said: "I believe that is a completely impossible situation for a club to have three matches postponed, especially if that club plays in Europe. If that club doesn't play in Europe, of course there are the UEFA fixtures.

"For a Europa League team to have three matches postponed is impossible. Completely impossible. That's the only thing that I can say."

Asked about the prospect of facing Fulham instead of Villa, he added: "I don't know. It's not for me to find solutions. I'm not going to lie to you, I've been doing that hypothetical exercise with my staff.

"Of course, we have no influence and we don't want to have influence. The only thing that we can say is that what we did in the beginning of the season is impossible to repeat and we refuse to repeat.

"We have to defend our players, the integrity of our competitions and we would never accept to play seven matches in three weeks like we did before. One thing is [the] beginning [of the season], another thing is mid-season.

"And also because of the difficulties and demands of the matches. One thing is to play with all the risks, the Europa League play-offs, another thing is to play Europa League knockout where all the best teams are there.

"We cannot be put in an impossible situation. To have three matches postponed... it is the moment for the Premier League to show leadership, make decisions, that of course a club like us, is trying every day to be ready to play, to follow the rules that we had in our hands.

"We cannot be punished. If we don't play against Aston Villa, we will have three matches postponed and that is impossible. Because after the season we have the Euros, and of course the matches cannot be moved."

Mourinho revealed Gareth Bale trained on Friday and could travel to eighth-tier minnows Marine, while Jack Clarke and Harvey White will be in the squad.

Jose Mourinho labelled Son Heung-min a "special player" after Tottenham reached the EFL Cup final on Tuesday.

Moussa Sissoko and Son scored as Spurs recorded a 2-0 win over Brentford, who were reduced to 10 men after Josh Dasilva's late red card.

Only Harry Kane (17) has scored more goals in all competitions this season than Son (16) among Premier League players.

Mourinho lauded the forward, who had more key passes (three) and shots on target (two) than any other player against Brentford.

"That's the humility of a player. That's Sonny. That's the human nature. He's like that. Some other guys they are not like that. For him it's the team," the Spurs head coach told a news conference.

"For him, for [Harry] Kane, for Lucas [Moura], for many the team is first and of course we depend a lot on the characteristics of some players. Sonny is one of them.

"He had two chances. He had a good volley. I saw the ball in the net but unfortunately, I was wrong and the ball went out. Then he faced the keeper in a difficult moment of the game, where the game is open.

"The opponent is trying and pushing and he goes and he kills the game. So special player but also a special human being."

Spurs' next outing is a trip to non-league side Marine in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho hailed a win of huge importance after Tottenham overcame Brentford 2-0 to reach the EFL Cup final.

Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-min were on target to see Spurs past their Championship opponents, who finished with 10 men after Josh Dasilva was dismissed for a challenge that left Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg with a gashed shin.

Tottenham have not won a piece of major silverware since lifting this trophy back in 2008 and it is a competition Mourinho has won four times.

The last of those came with Manchester United in 2017, with his former club taking on holders Manchester City in Wednesday's semi-final.

"It's a game that takes us to a final. Probably, I hope not, but probably an empty Wembley final but a Wembley final," Mourinho told Sky Sports, casting doubt on the EFL's ambitions to have a crowd at its rearranged April showpiece.

"I'm very, very happy with that. Of course we had matches this year against the biggest clubs in the country, we had London derbies, but this one is one that got us in a final

"I would consider that a very important match for us. Now we have this final in the pocket for a few months.

"We have to forget it and focus on what we have to play in the FA Cup, the Premier League and Europa League."

Brentford fell foul of a marginal VAR offside call when Ivan Toney thought he had equalised after the hour and Mourinho conceded it was not a vintage Tottenham display.

"Solid enough to win," he said. "The game was way under control. They had an offside goal and one penetration on the right-hand side.

"We did not play brilliantly with the ball. Sometimes the wrong decision, sometimes one more touch and not that soft control that allows you to play fast.

"But the game was always under control against a team who are probably coming here next year to play in the Premier League."

Jose Mourinho considers Tottenham's EFL Cup semi-final against Brentford on Tuesday their biggest game since he joined the club. 

Spurs take on the Bees at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after overcoming Stoke City in the last eight almost a fortnight ago. 

The club are now just two wins away from a first major trophy since they won the same competition in 2008, beating Chelsea 2-1 through Jonathan Woodgate's extra-time goal. 

Mourinho has won the EFL Cup four times – three with Chelsea and one with Manchester United – and is looking to become just the third manager to reach the final with three different clubs after Ron Atkinson (United, Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa) and Ron Saunders (Norwich City, Manchester City and Villa).

But he will have his work cut out against a Brentford side who have already eliminated four Premier League teams in this season's competition in Southampton, West Brom, Fulham and Newcastle United.

Indeed, the Bees are only the second non-Premier League side to achieve that feat in a season after Bristol City in 2017-18.

Mourinho, who has won 15 of his 17 home EFL Cup and FA Cup matches as against teams from outside the top flight, knows only too well the confidence boost a trophy triumph would bring and is determined to end Spurs' drought. 

Asked at a media conference if it was the biggest game since he took over at Spurs in November 2019, Mourinho responded: "I think so, in the perspective that the club has been chasing silverware for many years. 

"We had a match at Crystal Palace [last season] which gave us participation in the Europa League and that match was important. The only thing more important is finals.

"For me, every competition is important. I won the EFL Cup in my first season [in England in 2004-05], so for me, every competition is important; it doesn't matter where you are or what your ambitions are. 

"Especially for a club without silverware for more than a decade. If we win two matches, we win the trophy, which would be a very good thing for the club and players.

"It is not about me winning it five times with two or three clubs. It's about the players that want trophies and fans that want trophies. We just need two victories. 

"We have to look to this semi-final with this ambition and respect a very good team."

Mourinho confirmed Erik Lamela would not feature against Brentford but did not reveal if his absence was due to his breach of coronavirus regulations. 

Pictures circulated on social media of Lamela alongside Spurs team-mates Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso at a festive gathering, with West Ham's Manuel Lanzini also in attendance.

The party went against COVID-19 rules put in place by the UK government as those present ignored social-distancing guidelines.

Reguilon was an unused substitute for Spurs' 3-0 Premier League win over Leeds United on Saturday, but there was no place in the squad for Lamela. Lo Celso remains out injured.

Asked if Lamela would be available, Mourinho said: "Not for me to tell you. Just to tell you that against Brentford he cannot play."