Kane rested but super Son sparks Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min scores their side's second goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at Deepdale Stadium, Preston. Picture: Tim Goode/PA Wire.
Two superb strikes by Heung-Min Son and a debut goal for Arnaut Danjuma wrecked Preston's hopes of an FA Cup giant-killing at Deepdale and sent dominant Tottenham cruising into the fifth round.
Antonio Conte left Harry Kane on the bench but Son ensured Spurs didn't need their talisman with his second half double.
The South Korean international's first goal was a 30 yard screamer five minutes after the break and he added his second after 69 minutes when he produced a sweet turn and shot inside the penalty area.
Son - made captain in the absences of Hugo Lloris and Kane - has not always been at his best this season but he returned to top form against the Championship side, taking his season's goals tally to eight.
And Danjuma, who snubbed Everton to join Spurs on loan from Villareal this week, came on as a late substiute to convert the third.
Spurs dominated from the start but in the first half their attempts came from long-distance shots.
Two of them came from the lively Son who served notice of what was to come by forcing saves out of Freddie Woodman. The first shot almost caught the Preston keeper wrong-footed but he re-adjusted to drop onto the ball but he produced a flying save from the second round the post.
Dejan Kulusevski also tried his luck from 25 yards but his powerful drive flew just over the bar.
Son broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half. He dropped into a pocket of space to collect a pass from Jephat Tanganga before arrowing his shot into the far corner giving Woodman no chance.
Preston briefly threatened to force their way back but struggled to make an attacking headway and didn't manage an attempt on target throughout the game.
And Son's second goal effectively killed them off. He had his back to goal when he controlled Ivan Perisic's flick but he turned past Jordan Storey before firing past Woodman.
Danjuma added the third in the 87th minute when he was left unmarked 10 yards out to turn in Kulusevski's cross.
Woodman 7; Storey 6, Lindsay 7, Hughes 6; Browne 6, McCann 5 (Johnson 78, 5), Ledson 5 (Woodburn 70, 5), Whiteman 6, Brady 6 (Fernandez 78, 5); Cannon 5, Evans 7 (Cross-Adair 90).
: Cornell, Bauer, Cunningham, Potts, Diaby.
Forster 6; Tanganga 6, Sanchez 6, Lenglet 6; Doherty 6 (Emerson 66, 5), Bissouma 7, Bentancur 7 (Skipp 65, 5), Sessegnon 6 (Danjuma 72, 5); Kulusevski 7, Son 9 (Gil 85), Perisic 87.
Austin, Dier, Davies, Hojbjerg, Kane Goal: Son 50, 65, Danjuma 87..
Peter Bankes 7.
