If this was a glimpse into the future, when the machines take over and nothing is left to chance, then football fans may as well save their money and let the robots get on with it. 

For while the video assistant referee (VAR) may have been right, by the letter of the law, the Tottenham Hotspur and Rochdale supporters who braved the freezing Wembley weather were largely left clueless.

It was the FA Cup, but not as we know it. Spurs booked a quarter-­final date against Swansea City thanks to a Fernando Llorente hat-trick, a Son Heung-min double and a late goal from substitute Kyle Walker-Peters, while Rochdale’s Stephen Humphrys left with a treasured Wembley memory. 

However, this fifth-round replay and Llorente’s treble were overshadowed by the constant use of VAR that resulted in Spurs fans booing with each pause in the proceedings. 

“The first half was a bit embarrassing for everyone,” said Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino. “I am not sure that the system is going to help. Football is about emotion. It is a contest of emotion and if we are going to kill emotion in football, the fans, the people who love football, are not so happy about what they saw. 

“Football is about making a mistake. Like us, we made a mistake, the player has made a mistake, the referee can make a mistake. It was always like this. We try in this situation to change the game that we love. That is why I am open to help and to try to change and analyse and try to make it better if we are going to use this system. I think you and the fans and myself, we all agree that, watching today’s game, maybe it is so early for next season. 

“I think you are going to kill that emotion that makes you feel happy. That is why you pay for the ticket, that is why you came to the game when the conditions were so bad. Then you say, ‘OK, I am going to watch the game through the TV and stay at home because if I cannot shout when we score because we need to wait two minutes, you cannot express yourself’.” 

VAR had already accounted for pre-match confusion over the colour of the Wembley pitch markings, which, having started out dark blue, ended up sky blue by kick-off – so the technology could pick up the lines. But the colour of the markings in the falling snow was the least of anybody’s worries as referee Paul Tierney and the video assistant referee, Graham Scott, combined to confuse everybody during a bizarre first half. 

The madness started with the ­decision to rule out what seemed like a perfectly good Erik Lamela goal in just the sixth minute. 

Son’s shot was saved by Josh ­Lillis, Llorente could not get to the ball, but Lamela poked it into the net. It looked like the best possible start for Spurs, but as the players made their way back to their ­respective ends to restart the game there was a long pause while Tierney consulted VAR. After a stoppage of about 90 seconds, Llorente was deemed to have committed a foul in trying to get to Son’s saved effort and the goal was ruled out.

Tottenham had more reason to be upset with the officiating in the 22nd minute, as Lucas Moura thought he had been fouled in the area by Harrison McGahey but Tierney allowed play to continue. Yet Spurs only had to wait a minute longer to score a goal that neither VAR nor Tierney could deny. Son stepped inside Joseph Rafferty and curled a right-foot shot past Lillis. 

Having been on the wrong end of a VAR decision, Tottenham then got the benefit of the technology as they were awarded a 27th-minute penalty. Tierney had originally signalled for a free-kick outside the area after Kieran Trippier had been pulled back by Matt Done but, having consulted VAR, the referee pointed to the spot. Replays seemed to show the original offence had started outside the area but then continued into the box, which meant a spot-kick could be given. 

There was even more confusion to follow as Son placed his penalty into the net but was then shown a yellow card. It was not immediately apparent what Son had been booked for, but Tierney had ruled, correctly, that the South Korean had fully stopped during his run up and the goal was ruled out and a free-kick awarded to the visitors. 

Son’s disallowed penalty must still have been on Spurs minds four minutes later, as their defence parted to allow Humphrys to equalise for Rochdale. He easily beat the Tottenham offside trap to run ­between Eric Dier and Juan Foyth to get on the end of an Andrew Cannon pass and slip the ball past Michel Vorm. 

It almost got better for Rochdale at the end of the first half, as Vorm’s poor clearance found Humphrys, who passed to Cannon and to see him hit the bottom of the post. 

Tierney immediately frustrated the crowd at the restart, calling for the second half kick-off to be ­retaken, but Llorente and Son quickly took over. 

Llorente netted his first goal by chipping the ball over Lillis in the 47th minute and he added his second six minutes later after being set up by Moura. 

The Spaniard’s first treble for Spurs came before the hour mark as a result of a cross from Son, who then added a fifth before substitute Walker-Peters netted Tottenham’s  sixth in stoppage time. An impressive display, but those who trudged away from Wembley had a new-found appreciation of human error.

9:48PM

Matt Law's match report is coming up

Cheers for following. Night.

9:47PM

A hugely enjoyable

Utterly daft game. Spurs will be in the next round.

9:42PM

Full time: Tottenham Hotspur 6 Rochdale 1

That is the lot. Report, reaction and more VAR VAR VAR to come.

9:42PM

GOAL! Tottenham 6 Rochdale 1 (Walker-Peters 90+ mins) 

Alli with a nice no-look pass, Kyle Walker-Peters is onto it, slots it home for his first Spurs goal. Well done lad.

9:41PM

90 mins

Spurs are still at it. They want another....

"It greaves me to say," writes Shane O'Leary. "I must say that I'm not impressed with this 'Beast From The East' and not convinced by young Master Kane either.

My prediction, and I do understand that there's a dic in there already, is that Kane will go south, to Spain and he'll fail to thrive.

My other prediction was for a Rochdale win, so I'll be like them, off."

9:31PM

This is the best match,  basically

Now they've got some fellers on with sweeping brushes.

Once that's out of the way, Roch have a chance to deliver a ball into the Spurs area. Somebody, cannot see who, makes contact but it is straight at the keeper.

9:26PM

Good points from Glenn

9:25PM

Wor Al v Var

9:24PM

75 mins

Rochdale are bringing on a child! It's 16-year-old Danny Adshead, who the commentator on BT informs me is a transfer target for Spurs.

9:21PM

72 mins

Spurs have a freekick just outside the box. I guess? You cannot see the line.

Lamela lifts it over the wall and hits the post! That was more or less impossible to see on the TV. I dunno whether the goalie had a view of it or not.

9:19PM

post-truth

9:17PM

Poll of polls

9:15PM

67 mins

There will be no hat-trick for Son. He's withdrawn in favour of D Alli.

9:14PM

GOAL! Tottenham 5 Rochdale 1 (Son 65)

Ooh, this is a proper beasting now. Poor Rochdale. They've been opened up again, Lamela carves through the middle, slips it to Son and that's the simplest finish you could wish for. It's five, and it's getting horrible for the League One side.

9:07PM

GOAL! Tottenham 4 Rochdale 1 (Llorente 59)

Hat-trick Llorente! And a perfect one at that! Son, who is ripping Rochdale apart, gets to the byline and stands the ball up. Llorente nods it in and that really is the end of it.

9:05PM

57 mins

Humphrys cannot shake off that knock and is removed. Shame. Still, he will have that wonderful goal to look back on. Davies comes on.

9:04PM

Feels like it could be a long evening from here

9:02PM

GOAL! Tottenham 3 Rochdale 1 (Llorente 53)

It's Llorente again, and that should be round six secured. Spurs look a different class to Rochdale in this move. Lovely stuff from Son, dinks it to Moura, cross, and a simple finish for Fernando Llorente.

8:59PM

49 mins

Lamela has totally cleaned out Camps there. On a yellow, that could easily have been a second booking.

8:56PM

GOAL! Tottenham 2 Rochdale 1 (Llorente 47)

Llorente has chipped the keeper. Moura - or 'Moira' as Robbie Savage calls him - with a lovely run, and he plays the ball forward for Llorente. Llorente surges onto it, and chips the keeper with a beaut of a finish. But there's no time to enjoy the football, we must now turn our attention to VAR. This referee, a beaut in his own right, checks it... and the goal stands. Looked damn close to offside. 

73 seconds since half time for the goal 

8:53PM

46 mins

Spurs kick off. 

8:52PM

Rochdale manager working the ref

Who is having a wild, wild evening.

8:48PM

Son penalty?

Correct decision made by referee, that decision not made by VAR. Son illegally stopped in the run up, which is a yellow card, and the penalty disallowed.

8:46PM

VAR 100% penalty

for that Done tug on Trippier. Fouled initially outside the box, then the foul continues when he gets into the area. Correct call to give a penalty. VAR correct

8:44PM

Moura penalty appeal? 

Probably not a penalty.

8:44PM

Let's look at those VAR decisions

Were these clear and obvious ?

Llorente has fouled McGahey, pulling him back. VAR correct

8:42PM

Cold night, hot take

8:36PM

Half time: Tottenham 1 Rochdale 1

Total nonsense, and wonderful entertainment. VAR absolutely bossing it.

8:35PM

45+ mins

It's all Rochdale at the minute, they've got the Premier League side pinned back and are trying to pass their way through.

Lamela with a nasty tackle from behind on Cannon.

8:33PM

45+ mins

There will be five added minutes!

8:32PM

Rochdale have hit the post!

Oooh that was agonising. Spurs totally undone, there are 45 minutes on the clock*. Vorm makes a pig's ear of the clearance, it drops to Humphrys, who slips the ball to his onrushing colleague Cannon. Cannon sends the shot across the keeper, who is beaten neck and crop. It hits the post down to his right. So, so close.

* And about an hour of first half stoppage time to get through.

8:28PM

Talking of squirrels

8:26PM

40 mins

Trippier so dangerous down the right, crosses, Lamela heads it right at the keeper.

8:24PM

38 mins

Danny Rose nipping down the left like an excitable squirrel, twisting here and there, but eventually denied.

8:22PM

Nicely put

8:21PM

35 mins

Rochdale are carved open once again, Lamela looks far too quick and nimble for their ponderous centre defence. Drills a shot at the goalie.

8:18PM

ROCHDALE HAVE SCORED AND THE PLACE IS GOING NUTS!!!!!!!!

Ball down the right from Rochdale, a little chipped ball forward and Humphrys races onto it. His first touch is absolutely exquisite, taking it around the goalie as if the ball were on a string. He taps it home. That is pure, pure class - and the League One side are level!

8:15PM

Son runs up to take the penalty

He runs... he stops... he slots it home. But the referee has stopped the play. And he has booked Son! Because he stopped and started again in the run. No goal! No more penalty! And a yellow card. That'll teach him! This match is pure bananas.

8:12PM

More work for VAAAAAAARRRRRR

The ball's hoofed forward, Trippier tries to get on the end of it, under pressure from Matt Done. That looks like a foul. The debate, though, is whether the foul was inside or outside the box. VAR VAR VAR takes its time. WHAT VERDICT WILL VAR VAR VAR decide upon?

VAR has spoken and it is a penalty.

8:10PM

GOAL! Tottenham 1 Rochdale 0 (Son 23)

Son has put Spurs ahead. No arguing with that. Lamela with a classy run, slips it to Son, who picks it up in the inside left position. Shifts it, twists, opens up an angle to shoot and rifles the ball home. Quality goal from a quality player, and Rochdale can have no complaints.

8:08PM

21 mins

Moura brushes past McGahey in the area and goes down rather enthusiastically. No pen. Ref had a quick word with VAR VAR VAR and gets the good word from VAR VAR VAR.

8:06PM

We're still none the wiser about VARVARVAR

8:03PM

16 mins

The snow is pelting down, Spurs have another corner. Sport's great in the snow, innit. Matt Done with some good battling here, and he manages to free Cannon, who gets in behind.. Broadway Danny Rose makes a great saving tackle.

8:01PM

14 mins

And a great chance for the visitors! A nice up and under from Rochdale, the Tottenham defence all stand around and watch the ball come down LITERALLY with snow on it. Matt Done steals in, bustling run, and he cracks a shot across goal that does not go far wide.

7:54PM

8 mins

Strange one. Anyway, Tottenham have another corner. No dice.

And another.

7:53PM

Tottenham have it in the net

Lamela salutes the crowd. Son with good skill, crosses it. Keeper gets a hand on it. Llorente and McGahey bundle for the ball, it breaks to Lamela for the simplest of tap-ins... Looks a pretty fair goal to me. But they are checking on VAR... and it is overturned! "That is an incredible decision," says Robbie Savage ie a bad one.

Lamela's goal is chalked off!!!

I can only surmise that they think Llorente fouled the defender McGahey??

7:51PM

5 mins

Another corner. Llorente gets across his man, but McNulty does just enough to put him off, and the header is harmless.

7:50PM

4 mins

Lamela with a run, plays it to Llorente, on whose intervention the attack flounders.

Rochdale break, Humphrys harasses Foyth, who shows good composure to recover.

7:49PM

2 mins

First moment of danger as Son breaks, tries to play in Llorente. It's hacked behind for a corner. If that ball had been just a split-second better timed.... Anyway. Corner cleared easily enough.

7:47PM

1 mins

Kick off. Spurs have the ball, playing it around at the back. Lots of gloves. No tights, so far as I can see, which is something I suppose. Rochdale need to take the old fashioned approach.

7:45PM

VAR is availble

Here are how the teams might line up.

7:41PM

Completely off-topic

but this made me howl with laughter.

7:40PM

Dale! Dale! Dale!

7:37PM

Manager Hill on snapper duty

7:27PM

Juan Foyth looks about 11

7:21PM

So a chance for Llorente

who has been veh average since his arrival here. Will Rochdale be the team who see that once formidable forward back to his best?

7:20PM

Keith Hill

has a word with Jakey Jakey Jake Jake

"We came down here early and we have done the sightseeing. The players are really up for the game and are relaxed, as much as they can be. We are looking forward to meeting the challenge and we are trying to beat Tottenham. If we lose I am going to be bitterly disappointed.

"We really enjoyed our time at St George's. It was nice to train on a proper pitch!"

7:17PM

Gent!

7:16PM

Scarf!

7:15PM

Ski!

7:14PM

woof

it looks cold there

7:04PM

So nine changes for Spurs 

from the team that beat Palace.

Keith Hill has named the same XI that he had in the last match against Spurs.

Eric Dier and Erik Lamela, who did not play at Deepdale, come into the XI, as if to illustrate the strength in depth that Tottenham can call on.

6:58PM

Lord of Wembley

6:55PM

From this, 'case you ponderin'

6:54PM

McNulty

6:53PM

Here's the brave men and true of the Dale

6:52PM

King of the hill

6:49PM

Where are ya Rochdale?

team news delayed due to snow

6:48PM

Spurs team

6:43PM

Where's dem teams?

must be here soon

6:22PM

Dale in the house

6:13PM

Let's hope it's a better time than this recent FA Cup match

Charlie Eccleshare here runs the rule over some grim FA Cup encounters.

Charlie reckons that it is time to scrap FA Cup replays altogether if both teams agree. Do you agree? Email me at alan.tyers@telegraph.co.uk with your views. Or if you just want to call Charlie an idiot, hit him up on the Twitters.

6:06PM

Team news as soon as we have it

And then kick off is at 19.45

5:44PM

Good evening

and welcome to our live blog of the FA Cup fifth round replay at a very chilly Wembley. Rochdale travel to the capital with hopes of a famous victory over mighty Tottenham. The tie at Deepdale was a little bit of a classic, as the Lancashire side scored a stoppage time equaliser to force this replay, and force Mauricio Pochettino to rue having to get through another potentially energy-sapping encounter.

Pochettino will have to get through the fixture without his defensive jewels Toby Alderweireld (hamstring) and Jan Vertonghen (ankle), which should mean some opportunities for one or two of the lesser lights.

Rochdale manager Keith Hill, meanwhile, has scotched any idea that his players are just going to enjoy a visit to Wembley. "I'm looking forward to the game, not the trip. It's not a day out," he said.

He must play that game without recourse to his important striker Calvin Andrew.

Pochettino has never had his colours lowered in England by a team from outside the top flight, and the Premier League side go into this fixture unbeaten in 13. It all adds up to a daunting task for the League One club. 

They have not been to Wembley since 2008, when they lost 3-2 to Stockport in the League Two play-off final. Hill, then in his first spell with the side, was the manager that day.

Lovely stuff here from Jim White as he speaks to Dale skipper Jimmy McNulty, who was withdrawn in the 41st minute of their game with Wigan on Saturday... to save him from missing this due to a booking!

Rochdale defender Jimmy McNulty thankful to be part of FA Cup replay date with Tottenham at Wembley