LONDON:
Tottenham Hotspur overcame a dramatic Manchester United fightback to secure a 4-3 victory at home and progress to the League Cup semi-finals in a thrilling encounter marred by unusual mistakes on Thursday.
Ange Postecoglou’s side seemed to be coasting towards victory, leading 3-0 after 54 minutes thanks to a brace from Dominic Solanke and a goal by Dejan Kulusevski against a sluggish United. However, two costly errors by goalkeeper Fraser Forster allowed substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo to reignite United’s hopes.
Diallo’s goal in the 70th minute narrowed the scoreline to 3-2, sparking a series of near-misses for United as they pushed for an equaliser. Tottenham’s captain Son Heung-min seemingly sealed the win in bizarre fashion, scoring directly from a corner that caught United’s goalkeeper Altay Bayindir off guard.
Despite Jonny Evans heading a third for United in stoppage time, Tottenham held on to book a two-legged semi-final clash with reigning champions Liverpool. Arsenal will face Newcastle United in the other semi-final.
Reflecting on the nervy encounter, Solanke said, “Being 3-0 up, we could have managed the game better and wasted some time, but the key thing is we won and we’re through. That’s football; we stick together. Mistakes are part of the game, but we dug in, showed spirit, and got the job done.”
Postecoglou’s team had previously squandered a 2-0 lead to lose 4-3 at home against Chelsea, and for a time, it seemed their propensity for self-inflicted errors might resurface. This time, however, the fans left the stadium relieved, as Postecoglou edged closer to bolstering his reputation for delivering trophies in his second season at clubs. Tottenham are chasing their first cup since winning the League Cup in 2008.
Despite numerous injuries, Tottenham dominated Ruben Amorim’s United, who made five changes from the side that upset Manchester City on Sunday. Notably, Marcus Rashford, keen to leave the club, was absent from the starting lineup.
Solanke opened the scoring in the 15th minute, capitalising on Bayindir’s failure to handle a Pedro Porro shot and slotting in the rebound off the post. United’s Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Højlund had opportunities, but Tottenham remained comfortable. Early in the second half, Lisandro Martínez inadvertently set up Kulusevski, who calmly finished to double Tottenham’s lead. Solanke added a third moments later with a skilful shot into the bottom corner.
The match took a chaotic turn when Forster’s poor pass was intercepted by Fernandes, setting up Zirkzee to score. Minutes later, Diallo charged down Forster’s delayed clearance, diverting the ball into the net.
United surged forward with renewed energy, but Son restored Tottenham’s composure with an inswinging corner that bypassed Bayindir and nestled in the net. Evans’ late goal offered United a glimmer of hope, but the comeback ultimately fell short, leaving United to rue their poor start to the match.
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