Tottenham Edge Past Manchester United To Secure Carabao Cup Semi-Final Spot.
Tottenham Hotspur survived a dramatic second-half comeback by Manchester United to claim a 4-3 victory and secure their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals. Despite cruising with a 3-0 lead, Spurs endured a nervy finish after a series of errors from goalkeeper Fraser Forster nearly handed United an unlikely revival.
The match began with Spurs taking the lead in the 15th minute as Dominic Solanke capitalised on a mistake by United keeper Altay Bayindir. The first half was tightly contested, but Spurs went into the break ahead.
Seconds into the second half, Dejan Kulusevski doubled Tottenham’s lead with a powerful finish. Solanke struck again in the 54th minute to make it 3-0, seemingly putting the game out of reach.
However, chaos ensued when Forster’s mistakes gifted United a lifeline. In the 63rd minute, a misplaced pass from Forster was intercepted by Bruno Fernandes, who set up substitute Joshua Zirkzee for a simple finish. Just seven minutes later, Forster’s hesitation led to Amad Diallo pouncing on another poor clearance to reduce the deficit further.
Spurs finally eased the pressure in the 88th minute when Son Heung-min’s corner drifted straight into the net, exposing more weaknesses in Bayindir’s goalkeeping.
Even then, the drama continued as Jonny Evans headed in United’s third deep into injury time, with Forster again at fault. Despite the tense final moments, Spurs held on for a thrilling victory.
Ange Postecoglou’s side now advance to the semi-finals, but questions remain about their defensive vulnerabilities and goalkeeping errors. Meanwhile, Manchester United will rue their missed opportunity to build on their recent derby triumph over Manchester City.
The Semi-final draw will see Tottenham take on Liverpool in a two legged encounter, while Arsenal will battle out with Newcastle in the other semi-final contest for a place in the final.