Tottenham Hotspur progressed to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening with a fantastic 2-0 victory over North London rivals at the Emirates Stadium.
Spurs took the lead in the 20th minute as Heung-Min Son struck clinically after being played clean through. Dele Alli extended their lead as he was released by Harry Kane and chipped over Petr Cech mid-way through the second-half to secure a brilliant win.
Chances come and go in opening minutes but Son strikes
Emery’s men created plenty of opportunities in the opening stages and should really have opened the scoring. Alex Iwobi did well to combine with Aaron Ramsey but the latter put a low effort just wide of Paulo Gazzaniga’s goal. Henrikh Mkhitaryan then also went close as he was teed up by the Welshman but the Spurs stopper did well to tip his shot around the post.
One of the first chances that Spurs created, they managed to take the lead. A long punt from goal was nodded on by Lucas Moura and fell to Alli. The midfielder played the ball into the path of Son, who tore down on Petr Cech’s goal to thunder a powerful shot low past the Arsenal man.
Gunners push before the break
Despite the visitors’ opener, it was the Gunners who continued to carve out the better chances. First, Ramsey’s powerful volley was saved by Gazzaniga before Sokratis also put a header marginally wide from a corner. They weren’t quite able to find an equaliser before the break and the match ended level at half-time.
Tottenham captain Harry Kane was introduced just before the hour mark and made an instant impact. He found a pocket of space in midfield and picked out Alli with an excellent ball over the top. The Englishman was in acres of room, and with Cech advanced, he exquisitely lifted the ball over the stopper to make sure it nestled into the far corner to extend Spurs’ advantage.
Not a night for Arsenal
Arsenal substitute Alexandre Lacazette could also have made a telling contribution only minutes after coming on but his effort from inside the area scraped the post and bounced behind.
The Gunners then went close again in the closing stages as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s cross skimmed off of the top of the crossbar. However, they could not find a route back into the game as the visitors secured a memorable victory.
Final Thoughts
This victory will taste so sweet for Tottenham Hotspur supporters following their defeat on the same patch just a few weeks ago. Despite Arsenal creating probably the better opportunities, Tottenham defended brilliantly and were clinical when chances came their way. They set the tone of the game and deservedly reach the semi-finals where they will face either Chelsea, Manchester City or League One outfit Burton Albion.
Match Report
Arsenal: Cech (6); Monreal (6), Xhaka (6), Sokratis (5), Maitland-Niles (6); Torreira (6), Guendouzi (6) (Nketiah (5), 65′), Ramsey (6); Mkhitaryan (6) (Koscielny (6), 45′), Iwobi (5) (Lacazette (5), 58′), Aubameyang (5).
Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga (6); Rose (6), Davies (7), Alderweireld (7), Trippier (6); Winks (7), Sissoko (6), Eriksen (6); Alli (8), Lucas (6) (Kane (7), 58′), Son (7) (Lamela (N/A), 78′).
Goals: Son (20′)
Referee: Jon Moss
Yellow Cards: Guendouzi (45+2′), Xhaka (77′), Alli (85′)
Red Cards: N/A
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