EFL Cup: Tottenham survive Man United scare, set up semi-final clash with Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur survived two costly mistakes to secure a thrilling 4-3 victory over Manchester United in the League Cup quarter-finals, earning a semi-final showdown with Liverpool.

Spurs appeared to be cruising at 3-0 by the 54th minute, thanks to a brace from Dominic Solanke and a goal from Dejan Kulusevski. However, two errors by goalkeeper Fraser Forster allowed substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo to bring United back into contention at 3-2 with 20 minutes remaining.

United dominated the latter stages, but Tottenham struck again through Son Heung-min, who converted from a corner to restore their cushion. Jonny Evans’ late strike for United made for a tense finish, but Spurs held on to reach the last four.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou praised his injury-hit squad while defending his attacking philosophy despite the nervy ending.”It should have been a lot more comfortable, but I can’t get away from the fact that this group of players have done an unbelievable job to get us through this.
I know people will say, ‘Don’t take any risks,’ but we wouldn’t be scoring four or five goals without this approach. Scoring goals is the hardest thing in the game, and we’re doing it with bare bones.”

Tottenham, currently 10th in the Premier League, are chasing their first silverware in 16 years since lifting the League Cup in 2008. Postecoglou remains on track to deliver a trophy in his second season, a hallmark of his managerial career.

For Manchester United, the defeat marks a sharp downturn after Sunday’s dramatic 2-1 Premier League victory over Manchester City. New manager Ruben Amorim made five changes to his starting lineup, while Spurs named six academy players on their bench.

United’s Marcus Rashford was absent from the squad for a second consecutive game, but Alejandro Garnacho returned as a second-half substitute.

Tottenham will face Premier League leaders Liverpool in the semi-finals, while Arsenal take on Newcastle in the other tie. The first legs are scheduled for January, with the winners advancing to a Wembley final in March.