Spurs survive Man United comeback to reach EFL Cup semi-finals

Tottenham Hotspur advanced to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup after narrowly beating Manchester United 4-3 on Friday morning (AEDT) in London.

Dominic Solanke pounced on a rebound to put Spurs ahead in the 15th minute, while Swedish midfielder Dejan Kulusevski doubled their advantage with a clinical finish soon after the restart.

Solanke grabbed his second of the night in the 54th minute after some fine individual work, putting Spurs in the driving seat with a three-goal cushion.

The game, however, took a turn when United capitalised on two mistakes by Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster, scoring twice midway through the second half through Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo.

As United pushed for the unlikely comeback, the hosts restored their two-goal lead when Son Heung-min scored a sensational goal directly from a corner kick three minutes from stoppage time.

Although the Red Devils managed to find a consolation goal deep into injury time through Jonny Evans, Tottenham held on to secure the victory.

After the match, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou acknowledged that his side made things more difficult for themselves than necessary.

“We made it harder than it should have been,” he said.

“We were well in control, played really well, we looked like we were going to manage the game and then two unfortunate moments, the first one affected Fraser and then the second one came as a result of that.

“But we showed character and scored a fourth.

“I like the whole game. Are you not entertained? I know the studio is probably having a meltdown over my lack of tactics.”

The win ensured Tottenham booked their place in the EFL Cup semi-finals, where they will face Liverpool.

Online bookmakers have Spurs as +220 outsiders to defeat the holders in the first leg, which takes place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 9.

Spurs also face Liverpool in Premier League action this Monday, with top bookie Marantelli Bet paying +334 for the home side to upset the league leaders.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will be hoping to bounce back against Bournemouth, with top EPL betting sites paying -119.05 for the hosts to win.

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