Image Source : AP Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko (third from left) scores the opening aim previous Brentford’s goalkeeper David Raya Martin through the EFL Cup semi-final match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford on Tuesday night time.
Jose Mourinho reached his first closing as Tottenham supervisor after Son Heung-min and Moussa Sissoko clinched a 2-0 victory over Brentford within the League Cup on Tuesday.
But Tottenham must wait 110 days earlier than contesting the ultimate towards both of the Manchester golf equipment, with City enjoying United within the different semifinal on Wednesday.
Mourinho could have an opportunity to ship Tottenham’s first trophy since profitable the League Cup in 2008. And he is aware of all about success on this lesser regarded competitors after lifting the trophy 4 instances throughout spells answerable for Chelsea and Manchester United, together with when the west London membership beat Tottenham within the 2015 closing.
“I had to learn the meaning of the cups here and I always took it serious,” said Mourinho, who was hired by Tottenham in November 2019. “I think if there is any secret it is to take it seriously.”
Second-division staff Brentford knocked out 4 Premier League sides to achieve the semifinals, however gifted Tottenham a gap aim within the twelfth minute when Sissoko was left unmarked for a header.
But Tottenham took till the seventieth minute to increase its lead when Son lifted the ball into the online after Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele mixed for the breakaway.
Brentford had been denied an equalizer when a VAR overview noticed — by way of a forensic examination of footage — that Ivan Toney was marginally offside along with his knee earlier than scoring.
The west London membership completed with 10 males after Josh Dasilva’s excessive studs-up problem left Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg with a gash on his left shin.
“I’m not happy. I think we have to play better,” Mourinho said. “Sometimes bad decisions, sometimes technical mistakes, many times recovering the ball and not being vertical and playing backwards.”
But nonetheless the ultimate whistle was capable of be greeted with the track “Spurs are on their way to Wembley” being performed at Tottenham’s empty stadium. The closing has been pushed from February to April 25 within the hope that followers will probably be allowed in — not like any sporting occasion now within the nation.
This semifinal was the primary sport for the reason that begin of England’s third lockdown on Tuesday, with the hardest legal guidelines since these imposed in early stage of the pandemic final March when even skilled sport was prohibited.
A return to Wembley will probably be acquainted for Tottenham, which used the north London stadium as a brief dwelling from 2017 to 2019 whereas its new stadium was being constructed.
But Spurs have not contested a closing there since that 2015 League Cup closing loss to Mourinho’s Chelsea.
“I know a lot of the boys have been here a long time now and we are desperate to win trophies for the club,” mentioned Tottenham defender Eric Dier, who performed in that closing. “It’s something we’re hungry to do.”
The League Cup is the one trophy Tottenham has gained — additionally in 1999 — since lifting the FA Cup in 1991. The north London aspect reached the 2019 Champions League closing however misplaced to Liverpool and later within the yr Mourinho changed Mauricio Pochettino as supervisor.
