CARLING CUP ROUND THREE
WEDNESDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER, 2007
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 (0) MIDDLESBROUGH 0 (0)
Scorers:-
Bale, 72
Huddlestone, 75
Attendance: - 32,280
Referee: - Mr. K. Stroud
Team:-
Spurs (4-4-2):- Robinson (Capt.); Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Bale; Lennon, Huddlestone, Jenas (sub Zokora, 69), Tainio; Defoe (sub Keane, 69), Berbatov
Subs not used: - Cerny; Rocha; Bent
Booked: - Dawson, Tainio
Despite fielding a team which included three players most of us would have liked to have seen at Bolton (Defoe, Lennon, Bale), Martin Jol had to wait until 20 minutes before the end before the crucial breakthrough against a young and inexperienced Boro side came. The current darling of the home crowd, Jermain Defoe had been withdrawn in favour of Robbie Keane, to the sound of boos ringing in Jol’s ears. Jol was to have the last laugh though, as within minutes, Keane’s excellent work near the touchline in his own half led to the move where he found the advancing Bale, who rounded goalkeeper Brad Jones to put Spurs in the lead. Thus Bale, playing his first official game for Spurs at left back, became the club’s top goal-scorer so far, with three in just five appearances. Three minutes later, Tom Huddlestone headed home a Lennon cross to secure the win.
On the same day, Chelsea beat Hull 4-0 away, with goals from Sinclair, Kalou (2), and Sidwell.
CARLING CUP 4TH ROUND
WEDNESDAY 31ST OCTOBER, 2007
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 (1) BLACKPOOL 0 (0)
Scorers:-
Keane, 18
Chimbonda, 58
Referee: - Chris Foy
Attendance: - 32,196
Team:-
Spurs (4-4-2):- Robinson; Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul (sub Tainio, 55), Lee; Lennon, Jenas, Zokora, Malbranque; Berbatov (sub Bent, 71), Keane (Capt.) (sub Defoe, 60)
(Armband to Robinson)
Subs not used: - Cerny; Boateng
Booked: - Kaboul, Tainio
Spurs’ new coach got off to a satisfactory winning start against a Blackpool side that gave a terrific account of themselves doing themselves and their terrific support proud. Ramos fielded the strongest team available and during the course of the game took the opportunity to take a look at his 14 best available players in advance of Saturday’s game at Middlesbrough. Even in this first game there was evidence to indicate he had already had an effect upon the players who sought to play at a faster pace, and in the case of Lennon especially, were given more licence to attack.
Chelsea made hard work of beating Championship side Leicester, who took an early lead, but were eventually beaten 4-3 thanks to goals by Lampard (3) and Shevchenko
CARLING CUP ROUND 5
TUESDAY 18TH DECEMBER, 2007
MANCHESTER CITY 0 (0) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 (1)
Scorers:-
Defoe, 5
Malbranque, 82
Referee: - Steve Bennett
Attendance: - 38,564
Team:-
Spurs (4-4-2/4-4-1):- Robinson (Capt.); Chimbonda, Kaboul, Zokora, Lee; Lennon (sub O’Hara, 71), Jenas, Boateng, Malbranque (sub Huddlestone, 87); Berbatov, Defoe (sub Tainio, 22)
Subs not used: - Cerny; Taarabt
Booked: - Malbranque, Jenas, Chimbonda
Sent off: - Zokora (alleged violent conduct – foul)
Heroic triumph by Spurs!
Before and after referee Steve Bennett so harshly sent off Didier Zokora in the 20th minute, Juande Ramos’s side played like heroes, and for 70 minutes with just ten men. Jermain Defoe – who had put Spurs in the lead after a great team goal in the fifth minute – became the unhappy sacrificial lamb, as Ramos simply adjusted to a 4-4-1 formation, with Dimitar Berbatov simply magnificent at the head of the other 9 heroes. Spurs enjoyed 65% of the possession over the game, and when Steed Malbranque rounded Richard Dunne to fire past Joe Hart in the 81st minute, there were hugs and kisses in the Spurs section, followed by end of match celebrations, as Spurs marched into their second successive Carling Cup semi-final.
Chelsea beat Liverpool the following night 2-0, with goals from Lampard and Shevchenko.
CARLING CUP SEMI-FINAL 1ST LEG
WEDNESDAY 9TH JANUARY, 2008
ARSENAL 1 (0) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 (1)
Arsenal scorer:-
Walcott, 79
Spurs scorer:-
Jenas, 37
Attendance: - 53,136
Referee: - Mike Dean
Team:-
Spurs (4-4-2):- Cerny; Chimbonda, Dawson, King (Capt.), Lee; Lennon, Jenas, O’Hara, Malbranque (sub Boateng, 77); Keane (sub Defoe, 82), Berbatov
Subs not used: - Robinson; Stalteri; Taarabt
No Bookings
After a great performance in the Premier League game here just two and a half weeks ago, it was once again a case of “so nearly” for Spurs, who took a 37th minute lead during a spell when they were clearly on top of the home side, only to be thwarted by an equaliser 11 minutes from time by “World Cup Tourist” Theo Walcott, one of only two Englishmen in the Arsenal side that could be observed by new England manager Fabio Capello. Capello was deprived of the chance to assess his number one goalkeeper, as Paul Robinson had reportedly been dropped in favour of Radek Cerny. There were of course the likes of Dawson and King in the Spurs defence, and Jermaine Jenas in the midfield. Jermain Defoe had a cameo at the end of the game, and had one of Spurs’ best chances to secure the win, which would not have been an injustice. As it is, Spurs do take a result back to The Lane for the second leg that most Spurs fans would have been happy about before kick-off.
The previous night, Chelsea beat Everton 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. Shaun Wright-Phillips scored the first and Lescott's late own goal gave Chelsea the lead.
CARLING CUP SEMI-FINAL 2ND LEG
TUESDAY 22ND JANUARY, 2008
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 5 (2) ARSENAL 1 (0)
(Aggregate 6-2)
Spurs scorers:-
Jenas, 3
Bendtner (o.g.), 27
Keane, 48
Lennon, 60
Malbranque, 90
Arsenal scorer:-
Adebayor, 70
Referee: - Howard Webb
Attendance: - 35, 979
Teams:-
Spurs (4-4-2):- Cerny; Chimbonda, Dawson, King (Capt.), Lee; Lennon (sub Huddlestone, 73), Jenas, Tainio, Malbranque; Berbatov (sub Defoe, 63), Keane (sub Boateng, 63)
Subs not used: - Robinson; O’Hara
Booked: - Malbranque, Jenas
Five Star Tottenham
Words cannot hope to describe the atmosphere and the marvellous feeling within each and every Spurs fan during and after this game. The streets of Tottenham were joyous for hours after the Tottenham squad paraded before an adoring crowd to take their deserved applause for their simply fantastic effort and the great achievement of a first win over Arsenal since 1999, and the biggest such win since April 1983, when Spurs last scored 5 against this team. I toyed with alternative headlines of “Scumbusters”, “Oh how we danced”, “Hot shot Tottenham” and “Oh what a night”, but have settled for a title linked with the five goal finish by our beloved team.
Joe Cole's 69th minute goal at Goodison Park secured Chelsea's passage to their third League Cup Final in 4 years. They won the trophy in 2005 and last year, when they beat Arsenal 2-1
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