(Spurs win 6-2 on aggregate)
Spurs celebrate after Robbie Keane put them 3-0 up against Arsenal
|
A pulsating Tottenham performance saw them run riot against Arsenal to book a place in the Carling Cup final.
Spurs got off to the perfect start when Jermaine Jenas angled in a shot to put them 2-1 ahead on aggregate.
Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner then headed into his own net before Robbie Keane's 18-yard shot put Spurs 3-0 up.
Aaron Lennon sidefooted in for Spurs before Emmanuel Adebayor grabbed a consolation for Arsenal but Steed Malbranque's strike completed the rout.
Tottenham had been left rueing a late Arsenal equaliser in the first leg and they also had the psychological baggage of not having beaten their arch rivals since November 1999.
But with home advantage and Arsenal's penchant for fielding fringe players in the Carling Cup, Spurs scented victory and they grabbed an early lead.
Jenas was allowed time and space to drive a shot across goal and the ball went in off the post after three minutes.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20170610145046im_/http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif) |
606: DEBATE
|
Spurs gave Arsenal's defence no respite with their fluent and attacking football as they took a stranglehold on the match.
The Gunners were also starved of possession in attack and they rarely looked like levelling, due to a mixture of poor play and a determined White Hart Lane side.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had kept faith with most of his second string for the game but drafted in a handful of first-team regulars in centre-back William Gallas, right-back Bacary Sagna and playmaker Alexander Hleb.
But the trio struggled to help their side break Spurs's grip and even the introduction of Cesc Fabregas for the injured Denilson did not help the visitors.
Instead, Bendtner's own goal added to the home side's lead after he headed in as he went up with Michael Dawson to meet a Jenas free-kick.
Arsenal were rattled and on the backfoot and Dimitar Berbatov should have inflicted another bodyblow to the visitors when he was clean through, only to hit the post with his shot.
Arsenal's Bendtner (left) and Gallas had a row near the end of the game
|
Jenas poked into the side-netting just before the break but Spurs did not have long to wait for a third.
Lennon's delightful ball with the outside of his right foot sent Keane through to score with a shot which appeared to catch Fabianski by surprise and one he should have saved.
Almost immediately, Bendtner looked set to give Arsenal a lifeline, only to see his strike bounce the wrong side of the goal-line after hitting the underside of the crossbar.
It got worse for Arsenal when Lennon slotted in on the hour mark as Spurs threatened to run riot.
Adebayor's 20-yard strike was too late to give Arsenal a way back into the game and their frustration boiled over when Bendtner appeared to argue with his team-mate and goalscorer before exchanging angry words with Gallas.
Malbranque compounded Arsenal's misery as Juande Ramos secured a place in the Carling Cup final on 24 February in his first season in charge.
Tottenham: Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, King, Lee, Lennon (Huddlestone 74), Jenas, Tainio, Malbranque, Keane (Boateng 64), Berbatov (Defoe 64).
Subs Not Used: Robinson, O'Hara.
Booked: Malbranque, Jenas.
Goals: Jenas 3, Bendtner 27 og, Keane 48, Lennon 60, Malbranque 90.
Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Justin Hoyte, Gallas, Traore (Eduardo 65), Hleb, Denilson (Fabregas 18), Silva, Diaby, Walcott (Adebayor 65), Bendtner.
Subs Not Used: Mannone, Flamini.
Booked: Justin Hoyte, Adebayor.
Goals: Adebayor 70.
Att: 35,979
Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).
Bookmark with:
What are these?