Tottenham Hotspur 2 Brentford 0 – Jose Mourinho’s Spurs progress into EFL Cup finals
Updated: 13/12/2024
Goals from Moussa Sissoko and Heung-Min Son in either halves took Tottenham Hotspur to the 2020-21 EFL Carabao Cup final as they overcame second-tier club Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday night.
Tottenham Hotspur 2 Brentford 0 – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Tuesday, 5th January 2021.
Thomas Frank's side that had knocked out four Premier League teams without conceding from open play on their way to the Final Four, went down early in the 12th minute when Sissoko ghosted in between defenders Mads Sorensen and Ethan Pinnock to aim a precise header from a Sergio Reguilon ball beyond Brentford keeper David Raya into the far corner. Moments later Spurs came close with Son drawing a smart save from Raya.
The visitors' first genuine attempt came on 34 minutes when Ivan Toney muscled off Davinson Sanchez to meet Bryan Mbeumo's cross but the former's effort was met comfortably by Hugo Lloris. Brentford tried getting back into the game as Eric Dier's headed clearance was smashed back towards goal by Josh Dasilva only to be blocked by an alert Son.
Spurs nearly doubled their advantage minutes before the interval when Son's corner was glanced towards his own goal by Ivan Toney but Raya somehow managed to backpedal and claw the ball away before it could creep over the line.
Brentford looked positive in the second-half and should have equalized within 4 minutes of the period when Bryan Mbeumo waltzed past Sanchez, drove into the box and set up Toney. The striker's close-range effort forced a last-ditch block from Serge Aurier and danger was averted for the Spurs.
Aurier was immediately seen in an attacking mode when he careened down the right flank and latched on to a Lucas Moura pass before unleashing a shot that just missed the crossbar. Son tried his hand at a goal on the stroke of the hour but his volleyed attempt from Sissoko's pass went a yard wide.
There was drama a little later as Brentford thought they had equalized when Toney converted from close range after Pinnock's header had initially been saved by Lloris. But the VAR adjudged that Toney was fractionally beyond Sissoko, Spurs' last defender, when he took the goalbound shot.
Spurs counter-attacked even as the visitors tried to get an upper hand in the proceedings and found the desired result in the 70th minute.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg began the move from his own half as he fed Harry Kane who then essayed a ball through for a streaking Son to hammer the ball past a hapless Raya to make it 2-0 for the hosts and put the game beyond the reach of Brentford.
Spurs could have enhanced their two-goal lead when Son turned provider for Tanguy Ndombele but the latter's shot from an acute angle found the post. The visitors' cause was not helped when Dasilva's reckless challenge on Hojbjerg earned him a red card with only 6 minutes of play left.
Spurs are now in sight of their first silverware in 13 years and for Jose Mourinho it will be his fifth EFL Cup if his side were to win. As for Brentford, there was be disappointment in defeat after disposing off top-flight opposition like Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham and Newcastle United on route to the semi-finals.
Tottenham starting XI: Lloris (goal), Aurier, Sanchez, Dier, Reguilon, Sissoko, Hojbjerg, Lucas Moura, Ndombele, Son, Kane.
Subs: Winks, Tanganga, Davies, Vinicius.
Brentford starting XI: Raya (goal), Dalsgaard, Pinnock, Sorensen, Henry, Da Silva, Janelt, Jensen, Mbeumo, Toney, Canos.
Subs: Marcondes, Forss, Fosu.
Man of the match: Moussa Sissoko
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