Carabao Cup: Tottenham Beat Brentford To Book Semi Final Place

Son Heung-min fired Tottenham into the League Cup final as the South Korean's decisive goal sealed a 2-0 win over Championship side Brentford on Tuesday.

Moussa Sissoko put Jose Mourinho's team ahead in the semifinal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But Tottenham were still searching for the knockout blow against spirited Brentford until Son netted with 20 minutes remaining.

Tottenham will face Manchester United or holders Manchester City, who meet in the second semifinal on Wednesday, at Wembley on April 25.

It will be the club's first domestic final since losing the 2015 League Cup showpiece against Chelsea, and their first final in any competition since the 2019 Champions League defeat against Liverpool in Madrid.

Mourinho, appointed in November 2019, is hoping to lead Tottenham to their first major trophy since the 2008 League Cup.

He has already won the competition four times, landing his first silverware in English football in 2005 with Chelsea, where he won it twice more before a further success at Manchester United in 2017.

Mourinho is the third manager to reach a League Cup final with three different clubs, following Ron Atkinson and Ron Saunders.

The Tottenham boss had labelled Brentford's visit to north London as the biggest game of his reign, so it was no surprise he picked Son and Harry Kane in a team featuring five changes from Saturday's Premier League win over Leeds.

CRUCIAL MOMENT
Brentford, fourth in the Championship, had already beaten four Premier League clubs in Southampton, Newcastle, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion to reach their first domestic cup semifinal.

But Tottenham needed just 12 minutes to take the lead as Sergio Reguilon's pin-point cross from the left evaded Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock and found Sissoko, who finished his burst into the six-yard box with a powerful header into the top corner.

It was the French midfielder's first goal since December 2019, ending a barren run that had stretched to 36 matches.

Tottenham pressed hard for a second goal and Son's long-range drive forced a good save from David Raya, who had to stretch to tip away Lucas Moura's deflected header just before halftime.

Serge Aurier shot wastefully over from a good position early in the second half, a mistake made worse as the unmarked Kane was waiting for a pass with the goal at his mercy. (AFP)