07/08 Carling Cup Semi Second Leg: Tottenham 5(6) – 1(2) Arsenal – Finally!
Tottenham fans, it’s not a typo. This time, your team made sure Arsenal couldn’t do it again, and break your hearts for the umpteenth time.
A Tottenham victory over their archrivals was inevitable, but in the process of getting the long-awaited triumph, Juande Ramos’ side released years of frustration and disappointment on an Arsenal side that, truth be told, didn’t stand much of a chance of leaving White Hart Lane victorious from the kickoff.
As a result, Spurs have their first win over their nemesis since 1999, and more importantly, are in the Carling Cup final, with a chance to win their first trophy since they won this same competition in the 1998-99 season.
Tottenham went ahead in the first half of the first leg at the Emirates Stadium, and looked set for a victory until Theo Walcott made a goal out of almost nothing to salvage a draw.
So, it was understandable if Spurs fans were cautiously celebrating when the home side went ahead inside three minutes, when Jermaine Jenas, who scored their goal in the first leg, weaved his way into the box and released a low shot that ricocheted off of the post and in to put Tottenham up 2-1 on aggregate.
Jenas had a hand, or foot, rather in the second goal, which came in the 27th minute. Jenas delivered a free kick deep into the box, and Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner rose highest for it, but headed it into his own net to put Tottenham up by two goals on the night, and on aggregate.
Three minutes later, the outcome could have been all but sewn up within a half hour, as Dimitar Berbatov was put through, and beat Lukasz Fabianski with his shot, but it went off of the post.
The two sides went into halftime with the scoreline still at 2-0 (3-1), which is where the true test began for Spurs.
So often, including the tie two weeks ago, Spurs have been at this point, where they had the victory in their hands, but failed to close the deal. You could say that Tottenham was cursed not by their own luck, but by waiting for luck to be on their side.
However, this time, instead of waiting for luck to deliver, they made their own luck, and finished Arsenal off. And it didn’t take very long either, as it was 3-0 on 49.
Aaron Lennon doesn’t always make the best of his passes, but on a counter, he put one right on the money for the breaking Robbie Keane, who beat two Arsenal men to the ball and fired a shot from just outside the box that beat Fabianski and went in at the far post.
Arsenal could have cut into the deficit mere moments later, but Bendtner was unlucky to see his audacious overhead try careen off of the bar, which was a pretty clear indication of whose night it was.
Just as quickly, it could have been 4-0, as Steed Malbranque had a glorious chance, but Fabianski finally got his arms wrapped around one.
It was only a temporary respite, as Lennon deservedly got on the scoresheet on the hour to put the tie well and truly beyond Arsenal’s reach.
A pass from the right flank came in towards Lennon, but luckily for him, he couldn’t get a good boot on it, and it went to Keane, who fed it back to the winger, who was left completely on his own, and made the Gunners pay for it by slotting home past the oncoming keeper.
Keane and Berbatov were substituted minutes later, and only after their exits did Arsenal finally dent the scoreline.
Emmanuel Adebayor, who came on just after Spurs’ strike duo exited, made it 4-1 with a 70th minute cracker from the edge of the box, but in the end, his strike would be cancelled out, as Spurs pressed on for more, intent to make the best out of their fantastic night.
Jermain Defoe may want to stay at Tottenham, but he won’t earn himself any extra minutes after being embarrassingly wasteful with a clear opportunity in the waning moments.
However, even he can have a laugh about that one, and it wouldn’t matter, as Malbranque put the icing, the whipped cream, and the cherry on top of the emphatic victory by adding a fifth at the end, when Jenas found him at far post, and the Frenchman had the easiest of tap-ins.
There might be quite a few who will try to play down Tottenham’s victory, seeing as how the Carling Cup isn’t one of Arsenal’s priorities, and Arsene Wenger’s lineup selections reflect as much. But, to call his starting XI second-rate would be more of an insult to those players than it would be to Spurs’ triumph.
Even if Flamini, Fabregas, and Adebayor had started from the outset, and Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue were on the pitch, the result would have likely been the same, although probably not nearly as much of a rout.
Whether or not it will take another 20-odd matches for Tottenham to record another victory over Arsenal remains to be seen, but that’s another worry for another time.
Ramos’ stone-faced expression at the final whistle shows that there’s business still yet untended, as either Chelsea or Everton stand in the way of Tottenham’s first trophy in nine years.
Who will it be? Will it be cup holders Chelsea, who will take a 2-1 lead into Goodison Park for Wednesday night’s second leg? Or will Everton overturn the deficit and move one step closer to their first trophy in more than a decade?
I’ll have a report following tomorrow’s match, so stay with Soccerlens for all the latest in the Carling Cup and more.
Topics: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Carling Cup, Juande Ramos, Match Reports, Tottenham
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haha cop that arsenal!!
January 23rd, 2008 @ 01:55oh and congrats to spurs for getting to the final!
January 23rd, 2008 @ 01:56det finnes en gud
January 23rd, 2008 @ 02:06I can’t help but be one of Tottenham’s detractors. If this was any other team I’d still be pointing out the fact that this competition is for Arsenal’s second string and that they made it to the Semi-Finals, which is amazing. They clearly did not have what it took against a very determined Spurs first string, in either leg of this matchup. I will disagree with Eddie on one point. You put Arsenal’s starters out there at the beginning and you would have a different result. I think this is evidenced by the fact that within minutes of coming on, Adebayor scored. Surround him with the usual cast for this match, let alone both legs, and you would have seen Arsenal’s North London streak continue and the Red Army heading to Wembley. Watch for them in the FA Cup.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 04:37You know what Joe…it’s convenient to send on your second string and get cheered if you win and consoled if you lose, but the truth is, Wenger blew this chance to win a trophy, and for Arsenal to be beaten 5-1 away from home, kids or not, is a fuckin’ embarrassment.
Some people will say – better in the Carling Cup than in the league or the CL, and that’s the problem: Wenger should have treated the semi-final more seriously. The weekend FA Cup tie (home to Keegan’s ragtag Newcastle) is easier than this semi-final, so what were the ‘first-teamers’ being rested for?
January 23rd, 2008 @ 04:43Joe & Ahmed –
You both make fair points. But do not forget that Wenger has a long-standing policy in this matter & he needed to keep faith with his team. What would have happened if he played both Fabregas & Adebayor for the full 90 mins & they ended up getting injuries? Both of you would have been castigating him for wasting experienced players on a League Cup tie.
The players failed Wenger this time, not the other way around. It was the same against Birmingham. They were too complacent & too sloppy. Call it inexperience, call it over-confidence. It was down to the players to do the job & they didn’t come through.
But its important to chalk this up to a really bad day, & not a worrying trend. I’m personally apalled that we lost in this way & i’m upset with the team. But hopefully they’ll learn from this bitter experience & bounce back even better.
Personally i have faith in Wenger’s man management skills & he’ll point to this match & hopefully turn things around in the dressing room.
Ahmed – it is debatable whether the FA Cup tie against Newcastle would be easier than this so don’t go making sweeping generalisations like that unnecessarily.
P.S. i’d rather lose against a revitalised & 1st string Spurs side than Coventry City. Rivalry or no rivalry the latter is even more fucking embarrassing.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 05:13Spiral – home to Newcastle vs away to Spurs, even if you call the two teams equal, the away factor tips it in Spurs favor.
it’s not losing to Spurs vs losing to Coventry – it’s about losing 5-1 to the team you hate the most vs losing 1-0 to a side you SHOULD be beating in your sleep, with your 3rd string (2nd string was injured, 1st string was rested)
January 23rd, 2008 @ 05:40Ahmed is right. Wenger paid for stubbornness’s
January 23rd, 2008 @ 06:20Saw the game in LA and even 5000 miles away there was only one team in this game. Arsenal’s defence was non-existent and Arsenal got a lesson in counter attack football. This wasn’t a team that out muscled Arsenal, this was a team that out-thought and out-played Arsenal. I would also like to point out one interesting thing Walcott at 12 Million is not good enough at this level. He hardly stretched a 75% fit King and wouldn’t get into the Spurs squad. Mr Berbatov at 10 Million seems like a much better deal to me, even if Spurs sells them for 30 Mill.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 06:44Unsettling for us Arsenal fans,yes. Spurs suck and it hurts to lose to a team that sucks (OK that was petty). The only thing to take away is if no one else noticed Arsenal doesn’t have two first teams. Diaby is crap and never delivers. The back line even with Gallas is no first team defense. Walcott? Will he really ever be any good? Really?
This is a testament to Ramos. Sure Spurs have been up and down since he joined them but there is a definite positive change there. He has some magic as proven with Sevilla and has the ability to get good things out of good players. Remember all the talk about Spurs before the season started? European football was what all the talk was about. They may have a leader who can take them there next year.
In the mean time it is time for Arsenal the team and Wenger to take stock and decide what is really important. With the young guns success in the Carling last year I think people lost sight of the fact that Wenger used this tournament to blood the youngsters. I was one of those. Shame on me for getting my hopes up that Arsenal would be able to field two teams that could win in all competitions. Hopefully the Gunners as a whole will take stock from this humiliation and refocus to finish off strong in the league, in europe, and in the FA.
Yea we are down but this is one of several goals this year and we will get one back on Spurs the next time they come around.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 06:50Lets face it, Wenger put out a team that he was sure would beat Tottenham, he was confident, all the Arsenal players have been filling the media this week with their we will do it guff! Wenger stated that he was confident that with the team he was putting out he would beat lowly old Tottenaham……Spurs murdered them, Wenger then showed his true colours by not conceeding that Spurs were a better team, the Arsenal players were butting each other like petulant children…. truly beautiful to watch.
Arsenal have some growing up to do and Wenger is a bad loser…….don´t give me all that “show me a bad loser and I will show you a loser guff” We saw the losers last night!!
January 23rd, 2008 @ 07:03Tottenham played well and Arsenal didn’t. OK, it was not Arsenal’s first team but Sanya, Gallas, Hleb, and Fabregas all played. Wenger clearly felt that this team was good enough. He will be embarrassed by the scoreline. Tottenham should make the most of what was an excellent win, and shouldn’t listen to those who are trying to play it down. For the neutral, it was a good game, if a little one sided.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 07:56I won’t say that because Tottenham won Arsenal now Arsenal is on a decline or in crisis. But, a score of 5-1 is FUCKING embarrasing! Second team or not, Wenger would not have put out a team against his arch enemies for a semi-final (2nd leg) if he did not believe they could do it. I won’t even say he was arrogant in this…just that on the night Tottenham played brilliantly and humiliated Arsenal.
One thing though…I kinda missed the Adebayor/Bendtner issue (fell asleep during the 2nd half and woke up again just before the last goal…really). Just read this morning that they were fighting.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 08:07What happened there?!? Is there reason for alarm?
I’m not being a sour Arsenal fan, But c’mon they have won just one game – Against a second-string side in a second (or even third) string competition.. Fair enough it was 5-1, a bit of a flogging but the way the yid Spurs fan’s have been acting like they’ve beaten us to the Premier League title or in the Champs League final.
They acted terribly too, Throwing bottles and stuff at Cescy while he took corners and that absoloutely shite, uncreative chant about Arsene was just fucked – I like the chants against rival teams and the occasional ‘boo’ if it is to Ashley Cole, but that doesn’t mean I love it too but they acted terribly.
So you fucking Spud tools, You beat us in the CARLING CUP with a side not near A FULL STREGNTH SQAUD and you are sitting LOW in the table whilst we are JOINT-LEADERS!!
Maybe I am a little jealous but still…
January 23rd, 2008 @ 08:43well done to spurs and magic Juande,this match raises questions about wenger’s tactical acumen.I think he’s behind ferguson(& quieroz of course),mourinho in terms of is tactical gameplan.spurs were ripping them apart but arsenal kept making the same mistakes.Arsenal haven’t won anything for 3 years yet he fields a weak team especially after the 1st leg which spurs dominated.skysports.com is saying that ade headbutted bendtner cutting his nose link: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3072312,00.html . Second string team or not this was a humiliation end of.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 09:04Wenger Your Selection was a total failure to all your fans you, should have remembered that no trophy is small.I hope you learnt your lesson.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 09:51Really sad.. should have been United.. well.. anyways gd luck tottenham…
January 23rd, 2008 @ 10:30KyleAusGooner – doesn’t the celebrations mimic the celebrations when Arsenal drew in the 90th minute at home to a fairly average ManYoo side??
The fact of the matter is that Tottenham THRASHED Arsenal 5-1 in a cup tie. Just the euphoria of getting one over their biggest rivals in a very long time makes it all the sweeter.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 10:41Using our second string in the cup throughout the years is what has allowed us to have such a powerful, young, first team currently competing for the premiership when they weren’t expected to be contenders.
It’s good that Arsene gives his young players these opportunities and it will ensure Arsenal’s future growth.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 11:10Arsenal should be ashamed of themselves…as much about the bust-up between thier strikers as about the result.Manchester united,Chelsea and even Liverpool have not suffered such a humiliating defeat for a long time.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 11:25This result shows that Maybe arsenal’s ‘Young Guns’and other firt-teamers are over-rated after all.
Wenger has always been a terrible loser, I don’t know where he gets this reputation of being a good sportsman. Amazed he didn’t try and pick a fight with Ramos
January 23rd, 2008 @ 11:28Dave makes a point, Kyle. Second string or not, it does not matter. The end result was 5-1. Remeber when Man Utd lost to Swansea last year and to Coventry (?) this year in the Carling Cup? Nobody was defending them – everybody was on top of those player like anything I ever saw.
Point I am trying to make is that Arsenal can get away with a deserved 5-1 loss while Man Utd can’t get awat with a 1-0 undeserved loss in the same circumstances (although the opponents are of a different class).
Also how can you call the team ‘second string’ when you have the likes of Da Silva, Ade, Hleb et al. in the actualy squad. That’s like a saefty in case plan A does not work, so then, are you really trusting your young players?
January 23rd, 2008 @ 11:37The response by Arsenal fans (and their manager) is why they are so universally hated — it’s not jealousy, it’s the fact you show no class in defeat. Where is the praise for coming up against a side that didn’t allow you to play, even when you had greater possession? Where is the praise to a team that made Gallas look like an 18-year-old debutant? You were over-run in both legs and 5-1 was a fair result.
I don’t get why you say ‘it was a second string side’. From who was available you’d of had Almunia, Clichy, Flamini and Adebayor (won’t include Cesc as he played over 70 minutes) in the side. ANC and injuries ruled out the others in the ‘first team’. Face it, you were near to full strength and got beat.
It may now become ‘mickey mouse’ when you’re out, but if the trophy cabinet remains bare for another season how can you count that as success? We haven’t won anything yet, and whoever we face makes for a tough match. But I’ll happy take a trip to Wembley with only needing to win one game, thanks.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 12:17The only way to put it is that Tottenham outplayed Arsenal. They outplayed Arsenal at the Emirates a few weeks back for most of the game, but Arsenal had the luck to see Bendtner score a header, unmarked, from a set piece. Yesterday Tottenham had the desire and the luck, not that luck played into it very much.
Being an Arsenal fan, it pains me to see them lose (at all), but I can certainly acknowledge when they are outplayed they don’t deserve to win. Tottenham can only play the team that Wenger sends out on the pitch, so for my fellow gooners to say it was our second team falls on deaf ears here. Wenger’s method for providing big match atmosphere to many of the younger Arsenal players is to include them, as much as possible, in the League Cup matches. Due to injuries and the ACN he played more first team players, so it wasn’t even really a second team anyway.
Tactically, Ramos had a good plan and his players executed it well. No excuses, Tottenham won because they deserved to win. Congratulations and good luck in the final, whoever you play.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 13:47Don’t get me wrong if Arsenal had their first team out the score would of been different!! jus look at the 2 games arsenal played spurs in the league fair enough they might of nicked a point at arsenal but they are still not even in the same league as the gonners!!! we are still in the champs league and FA cup and very much in the title race!! let the spurs fans sing and make the most of it because its prob gonna take another decade for them to beat us again!!! we av got bigger things to worry about!!!
January 23rd, 2008 @ 13:51I love all the analysis from Spurs detractors trying to explain exactly why Arsenal getting HUMPED was down to team selection.
Every team has a squad – you put out your best team on the day.
If you bothered to read the stats instead of repeating guff about “kids” like so many sheep you’d see that Wengers kids score higher on minutes played, goals and just about everything else than the spurs team anyway. Hardly inexperienced.
Check the facts people. The facts.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 13:54So we lost. It was bad, no excuses, our defence was pathetic and so on. Anyway its the Carling Cup, so no major worries. It took them close to 9 years to beat us once, so again no worries. Next match-Newcastle………
January 23rd, 2008 @ 14:02Arsenal had a full strength side!I know it you know it!what do you call hleb,fabregas,captain gallas,adebayor,sagna?reserves?no people!full squad players.btw did anyone see the lad danny welbeck from united,hes 17 years old.although he missed a penalty,he looks a great player,he has a great touch and is quick.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 15:13One win in 9 years..well done! But just remember you yid cunts. Only pigmy’s laugh when giants fall! shit ground, shit club, no title in 47 years and still 27 points behind Arsenal with 4 months to go. See what happens when Berbatov fucks off in the summer because you haven’t made the Champions league..again! All you mouthy no nothing yids said you would finish above us this season, what a joke. As for Andy’s comment about Arsenal being “universally hated”. Do you think we really give a fuck! LOL
January 23rd, 2008 @ 15:28Don’t get me wrong I’m bleeding pissed that the kids couldn’t get together at least 5 minutes that looked like football. Pride alone against Spurs should be enough for them to make a game of it. It’s absolutely pathetic. I do agree with SA though that this was Arsene’s policy at work, for better or worse. I don’t care if its Newcastle at home or Spurs Away. To pull the kids out of this match would show a complete lack of faith in the youngins on Arsene’s part in breaking with his policy. They’re the ones that made it to the semi-finals. Let them have at it. They mucked it up, and its their fault. But I certainly wouldn’t risk getting knocked out of the FA cup in this round because we didn’t play our best boys. Let the youngsters have the League Cup and if they can’t hack it, then all the more evidence to shut up twats like Bendtner who think they deserve to be starting in the Premier League.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 16:32I’m not denying that Spurs played out of their minds. They finally realized that playing 3 attackers, 3 midfielders and 2 defenders forward all at once leaves you kind of vulnerable in the back. They tried a little longball against an Arsenal side that was advancing too many themselves in an effort to bring some goals back (note: Arsenal had nothing to lose by putting everyone forward, no goal differential to worry about), and they had success. But don’t anyone hold their breath waiting for congratulations from Arsenal fans. I’d love to hear the fans of any team that has just lost to their most hated rivals congratulating their opponents even if they were outplayed.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 16:44The worst thing about this result is that Spurs eejits think they’re the best team in the world now and will never shut up.
Arsenal had a weakened team, especially in defense, but absolutely NO excuse for that! I really really really hate to say it, but I do have to hand a lot of it to Spurs.
Arsenal better not do that against the Geordie scum this weekend!!!
P.S. No, I’m not an Arsenal fan, I just really like them.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 17:06the thing is you weren’t really playing your kids.
the team: Fabianski, Sagna, Justin Hoyte, Gallas, Traore (Eduardo 65), Hleb, Denilson (Fabregas 18), Silva, Diaby, Walcott (Adebayor 65), Bendtner.
Subs Not Used: Mannone, Flamini.
traore and denilson are the only players that could be called youngsters, and denilson was only on the field for 20mins.
diaby, walcott, bendtner and hoyte might be young but they’ve all played their part this season, probably around 10-15 appearances each. so the result was absolutely pathetic.
January 23rd, 2008 @ 19:21