FootyChatter.com

By DANIEL DAVIS and MATT BARLOW AT TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM and JAMES SHARPE AT TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM Published: 05: 00 AEDT, 20 December 2024 | Updated: 08: 58 AEDT, 20 December 2024 355 View comments Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Tottenham host Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. By Dan Davis Fraser Forster has caught Bruno Fernandes' cross. There are just seconds left now. By Dan Davis My head is on Mars. United have pulled another one back! From another corner, Jonny Evans met a decent delivery and guided a deft header home, leaving Fraser Forster with no chance. This is a real festive thriller, folks. By Dan Davis We're into the 90 now. Spurs have made two changes with Sergio Reguilon and Brennan Johnson replacing Djed Spence and Dominic Solanke respectively. Can we play all night, please? By Dan Davis Altay Bayindir has been booked for his protests. He was adamant he had been fouled by Lucas Bergvall as the ball flew in. Not for me, Clive. By Dan Davis WHAT! SON HAS SCORED FROM A CORNER! This game is bonkers. These goalkeepers are atrocious. Spurs did well to win a corner after Leny Yoro's tackle and Son Heung-min whipped a delicious corner on top of Altay Bayindir. The United No 1 backpedalled but his attempted punch was so, so weak, and the ball just dropped directly into the net. By Dan Davis Yves Bissouma went down holding his head but is OK to continue. That took the sting out of the game slightly, which suits Spurs. Five minutes plus stoppage time to go. By Dan Davis United are still piling on the pressure. It's one-way traffic. A cross was cleared away ahead of Noussair Mazraoui before Yves Bissouma challenged Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the box. The rebound fell to Amad Diallo, who smacked one into the stands. By Dan Davis WOW! Amad Diallo thundered in a shot from distance and Fraser Forster opted to kick it away! You don't see those saves often! How bizarre. I'm not quite sure why he didn't gobble it up and slow the game down. By Dan Davis James Maddison has made way for Lucas Bergvall. By Dan Davis James Maddison has gone into the book for fouling Kobbie Mainoo. That's also his last act of the game. If Spurs progress, he will miss the first leg of the semi-final. By Dan Davis Over the top from Amad Diallo from distance. The momentum is well and truly in United's favour. By Dan Davis Almost an equaliser for United! Bruno Fernandes neatly slipped in Noussair Mazraoui down the right of the box and the full back tried his luck. The ball flashed beyond Fraser Forster but whistled just wide. Joshua Zirkzee would have had a tap-in if he'd made a run. By Dan Davis Spurs are on the ropes and need to settle here. Where has this come from? They were home and hosed! The hosts won another goal kick but this time Fraser Forster, learning from his mistakes, opted to launch it long downfield. By Dan Davis Alejandro Garnacho has entered the fray. Manuel Ugarte was the man to make way. By Dan Davis WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON? That is absolutely embarrassing from Fraser Forster. You wouldn't even see that in a game in the schoolyard. He thought he had time on the ball and was far too nonchalant as Amad Diallo steamed toward him at speed. Diallo then chucked himself at the ball and deflected Forster's attempted clearance into the back of the net. By Dan Davis Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports. .. By Dan Davis United worked the corner short and Amad Diallo, the hero at the weekend, saw an effort deflect just wide of the target. By Dan Davis United suddenly have their tails up after that. There are some real nerves in the stadium now, especially after Yves Bissouma poked a cross narrowly beyond his own post. By Dan Davis A glimmer of hope for United, out of absolutely nowhere. That was dreadful from Spurs, who shot themselves in the foot. The hosts tried to be too clever inside their own area from a goal kick, with Bruno Fernandes snatching up a loose ball. Fraser Forster just about dealt with his effort from a tight angle but Joshua Zirkzee was on hand to tap home a rebound. Ange Postecoglou will be furious. By Dan Davis What a save from Fraser Forster. A delightful cross from the right hung in the air and Joshua Zirkzee guided his header into the ground. For a second, it looked like it would nestle into the far corner, only for the giant goalkeeper to thrust out a palm and divert it away. Oh, hang on. .. By Dan Davis Amad Diallo was afforded his first chance to take on Spurs' backline but Djed Spence's brilliant tackle stopped him in his tracks. No messing around there from the full back. By Dan Davis Spurs won a corner on the near side but Dejan Kulusevski's delivery was too close to Altay Bayindir, who collected. My word, this is a reality check for Ruben Amorim. By Matt Barlow At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium By Dan Davis It's a triple change for United. Christian Eriksen, Antony and Rasmus Hojlund have been hooked. Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo and Joshua Zirkzee are all on. By Dan Davis Game, set and match. This goal was all about Dominic Solanke, who timed his run to perfection to meet Djed Spence's clipped ball over the top. From there, it was men against boys. He drifted inside, dropping his shoulder, and then buried into the bottom corner with aplomb. Spurs are heading through. United are crashing out. By Dan Davis Spurs have dropped the tempo and are keeping the ball very well. United need to change something here and they're about to. Three substitutes are primed and ready. By Dan Davis Does Ruben Amorim make early changes? Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo are both sitting among the substitutes. Christmas has come early for Spurs, though. As it stands, they're cruising into the hat for the Carabao Cup semi-finals. By Dan Davis Just 46 seconds had elapsed in the second half when Tottenham doubled their lead. Is there a way back for United now? By Dan Davis A lightning start from Tottenham! United have been caught cold. Son Heung-min took the ball down the left, drawing in two defenders, before feeding James Maddison on the overlap. He fired in a low cross and Lisandro Martinez nudged away a horrendous clearance, allowing Dejan Kulusevski to smash home. Two defensive errors from the visitors, two goals for Spurs. By Dan Davis Off we go again, then. Will United mount a comeback or will Spurs reach the semi-finals in their bid for a first trophy since 2008? Let's find out, shall we? By Dan Davis This banner was unfurled in the away end. It reads: 'Excuses. Ta ra, Marcus. ' Clearly, some supporters have had enough of the forward. I wonder what he'll be thinking once he sees that. By Matt Barlow At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium By Dan Davis Ruben Amorim was all smiles ahead of kick-off but as the minutes ticked by, his frustration became more and more evident. United created several promising chances, primarily through long switches and cutbacks, but they don't have their shooting boots on. That's been a familiar issue all season and really, the only way to correct that is by spending big in January and the summer. For now, he has to work with what he has. By Dan Davis By Matt Barlow At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium By Dan Davis There goes the whistle for the interval. Spurs hold the advantage - and are 45 minutes away from the Carabao Cup semi-finals - after Dominic Solanke's opener. It was poor goalkeeping but Solanke was sharpest to get a yard on United's hesitant backline before touching home. The visitors have threatened and improved as the half wore on, but their end product has been poor. Plenty for Ruben Amorim to ponder. By Dan Davis One final chance for United before the break. Diogo Dalot's square ball found Christian Eriksen on the edge of his box, but his low effort was blocked again by Archie Gray. By Dan Davis We're into two additional minutes, by the way. By Dan Davis There's that change. Jonny Evans is indeed on. 'The way Man Utd are going with injuries, Evans will have to play until he is 55! ', Gary Neville joked on Sky Sports. By Dan Davis Victor Lindelof is down here and can't continue. Jonny Evans is stripped and will replace him. The Swede is distraught. By Dan Davis Christian Eriksen had a couple of bites at the cherry with two consecutive corners. Both were smacked deep toward the back post. The first was touched behind for another corner while the second was met by Lisandro Martinez, who touched comfortably wide. By Dan Davis Better from United. A lovely dinked ball out to the right found Noussair Mazraoui, and his searching cross was nodded behind by Archie Gray. By Dan Davis Manuel Ugarte received a stern warning from the referee after fouling James Maddison. No card, however. Son Heung-min then tried to thread through Dejan Kulusevski, but the forward was caught offside. I thought he was going to shoot there. By Dan Davis Pedro Porro is struggling with United's direction of attacks currently. A poor header from the full back fell kindly to Rasmus Hojlund around 25 yards from goal, but his effort bounced wide of the near post. By Dan Davis This is end-to-end now. It's great to watch. At one end, Son Heung-min saw an ambitious effort blocked and that handed the initiative back to United. Bruno Fernandes was again fed just outside the box and he turned and shot quickly, his effort curling a yard or so wide. By Dan Davis Penalty shouts for Spurs after Dominic Solanke went to ground but John Brooks was unmoved. There's no VAR to check back, either. Moments later, Pedro Porro pulled a shot from distance well wide. By Dan Davis So close for Tottenham! I thought that was a certain own goal. Spurs pieced together a flowing move and broke into United's box. Dejan Kulusevski then fired a low ball across the face of goal, forcing Manuel Ugarte to stab behind for a corner. In the background, Ruben Amorim turned away in disgust. By Dan Davis United are starting to threaten now. They've moved the ball well around Spurs' box and did so again through Diogo Dalot, who looked for Christian Eriksen. A rebound fell out to Antony and he looked to bend one into the far corner, only for Archie Gray to block with his body. By James Sharpe At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium By Dan Davis Tottenham almost made it 2-0! Ruben Amorim can't even look. James Maddison worked the free-kick short to Son Heung-min on the left and he in turn threaded through for Dejan Kulusevski in the box. He sharply turned away from Bruno Fernandes, who committed too easily, before being denied by the legs of Altay Bayindir. Better goalkeeping, that. By Dan Davis Noussair Mazraoui has also been shown a yellow card. He was slow to react as Djed Spence burst past him and brought him down. He'll have to watch his footing now. By Dan Davis Christian Eriksen took the resulting free-kick but his effort from a difficult angle was poor and floated onto the roof of the net. By Dan Davis I could make a Christmas card joke here. .. Pape Sarr clattered into Bruno Fernandes on the far side and has gone into the book. He'll miss the semi-final first leg if Spurs progress. By Dan Davis CHANCE! United are beginning to show glimpses now and they moved through the gears with Bruno Fernandes. The captain fed Diogo Dalot, whose cross was turned goalwards by Christian Eriksen of all people. For a second, it looked like the ball would drop into the net but Yves Bissouma was perfectly placed to block. By Dan Davis Spurs certainly deserve this lead and Ruben Amorim is getting very animated inside his technical area. Long way to go, of course. By Dan Davis United looked to hit back quickly after conceding but a low ball into the penalty area had too much power for Rasmus Hojlund. By Dan Davis Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports. .. By Dan Davis Spurs have the lead! Questions will be asked of Altay Bayindir, though. James Maddison was fouled by Noussari Mazraoui and he dusted himself down to take a short free-kick. Pedro Porro then collected the ball and let fly from 25 yards, with Bayindir palming back out into the danger zone. Dominic Solanke timed his run brilliantly to latch onto the rebound and he made no mistake, burying inside the near post. By Dan Davis Oh, dear. It seems both sides are still finding their range. Son Heung-min was fed down the left and he glanced up before trying his luck. His shot then whistled high into the stand. By Dan Davis Could Rasmus Hojlund have hit that one? Bruno Fernandes released United's No 9 in behind but as the target narrowed, he hesitated and failed to pull the trigger. That allowed Radu Dragusin to nip in with a well-timed tackle. By James Sharpe At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium By Dan Davis A gorgeous diagonal ball from Christian Eriksen almost found Diogo Dalot in behind, but Pedro Porro knocked away for a corner. From the set piece, Fraser Forster punched up into the air. Lisandro Martinez then helped the ball back toward the far corner but his cross drifted harmlessly wide of the Spurs net. By Dan Davis James Maddison picked up the ball on the edge of United's box after some patient build-up and looked to tee up Son Heung-min. Noussair Mazraoui was quick to race out and nibble at his heels, however, and the visitors were able to clear the danger. United have barely been given the time to settle in possession. By Dan Davis It's been a bright start from Spurs, who are moving the ball sharply. Djed Spence beat a couple of United players down the near side but ran into Leny Yoro, who stood his ground well. Spence then fouled the centre back, awarding United a free-kick. By Dan Davis United surrendered possession cheaply midway through their own half and Spurs hurtled forward on the counter-attack. Son Heung-min raced forward and picked out Dejan Kulusevski on the left. His low cross was inviting but the visitors hacked clear. Antony was the man who lost the ball. By Dan Davis Off we go in north London! United have got us underway. By Dan Davis Here come the players. The atmosphere is crackling nicely. Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou shared a very warm embrace. By Dan Davis Jamie Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports. .. By Dan Davis Not long to go until kick-off, folks. If you haven't given your score prediction below, there's still time. I'm fancying a very close game tonight. By Dan Davis Look away, Manchester United supporters. The last time these two sides met, Tottenham ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at Old Trafford. The next month, Erik ten Hag was sacked. United were dreadful on that day, not helped by Bruno Fernandes' dismissal, but they're starting to rebuild under Ruben Amorim. It's been a rocky road so far but a semi-final spot would certainly help. By Dan Davis The warm-ups at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are in full swing. Kick-off is in just 20 minutes, so don't go anywhere. By Dan Davis Jamie Redknapp, speaking on Sky Sports. .. By Dan Davis Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking to Sky Sports. .. By Dan Davis Ruben Amorim on Alejandro Garnacho's recall. .. By Dan Davis Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, speaking to Sky Sports. .. On why Marcus Rashford has been left out: Same reason as the weekend? By Matt Barlow At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium By Dan Davis The next few days have the potential to transform Tottenham's season or drag them back into the doldrums. Tonight is a huge opportunity to reach a semi-final and remember, Ange Postecoglou always wins a trophy in his second season. But with Liverpool right around the corner, a defeat could pile the misery on and drag Ange Postecoglou back into the spotlight. This week, he claimed football management is the 'hardest job in any walk of life'. That's debatable, but the tides can turn very quickly. By James Sharpe At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium By Dan Davis Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports. .. By Matt Barlow At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium By James Sharpe At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium By Dan Davis I have to say I'm gobsmacked by that one. Amad Diallo absolutely ran the show in the Manchester derby but has been rested this evening, with Antony recalled. The Brazilian winger has shown impressive glimpses so far under Ruben Amorim but his lack of end product continues to be a problem. United supporters, let me know how you're feeling. By Dan Davis Alejandro Garnacho is on the bench and is joined by Amad Diallo. There are some real surprises in that United XI. Altay Bayindir has got the nod between the sticks while there are starts for Victor Lindelof, Christian Eriksen and Antony. Lots of rotation from Ruben Amorim. By Dan Davis It's a very youthful-looking bench again for Spurs this evening. Ange Postecoglou has made two changes. Pedro Porro is back on the right-hand side of the back four, meaning Djed Spence will shift across to the left to fill in for Destiny Udogie. In midfield, Yves Bissouma returns after his one-match ban. By Dan Davis Manchester United legend Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports. .. By Matt Barlow At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Ange Posteocglou could do with reinforcements up front but did not sound as if he was planning a raid on Manchester United for Marcus Rashford when asked about him in his pre-match press conference, making mention of Tottenham’s discipline in the transfer market. Here's what he had to say. .. By Dan Davis Ange Postecoglou believes ending Tottenham's lengthy trophy drought will reinvigorate the club. Spurs haven't lifted a cup since 2008. By Dan Davis Hold fire, folks. We're still waiting on team news. In the meantime, let us know your score predictions. Drop them in the comments below! Do you fancy either of these sides to go on to lift the trophy? By Dan Davis There are rumours Matthijs de Ligt is also absent tonight. The team news will drop shortly, so don't go anywhere. .. By Dan Davis Manchester United have now arrived at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. We'll bring you photos when we get them. For now, there was no sign of Marcus Rashford, as expected. There haven't been any early team news leaks, either. .. Ruben Amorim has been fighting several fires since arriving and those damaging leaks have proven a real issue so far. By Dan Davis Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking this week. .. By Dan Davis With Marcus Rashford ruled out, all eyes are on Alejandro Garnacho. Will Ruben Amorim hand him a start or leave him on the bench? The winger missed out on the squad for the 2-1 victory at Manchester City at the weekend but travelled down to London yesterday. Amorim admitted Garnacho was not happy after being left out, but is keen for him to use the blow as motivation to kick on. By Dan Davis Tottenham's players have just popped out onto the pitch and were wrapped up warm. It's another cold one out there tonight. Spirits were high between Son Heung-min and James Maddison as they strolled back toward the tunnel, with no signs of any early nerves. Son clutched a much-needed hot drink and waved to supporters. I don't think United's team bus has arrived yet. By Dan Davis Here's what Marcus Rashford had to say about his United future. .. PS. Hat tip to Henry Winter for these quotes. By Dan Davis It's no surprise that Marcus Rashford has dominated this week's headlines after his bombshell interview with Henry Winter. During a trip to a local school, the forward admitted he was keen on a new challenge, suggesting his future lies away from Old Trafford. The suddenness of the chat and its proximity to the January transfer window is likely to have caused a headache for Ruben Amorim. The head coach didn't look particularly flustered during his recent press conference but it seems like Rashford's time at United is up. Unsurprisingly, he hasn't been included in tonight's squad. By Dan Davis This is the final Carabao Cup quarter-final, with the semi-final draw taking place tonight. We will, of course, keep you across that. Here's how yesterday's ties played out. .. The big question is whether it will be Tottenham or Manchester United joining them in the last four. We'll find out soon enough. By Dan Davis Tottenham are certainly keen! They were spotted strolling into the stadium at around 5pm, three hours ahead of kick-off. By Dan Davis Welcome, one and all. I hope you're well and truly in the festive spirit. We've got another big evening of Carabao Cup action to bring you, with Ruben Amorim's Manchester United travelling to Tottenham. Kick-off for this quarter-final tie is at 8pm. We'll bring you all the team news and build-up, so don't go anywhere! Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group