Carabao Cup semi-final draw
Tottenham v Chelsea
Manchester City v Burton Albion
Two -legged ties to be played in weeks beginning 7 Jan and 21 Jan
Top journalist David Hytner was at the Emirates Stadium and here’s what he made of events there:
Pochettino speaks
“Chelsea is a great team with unbelievable players. [The semi-final] will be very tough. But we are excited because today we won here. I am very pleased to qualify for the semi-final. I think we deserved it. Of course it was tough and very competitive, but to keep a clean sheet here [is really spiffing].”
The first legs will be played in the week beginning January 7, the second in the week beginning Janauary 21.
Manchester City v Burton Albion
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea
The draw will be conduced by ex-Spurs striker Peter Crouch and an Arsenal fan.
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The draw - we are assured - is coming up any minute now. The four teams in the slot machine will be: Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester City and Burton Albion, who’ve got to fancy their chances of being paired with a big team.
Alli's post-match verdict
Speaking to Sky Sports, Alli says: “When we came here last time we didn’t get the result we wanted so we knew how important this was ... It was a big test for us and I think it was a strong performance.”
About being hit on the head with a bottle thrown from the stands, he says: “It makes the goal a little bit sweeter.”
If I didn’t mis-hear, he was then asked whether he’ll be taking any selfies later. I really hope I mis-heard.
It has to be said, Arsenal could certainly have done with an on-song Mesut Ozil, at least to come off the bench. Emery’s decision to omit him is understandable, but the performances of Ramsey, Mkhitaryan and Guendouzi didn’t help the manager’s argument. Iwobi was Arsenal’s best attacking midfield and he was substituted early in the second half, which was odd.
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Full-time: Arsenal 0-2 Spurs
Spurs progress to the semi-final with an accomplished, highly satisfying victory at the home of their spirited but ragged rivals. Their goals came from two beautifully crafted and executed counter-attacks, Alli creating the first for Son before scoring the second himself. He was also hit on the head by a bottle thrown from the crowd in the second half but kept his cool and is all smiles as he offers his jersey to a fan in the away end, while Arsenal’s players trudge off the pitch.
The semi-final draw will be coming up right here shortly.
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90+2 min: Kane spreads the play to Sissoko on the right. His cross goes beyond Winks before being cleared by Nketiah.
90 min: Spurs seeing this game out nicely. “This is probably the last time we’re going to win at the Emirates,” sobs K Dot. “Thanks for the memories, Poch!” Every silver lining, eh.
88 min: Arsenal keep trying but are still too frantic. Spurs have been the stronger, more mature and more precise side.
86 min: Alli booked for time-wasting, kicking the ball into the net after the whistle had gone for offside. Xhaka goes over to lecture him on sportsmanship while gesturing at the referee to show the yellow.
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85 min: Rose does well to nick the ball off Nketiah after the young forwad took down another cross-field pass from Xhaka
83 min: Eriksen has a blast from 25 yards. It’s another swervy one that Cech doesn’t feel comfortable trying to catch. He bundles it behind for a corner.
82 min: If you don’t want to know that Eden Hazard has come off the bench to make it 1-0 to Chelsea in the other quarter-final, look away now.
81 min: Maitland-NIles is down calling for treatment. He appears to have a bit of cramp. Emery will be hoping it’s not serious because he’s already made all his substitutions.
78 min: “I will take today’s result of part of Emery’s larger plan to add two (or) more fixtures to Spurs in the chase for fourth place,” quips Pete Mumola, who has abandoned all hope of an Arsenal comeback. He’s probably right: Spurs are looking quite authoritative.
Spurs substitution: Lamela on, Son off. Slightly surprised by that. Thought Pochettino might withdraw Alli to protect him from any more bottle tossers.
76 min: Xhaka booked for handball, or maybe for berating the linesman who flagged it up.
75 min: Aubameyang’s slightly mis-hits a cross from the left ... but nearly gets lucky, as he floats against the crossbar. And then out.
72 min: Alli embarks on a nice run down the left but can’t keep the ball from going out of play. Then he’s hit on the head by a bottle thrown by some moron in the crowd. Alli is angry, understandably. He turns in the direction of his assailant and uses his fingers to report the scoreline. Quite a restrained response under the circumstances. The ref trots over to advise him to leave it at that. We’ll be hearing more about that incident, for sure. Arsenal may already be trying to identify the bottle-thrower.
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70 min: Maitand-Niles is making lots of grounds down the right for Arsenal but his crossing has been inadequate so far.
69 min: Arsenal exerting serious pressure, causing lots of discomfort in the Spurs box. Then Monreal goes too far and barges into Alderweireld, conceding a freekick.
68 min: Monreal drives into the box and tries to pull the ball back from the byline, but he pulls it back too far, behind Lacazette.
Arsenal substitution: Nketiah on, Guendouzi off. Arsenal switch to the Kitchen Sink formation.
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66 min: This is properly exciting end-to-end fare now. Spurs aren’t in the just clear yet ...
64 min: Xhaka does well to shoulder Eriksen off the ball as Spurs threatened another counter-attack.
62 min: Aubameyang cuts in from the left after sharp work in the Spurs box by Monreal. The striker plays a cute pass to Lacazette, who, under pressure, tries to sidefoot it into the net from six yards. But it hits the outside of the post and goes wide!
GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Spurs (Alli 60)
What a superb finish! Alli clipped a nonchalant dink with the outside of his boot over Cech after running straight through the huge gap in Arsenal’s defence to collect a pass from Kane.
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Arsenal substitution: Lacazette on, Iwobi off. Emery means business too, then.
Spurs substitution: Kane on, Moura off. It’s Kane’s first appearance in this competition for three years, a sign both that Pochettino means business and is worried by Arsenal’s increasing momentum.
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60 min: Xhaka wellies the freekick into the stands.
59 min: Sissoko treads on Aubameyang’s heel as the striker sized up a shot from 20 yards. Freekick in a menacing position ...
57 min: Eriksen dinks a pass over the Arsenal defence. Son scampers after it and tries to pull it back from the left byline into the middle. Cech intervenes.
55 min: Eriksen send a wobbly freekick over the bar. It’s headed wide but Cech pushes it out for a corner.
55 min: Aubameyang tracks back to help curtail a Spurs’ counter. But he commits a clumsy foul, giving Eriksen a freekick a few yards outside the left-hand corner of the Arsenal box...
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54 min: Nice work by Maitland-Niles down the right, elegantly beating two men before digging out a decent cross. It’s headed away at the near post.
52 min: Iwobi, constantly dangerous, wriggles into the box from the left, then sends a low pass to Maitland-Niles, coming on to it from at the far side of the area. He takes a touch and sends a cross/shot into the six-yard box but not with much conviction. Spurs clear.
50 min: Monreal floats over a hopeful cross from the left. Gazzaniga doesn’t drop it.
48 min: Arsenal have made a bright start to the second half, continuing the vibe they finished with in the first.
Arsenal substitution: Koscielny on, Mkhitaryan off.
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If you don’t want to know the half-time score in today’s other quarter-final, look away now. Too late: it’s Chelsea 0-0 Bournemouth.
Fancy some exclusive speculation from Hugh Molloy? “I’ve just realised that Ozil is going to join Juve in January,” says Hugh as he gazes at his tea-leaves. “Ronaldo loves playing with him and he’s an Adidas guy so they’ll probably chip in, the more tactical pace will suit, and he might fancy a guaranteed set of trophies and a bit of sunshine rather than the Arsenal bench.”
Half-time: Arsenal 0-1 Spurs
It’s been an entertaining game so far, muscular and attack-oriented. Spurs deserve their lead - which came courtesy of a lovely pass by Alli and a fine finish by Son - but Arsenal have looked dangerous, if a little frantic, and created some good chances. This tie is far from over, especially with Lacazette liable to come on in the second half.
45 min: Guendouzi practically demands a yellow card by chopping down Moura in midfield. “This is going well,” chimes in Guy Hornsby. “I’m sure we’ll try and Spurs it up at some point. Books-wise, I can’t recommend Danish Dynamite by Lars Eriksen, Mike Gibbons, and Rob Smyth highly enough. As a man of a certain age, it’s football gold, a tale of football romanticism.” I agree entirely.
44 min: Xhaka takes a corner short to Torreira. The Uruguayan curls over an inviting cross, to which Sokratis responds with a fine leap ... and a wonky header, sending the ball wide from five yards.
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43 min: Ramsey meets a cross from the left with a sumptuously controlled volley from 10 yards. Gazzaniga dives sharply across his goal to make a brilliant one-handed save!
42 min: A preposoterus mix-up in the Spurs box, as both Gazzaniga and Davies botched attempted clearances. Arsenal fans yelped in excitement ... but Mkhitaryan ruins the chance with a ludicrous backheel in the box to no one in particular. Five seconds of entertaining nonsense there from the North London derby.
40 min: Xhaks sends in another decent corner. It’s headed out to the edge of the area. Maitland-Niles meets in on the volley ... and the ensuing jeers from the Spurs fans confirm that it landed closer to a pie vendor than the goal.
37 min: The referee takes advantage of a break in play to chide Sokratis, who has presumably been in his ear about something, possibly Spurs’ robust (but fair) tackling.
34 min: This isa good spell from Arsenal. They’re not as accomplished as Spurs but they’re spirited and dangerous. This game has a long way to go.
31 min: Maitland-Niles slaloms between two Spurs players as he makes his way forward impressively. He then feeds Ramsey, who aims a diagonal cross from the right towards Iwobi, who gets outjumped easily by Trippier.
28 min: Mkhitaryan’s cross from the right is put behind for a corner by Davies. Xhaka delivers another good one. But Spurs manage to scramble away and launch a dangerous counter after Lucas beats Mkhitaryan to the ball at the edge of the area with a risky tackle. Eriksen invites Sissoko to apply the perfect coup de grace from the edge of the area... but the Frenchman tonks it way over the bar!
26 min: Guendouzi - with a first-time pass this time - pigs the ball to Aubameyang at the left-hand corner of the Spurs box. The Gabonese gets off a shot with similar speed but it’s wide. “It was only Xhaka who appealed for offside in vain (because he was the only one playing offside as the ball came right down his left centre-back channel),” notes Hugh Molly. “Almost as though he’s playing out of position!”
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24 min: Tripper forcefully dispossesses Ramsey, who bites back and concedes a freekick. No bookings issued yet though by Jon Moss, the ref who showed more than any other during the Premier League last season.
22 min: Guendouzi is caught in possession in midfield, and not for the first time: he needs to use the ball more quickly against opponents as sharp as Spurs are right now.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Spurs (Son 20)
Alli clips a lovely pass through the Arsenal defence and Son races on to it to curl past Cech! Arsenal appealed for offside in vain.
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18 min: Rose takes a scorner short to Eriksen, who lashes it into the area. Davies fails to get a decisive touch at the near post. But he was close. “Scott Murray’s book is a terrific read,” says Noel Reilly. “I also recommend Dynamo: Defending the Honour of Kiev by Andy Dougan.”
16 min: After more purposeful, progressive play from the visitors, Eriksen tries his luck from 25 yards. He swerving shot whizzes a couple of yards over the bar.
15 min: This is a open and fast-moving. Spurs are more commanding in possession but Arsenal are sharp and quick on the counter.
12 min: Iwobi makes mroe ground down the left and then feeds Mkhitaryan in-field. Mkhitaryan and Ramsey then cut through the Spurs defence with a daintily deadly one-two ... but Mkhitaryan fails to finish, letting fly with a shot that Gazzaniga manages to save. The keeper should have been given no chance.
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10 min: Spurs are finding their stride and enjoying more possession. They work the ball forward down the right. Sissoko picks out Lucas Moura outside the D. He sweeps it left to Eriksen, who bounds into the area and unloads a shot with his left foot. But Maitland-Niles put him under pressure and he failed to find the target. “Footie book ideas include Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos and David Winner’s ‘Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football,” writes Shay Ore. “Both are years old but timeless.”
8 min: Iwobi and Ramsey combine niftily down the left before the Welshman darts into the box and pokes a low shot a yard wide of the far post from 16 yards.
5 min: Spurs build from the back before Eriksen pings a low pass to Alli, who lopes towards the box. Torreira and Maitland-Niles join forces to dispossess him at the edge of the area.
4 min: Arsenal have started on the front foot and the game is being played mostly in Tottenham territory.
2 min: Xhaka curls a lovely corner towards the near post. Mkhitaryan easily eludes Eriksen to flick on a header. It sails just beyond the far post. Monreal dived to try to touch it in but just couldn’t get there.
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1 min: Arsenal kick-off ... and tap it straight to a Spurs player. That was the worst kickoff of 2018, no doubt. “For soccer books I’d like to recommend an oldie: John Nicholson’s Footy Rocks,” tweet A McCzyk.
The teams enter the arena, which looks about 90% full and sounds relatively loud and festive.
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“Do you think only hiring a caretaker till the end of the season, and all these rumors about Poch are part of a plan by Man Utd to unsettle one of their biggest rivals to top 4?” asks Peter Crosby. “If the players assume (as everyone else seems to) that their manager will be leaving in the summer for a rival, that would surely impact their efforts somewhat?” If Poch let his team unravel so easily, then surely he wouldn’t have the right stuff to manage United? Ah, so what you’re suggesting is that this is a test from which United could benefit no matter the outcome? Not sure United’s regime are canny enough to have thought of that, mind.
Emery talks about his defence and Ozil
Asked about how he wants his defence to line up today, Arsenal’s manager says he’s looking for intelligent fluidity from his team: “During the game we can play as a back four or a back three.” And with regard to Ozil’s absence he says: “It’s only tactical.” When Sky Sports’ inquirer asks whether than means the German isn’t good enough to get in Arsenal’s best 18, Emery eschew the chances to leap to the player’s defence and instead replies: “only tactical.” Message received. Meanwhile, Ozil seems to be keeping his spirits up: he’s in the ground smiling and mingling with fans.
“I’m going to follow your MBM while shopping for Christmas presents,” says Tom Donaldson. “Can you recommend any good football books for my brother?” Scott Murray’s The Title is a belter, Tom, as is Barney Ronay’s How Football (Nearly) Came Home.
“Is there a general bias against the Arsenal, I wonder?” asks William Hargreaves. “ I don’t mind if there is - plucky underdogs and all that - but how else could we explain how Aubameyang can move to the Gunners and drop 34 places in the “100 best male footballers in the world’ rankings, despite his 10 goals and four assists in 13 matches 2017-18 PL season and 10 goals, three assists in 17 matches 18-19 PL season?” That’s a reference to this carefully assembled survey by the Guardian, which features the opinions of some of my most prominent colleagues, including Zico and Mart Poom. Reckon Aubameyang’s non-participation in the World Cup or Champions League counted against him.
Apparently Mesut Ozil is fit. Which suggests the only reason he is not in Arsenal’s squad today is that Emery can’t justify including him ahead of others. As for Arsenal’s defence, it looks like Xhaka will be in the middle of it again. That back four certainly look vulnerable to Spurs’ attack, even without Kane. Son has been in better form than him recently anyway.
Teams:
Excellent! Both teams have gone close to full-strength. Kane is on Spurs’ bench because of illness.
Arsenal: Cech; Maitland-NIles, Sokratis, Xhaka, Monreal; Guendouzi, Torreira; Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Iwobi; Aubameyang
Subs: Martinez, Koscielny. Lichtsteiner, Elneny, Willock, Lacazette, Nketiah
Spurs: Gazzaniga; Trippier, Alderweireld, Davies, Rose; Winks, Sissoko; Eriksen, Alli, Lucas; Son.
Subs: Vorm, Foyth, Walker-Peters, Skipp, Lamela, Llorente, Kane
Referee: J Moss
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Preamble
Hello. What better way than a North London derby to kick off the season of goodwill? And not just any old North London derby, but a quarter-final of the Carabao Cup! After which the victors could get a semi-final with Burton Albion! OK, OK, don’t scoff, this is a tie well worth winning.
This competition may not be top priority for Spurs or Arsenal but neither should sniff at it, especially now that they’ve been pitted against each other. Both managers - and both sets of fans - are likely to stress that to their players even if they do deploy less-than-optimal lineups. Because winning things is fun. And for Unai Emery, who won the French equivalent of this tournament in each of the last two seasons, beating Spurs en route to lifting a trophy would be a dandy way to garnish a first season at Arsenal that has been promising so far, never more so than when his side came from behind to whack Spurs in the Premier League two weeks ago. For Pochettino, meanwhile, landing a trophy would at last give him something tangible to put in the honours column of his cv along with ‘lovely manner’. The down side of that for Spurs fans, of course, is that it would only increase the chances of the man from Murphy being headhunted by Manchester United. But why would he want to leave Spurs just after pushing them to the cusp of something glorious, right? Right? Well that’s an argument for another day - or maybe later on today - right now is all about The Match. Let’s be having you!
