Tottenham Hotspur edged Manchester United 4-3 in a pulsating Carabao Cup quarterfinal, with Dominic Solanke’s brilliant brace steering his side one step closer to their first major trophy since 2008.
Solanke opened the scoring in the first half and doubled his tally early in the second, capping a stellar individual performance that also saw Dejan Kulusevski find the net just 46 seconds into the restart.
The quick-fire goals placed Spurs in a commanding position at 3-0.
However, defensive blunders from Tottenham’s backup goalkeeper, Fraser Forster, nearly derailed the hosts’ advantage and set up a tense finale.
Forster’s errors began when his attempted clearance was blocked by Manchester United’s Amad Diallo.
The rebound allowed substitute Joshua Zirkzee to score, cutting Tottenham’s lead to 3-2 with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Despite the shaky moments, Tottenham regained control late in the match.
Son Heung-min delivered the decisive blow, scoring directly from a corner in the 88th minute.
The goal came amid protests from United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who claimed he was impeded during the play.
United managed a late consolation through Jonny Evans, whose stoppage-time header brought the scoreline to 4-3.
But it was too little, too late for Ruben Amorim’s men, as Spurs held on to secure their place in the semi-finals.
Speaking after the game, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou praised his side’s attacking intent but admitted the team must improve defensively to avoid such nerve-wracking conclusions.
With this victory, Tottenham advances to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, where they will face Liverpool, another formidable opponent.
The first leg of the semi-final is scheduled for early January, with the return fixture set for the following month.
For Manchester United, the loss is a bitter blow in a competition where they had hoped to contend for silverware.
Manager Ruben Amorim now faces the task of rallying his squad as they shift focus to their Premier League campaign.
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s fans will savor this thrilling win, which keeps alive hopes of ending their 16-year trophy drought.
With Dominic Solanke in fine form and key players like Son Heung-min stepping up in decisive moments, Spurs appear poised to challenge for glory as the competition reaches its final stages.
