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Tottenham cruise into last eight as Érik Lamela and Harry Kane sink Brighton Tottenham cruise into last eight as Érik Lamela and Harry Kane sink Brighton
(about 2 hours later)
The finish was less extravagant than the one with which he lit up Tottenham Hotspur’s previous midweek cup tie but Érik Lamela might reflect that it was more important. His team had laboured, not for the first time at White Hart Lane, when he was thrust on as a half-time substitute, charged with making something happen against opposition that is struggling in the Championship. The finish was less extravagant than the one with which Érik Lamela lit up Tottenham Hotspur’s previous midweek cup tie but he might reflect that it was more important. His team had laboured, not for the first time at White Hart Lane, when he was thrust on as a half-time substitute, charged with making the difference against opponents who are struggling in the Championship.
Lamela did precisely that. He started and finished the move that unlocked this Capital One Cup tie and had the home support dreaming of Wembley and, even, the possibility of a rare piece of silverware. A week on from his memorable rabona in the 5-1 Europa League rout of Asteras Tripolis, Lamela knifed into the area to fire low into the bottom corner. Lamela did precisely that. Drifting inside from the left, he demanded the ball loudly, as he tends to do, got it and, in a flash, Brighton & Hove Albion were in trouble. Lamela moved through the gears, swapping passes with Roberto Soldado and slicing into the penalty area. He never looked like blowing the chance on his right foot from 10 yards out.
It was a knife into Brighton hearts and the result was not in doubt from that point. Harry Kane continued his hot streak in cup football and his journey deeper into the hearts of the home crowd with the second goal and Mauricio Pochettino could savour a positive reaction to Sunday’s collective black-out against Newcastle United in the Premier League. Initially, there had been an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu, when Lamela had been about a minute late in coming on to the field. Tottenham had frozen at the beginning of the second half in the 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle United on Sunday, when they conceded the equaliser six seconds after the restart, and Mauricio Pochettino said he was “angry,” with Lamela.
It was a night when the fine rain swirled like a mist, the kick-off was delayed due to heavy traffic and both clubs needed a tonic after recent adversity. It was fair to say that the classic cup football ingredients were in place. “I got angry because I was focused and I remembered Sunday,” the Tottenham manager said. “We knew [Aaron] Lennon had to come off [with a hamstring problem] and we told Lamela to warm up. He then arrived late into the dressing room and, after analysing set pieces and positions on the pitch, he had to go to the toilet. This was the problem.”
Brighton had not made it this far in the League Cup since 1979-80 and Sami Hyypia chopped and changed his line-up once again. The manager continues to seek the perfect blend and the major surprise was the selection of the England Under-19 goalkeeper, Christian Walton. It was the 18-year-old’s debut in club football. But Lamela promptly made light of the issues that Tottenham had endured and a week after his rabona in the 5-1 Europa League rout of Asteras Tripolis, he had the club’s fans dreaming of Wembley. Next up for them in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals is another home tie – against Newcastle. Never mind the defeat on Sunday. They fancy their chances of revenge.
Tottenham knew that they had to pressure Walton and they stepped on to the front foot at the outset, with Andros Townsend prominent on the right wing and Benjamin Stambouli eager to make an impression on only his fifth appearance for the first team. The summer signing from Montpellier snapped at Brighton heels and helped to spring Tottenham forward. Tottenham’s progress was not in doubt from the point that Lamela beat Brighton’s 18-year-old debutant goalkeeper, Christian Walton, and the only question seemed to be whether they would add to the scoreline. They did so through Harry Kane, who embellished his man-of-the-moment status in these parts with yet another goal in cup competition.
The challenge for Tottenham, as it tends to be at this stadium, was to turn possession and the territorial advantage into last-third incision, and they did not do that well enough in the first half. Walton emerged with credit, particularly for the low block from Roberto Soldado’s shot from a tight angle. He now has two in the Capital One Cup, to go with his five in the Europa League, three of which came in the Asteras tie. Remarkably he has yet to start (or score) in the Premier League this season. It is fair to say that he is knocking on Pochettino’s door for Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa. The Tottenham fans are certainly championing his cause. The announcement of Kane’s name had drawn the biggest pre-match cheer and the crowd chorused it towards the end of the game.
Aaron Lennon had seen an early shot blocked, while he skewed other efforts and Harry Kane could not control Soldado’s chipped cross. Tottenham had plenty of corners but the anxiety bubbled. Pochettino wore an agitated look on the touchline. Brighton brought around 4,000 fans on a night when the fine rain hung like a mist and they fired the atmosphere. With Rohan Ince in commanding form in front of the back four, Sami Hyypia’s team had started to look like a tough nut to crack. And they were left to wonder what might have been after the referee, Mark Clattenburg, failed to spot what looked like a handball by the Tottenham right-back, Kyle Naughton, in the 28th minute.
Brighton brought around 4,000 fans and they fired the atmosphere. Their travails towards the foot of the Championship were temporarily forgotten and, after the testing opening, they gained a foothold midway through the first half. They might have gained the lead had the referee, Mark Clattenburg, spotted what looked like a handball by the Tottenham right-back, Kyle Naughton, in the 28th minute. A whipped free-kick flicked off Federico Fazio and Naughton did appear to move his arm towards the ball and there was contact before it continued on to Lewis Dunk, whose effort was off-target. Hyypia looked furious at the time but he said afterwards that he had no complaints. This was Clattenburg’s last game before he serves a ban for breaking protocol to attend an Ed Sheeran gig after officiating at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
A whipped free-kick from the left flicked off Federico Fazio and Naughton did appear to move his arm towards the ball. There was contact before it continued on to Lewis Dunk, whose effort was off-target. Hyypia raged at the fourth official. “You could see that,” he screamed. Clattenburg, who has been stood down from this weekend’s Premier League fixtures after breaking protocol to attend an Ed Sheeran gig after Saturday’s game between West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace, did not. Tottenham had started brightly, with Andros Townsend to the fore, but they did not do enough in the first half. Walton emerged with credit, particularly for the low block from Soldado’s shot. Lennon missed chances and Kane could not control Soldado’s chipped cross. The anxiety bubbled. But when he finally got on, Lamela sparked the team.
Brighton flickered on the break and with Rohan Ince in commanding form in front of the back four, they came to present a tough nut to crack. Pochettino felt the need to summon one of his big guns off the bench and it was the half-time introduction of Lamela that made the difference. Soldado rattled the crossbar from an angle on 61 minutes and then forced Walton into two reflex saves. From the second, though, Kane reacted quickest to slide the rebound home.
The Argentina forward always wants the ball and he demanded it, having drifted inside from the left flank and, in a flash, Brighton were in trouble. Lamela went through the gears, swapping passes with Soldado and slicing into the penalty area. He never looked like blowing the chance on his right foot. “All potential trophies are realistic,” Pochettino said. “This was a good performance. I’m happy for the players because they needed the victory. We created a lot of chances and played well. We are in the quarter-finals of this competition and are in the Europa League. We are happy.”
Brighton felt that Clattenburg was against them but Tottenham were deserved winners. Soldado did everything but score. He rattled the crossbar from an angle on 61 minutes while he forced Walton into two reflex saves. From the second, though, the ball broke for Kane and he reacted the quickest to score his seventh goal of the season.