Son their way to Wembley..
Two-goal Son Heung-min and Fernando Llorente’s first of the season put a much-changed and clinical Spurs into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Navigate through two more rounds and they will be in the final, back at their temporary home at the national stadium.
But if that is the case on February 24 there will be no complaints as it will mean they are one win away from ending their long trophy drought.
Mauricio Pochettino may not consider it much, but given their last came in 2008 – the league cup – any chance of silverware should be grasped.
They had to pass a big test of the depth of their resources, with Pochettino making 10 changes to his side for this fourth-round clash just 48 hours after their league defeat to Manchester City.
And while it was not a performance to end concerns about their squad size, quality or lack of signings, with West Ham creating a string of chances, it was enough.
Defender Davinson Sanchez was the only player asked to put in a marathon effort and play twice in three days, Pochettino responding to a fixture pile-up with wholesale changes. Spurs have three games in six days all in – they are at Wolves on Saturday.
It was still a side containing the likes of Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, starting after subs appearances against City.
West Ham made seven changes but it was a player who kept his place who caught the eye early on. Academy product Grady Diangana had home fans on the edge of their seats with a couple of teasing dribbles.
But after Alli had a goal ruled out for offside, the visitors took the lead when Son got his timing right to latch onto the England international’s deflected flick.
The Hammers should have been at least level at the break but Michail Antonio had two efforts diverted wide and Javier Hernandez was frustrated twice by Paulo Gazzaniga. The keeper came to the rescue again after the break after Antonio bullied Juan Foyth off the ball.
West Ham paid the price for their wastefulness when Arthur Masuaku’s attempt to cut out Alli’s pass shinned it perfectly into Son’s path, and he rounded Adrian to make it 2-0.
Spurs would have known it was not quite game over.
And when Lucas Perez nodded in Robert Snodgrass’s 71st-minute corner the comeback was on. Hopes were snuffed out four minutes later when Llorente got ahead of Angelo Ogbonna to volley home Eriksen’s corner. Son 16, 54, Llorente 75 Lane during 2008 and 2012. Redknapp, speaking on Talksport radio, fumed:
“Listen, I’ve got the raving hump, I really wouldn’t want to speak to him.
“I’ve got the raving needle with him, I think he’s totally out of order, I really do. I can only comment on the three-and-ahalf years I managed the club, and we weren’t gutless, we weren’t spineless, we weren’t pathetic, flaky or soft. How can he describe Spurs like that?
“Players like Gareth Bale, Ledley King, Luka Modric, Rafa van der Vaart. It’s a disgrace to call players spineless, gutless. I was so disappointed with his comments.
“He wants to do his homework before he comes out with comments like that. He was totally out of order.”
But Neville, who enjoyed some memorable victories against the north Londoners in his long Manchester United career, qualified his assessment on Sky’s Monday Night Football by praising the current Tottenham set-up under current boss Mauricio Pochettino.