NO MOUR 1-0 WAITING

Jose’s League Cup touch strikes again as classy Spurs seal Wembley spot in style

JOSE MOURINHO was brought in to turn Tottenham into winners and end their 13-year wait for a trophy.

Now, in his first full season in charge, the Special One has got another date at Wembley and a chance to deliver one of his favourite pieces of silverware.

Mourinho has won the League Cup four times in its various guises with Chelsea and Manchester United and has got his sights on a fifth success.

Moussa Sissoko and HeungMin Son (right) were on target a s To tt e n h a m o v e r c a m e Brentford’s resistance at White Har t L an e as th ey did a professional and clinical job.

That is Mourinho all over – victory first and performance second but a guarantee of trophies – and you would not bet against him outwitting either of the Manchester clubs in the final on April 25.

Mourinho has a wonderful knack which sometimes leaves the Spurs fans wanting more free-flowing football but surely they will happily relish silverware which eluded previous managers.

Tottenham got off to a flier after 12 minutes when Sergio Reguilon broke down the left, and f loat ed a bri l li ant cross which split the

Brentford defence.

Sissoko got between defenders Ethan Pinnock and Mads Bech Sorensen and glanced home a brilliant header into the top corner beyond Brentford keeper David Raya’s despairing dive. It felt like a big step towards Wembley for Tottenham, and lesser teams could have easily crumbled. Not Brentford. In fact, they got stuck in and showed they would not be intimidated. Sergi Canos and Vitaly Janelt got booked as the game began to turn nasty – and got even more brutal. Brentford top scorer Ivan Toney, who has scored 16 goals thi s seas on , carri ed th eir biggest threat and forced Hugo Lloris into a decent save. But

Moussa Sissoko stoops to head home the semi-fnal opener for Tottenham the keeper at the other end made an incredible stop at the other end. From Son’s corner Lucas Moura glanced a header towards goal and Raya made a sensational save to tip the ball over when it looked destined for the top corner.

It was a proper cup-tie, Brentford giving everything they had and only a superb lastditch block from Serge Aurier d e n i e d To n e y g e tt i n g a n equaliser after 49 minutes.

Just as Aurier was still getting the herograms, the Spurs rightback raced up the other end

and blasted a big chance over the crossbar from close range. Maybe that is Aurier all over – the rough with the smooth.

Brentford thought they had levelled after 63 minutes when Toney bundled the ball over the line only for VAR to rule it out, the l i n e s s h o wi n g Toney’s knee was marginally ahead of Sissoko’s toe. The margin could not have been any tighter. It does seem unfair VAR had not been used in the earlier rounds but was brought in for the semi-finals and final. Ultimately technology came to the right decision.

The Bees were left to rue that mo m ent w h e n Son got the allimportant second goal to kill off the tie in the 70th minute.

BEE STING Toney thought he had levelled but the goal was ruled out before Son sealed the win

Harry Kane played the ball forward, Tanguy Ndombele released Son who darted clear, then smashed his 16th goal of the season past Raya.

Brentford’s night got even worse in the 83rd minute when Josh Dasilva was sent off after an X-rated lunge on PierreEmile Hojbjerg.

Referee Mike Dean dished out a red card after checking his VAR s c re e n a n d , a s the Brentford bench fumed, Hojbjerg rolled down his sock to reveal a nasty gash just to prove the point.

RED MIST Hojbjerg is held back after Dasilva’s nasty tackle