Spurs home in on Wembley
TOTTENHAM moved a step closer to sealing at least one trip to Wembley this season that they will be more than happy to make.
Two-goal Heung-Min Son and Fernando Llorente hit their first goals of the season to fire a muchchanged and clinical Spurs to victory against West Ham and into the quarter-finals.
Navigate their way through two more rounds and they will be in the Carabao Cup final, back at their temporary home.
Frustrating delays to their new stadium have forced Spurs to borrow the national stadium once again this campaign.
But if they are back there on February 24 they will have no complaints as it will mean they are just one win away from ending their long trophy drought.
Pochettino may not consider this competition a real trophy compared to the Premier League and Champions League.
But given their last one came in 2008, when they won the League Cup, any chance of silverware should not be sniffed at.
They had to pass a big test of the depth of their resources to stay on likes of Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, who were drafted in to start after coming off the bench against City.
West Ham made seven changes but it was exciting academy product Grady Diangana, who got the home fans on the edge of their seats with a couple of teasing dribbles down the right.
After Alli had a goal ruled out for an Eriksen offside in the build-up, Spurs took the lead when Son got his timing right to latch on to the England star’s deflected flick and slam in his first Spurs goal since March.
West Ham should have been at least level at the break but Michail Antonio and Javier Hernandez were both frustrated.
And the Hammers paid the price for their wastefulness when Arthur Masuaku failed to cut out Alli’s pass, only managing to shin it perfectly into Son’s path, and he rounded Adrian to make it 2-0.
When Lucas Perez nodded in fellow sub Robert Snodgrass’s corner in the 71st minute, the comeback was on.
But the Hammers’ hopes were quickly snuffed out four minutes later when Llorente got ahead of Angelo Ogbonna to expertly volley in Eriksen’s corner.