midfielder Gareth Bale (R) prepares to take a free kick during the
English League Cup quarter final football match between Stoke City
and Tottenham Hotspur at the bet365 Stadium, in Stoke on Trent on
December 23, 2020. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP)
Gareth Bale and Harry Kane were on target as Tottenham
moved into the League Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win against
Championship side Stoke on Wednesday.
Wales forward Bale made the most of a rare start to put Jose
Mourinho’s team at the Bet365 Stadium.
Jordan Thompson equalised for Stoke after the interval, but Ben
Davies put Tottenham back in front with his first goal since 2017
before England captain Kane sealed a comfortable quarter-final
success.
striker Harry Kane celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during
the English League Cup quarter final football match between Stoke
City and Tottenham Hotspur at the bet365 Stadium, in Stoke on Trent
on December 23, 2020. – (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby /
AFP)
Tottenham are without a win in their last three Premier League
games, including successive defeats against Liverpool and Leicester
which dented their title challenge.
But Mourinho, a four-time League Cup winner with Chelsea and
Manchester United, galvanised his players to avoid an upset in the
Potteries.
Tottenham’s most recent silverware came in the League Cup in
2008 and they remain in the hunt to end that drought after joining
Manchester City and Brentford in the semi-finals.
striker Harry Kane (L) shoots past Stoke City’s Australian defender
Harry Souttar (C) to score their third goal during the English
League Cup quarter final football match between Stoke City and
Tottenham Hotspur at the bet365 Stadium, in Stoke on Trent on
December 23, 2020. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP)
Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock recently branded the Stoke’s
away dressing room as a “pigsty”.
Stoke reportedly upgraded their facilities in time for
Tottenham’s visit, but Mourinho’s description of the “very good
tent” his team had been given hardly sounded luxurious.
The unglamourous changing area and wet and windy conditions
suggested an uncomfortable evening could be in store, but Tottenham
were on their game from the start.
Mourinho made seven changes from Sunday’s defeat against
Leicester as Dele Alli made his first start since November 26 amid
talk of a January move to Paris Saint-Germain.
– Mourinho rebuke –
Stoke were without four goalkeepers due to injury and
ineligibility, so 37-year-old Andy Lonergan made his first start
since March 2019.
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Lonergan was called into action early on when he punched away
Kane’s rising drive, but he was picking the ball out of the net in
the 22nd minute.
Harry Winks’ inswinging cross reached Bale in the Stoke area and
he guided a precise header past Lonergan into the far corner.
It was Bale’s third goal since returning to his former club on
loan from Real Madrid in September.
Danny Batth (R) vies for the ball against Tottenham Hotspurs’ Welsh
midfielder Gareth Bale (L) during the English League Cup
quarter-final football match between Stoke City and Tottenham
Hotspur at the bet365 Stadium, in Stoke on Trent on December 23,
2020. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP)
Alli almost doubled Tottenham’s lead when he ran onto Kane’s
pass and hit a low shot that Lonergan saved with his feet.
Mourinho went for the kill by sending on Son Heung-min for Bale
at half-time, but it was Stoke who equalised against the run of
play with their first shot on target.
Jacob Brown’s low cross found Thompson and he slotted past Hugo
Lloris.
Alli’s wayward flick had conceded possession in the build-up to
the goal and Mourinho was quick to issue a stinging rebuke on the
touchline before hauling off the out-of-favour midfielder.
Mourinho’s instant action sparked a response from Tottenham.
Davies put them back in front in the 71st minute when the
left-back’s 25-yard drive beat Lonergan and went in off the
post.
Kane put the result beyond doubt in the 81st minute when he ran
onto Moussa Sissoko’s pass and blasted a typically predatory finish
into the roof of the net for his 16th goal of the season.
In Wednesday’s other quarter-final, Everton host Manchester
United.
United are hoping to move a step closer to the first silverware
of boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign.
Everton haven’t won a major trophy since the 1995 FA Cup, but
are flying high in fourth place in the Premier League.
Manchester City, who have won the League Cup for the last three
seasons, thrashed Arsenal 4-1 on Tuesday, while second-tier
Brentford reached their first major cup semi-final with a shock 1-0
win against Newcastle.
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/12/24/gareth-bale-harry-kane-fire-spurs-into-league-cup-semis/
*Schools to resume 19th Jan 2021
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its
industrial action that has disrupted academic activities for nearly
nine months.
![image](/2020/10/NWLRland.jpg")
Addressing a press conference Wednesday morning, ASUU president,
Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the decision to go back to the
classroom was made based on agreement reached with the Federal
Government at a meeting held on
Tuesday which addressed most of the demands of the union.
He said that an implementation committee had been set up to
monitor the implementation of the agreements.
“On the basis of this, the National Executive Council meeting
has decided to suspend its strike today. But we will not hesitate
to resume the strike if government fails to keep to the agreement,”
he said.