Son, Sissoko fire Spurs into League Cup final
Tottenham’s Son Heung-min (right) scores against Brentford during their League Cup semi-final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Tuesday. Associated Press
The South Korean’s decisive goal sealed a 2-0 win over Championship side Brentford on Tuesday after
Moussa Sissoko put Mourinho’s team ahead in the semi-final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Speaking after the win, Mourinho stressed that the recipe for his success is respect for the competition.
The 57-year-old could deliver Spurs’ first piece of silverware since 2008 if they win the final in April at Wembley.
Mourinho became just the third manager to reach the final with three different clubs following the late Ron Saunders and Ron Atkinson after Spurs beat spirited Championship side Brentford 2-0 on Tuesday.
In the final scheduled for April 25, they will play the winners of Wednesday’s semi-final between holders Manchester City and Manchester United, with whom Mourinho won the trophy in 2017.
It will be the club’s first domestic final since losing the 2015 League Cup showpiece against Chelsea, and their first final in any competition since the 2019 Champions League defeat against Liverpool in Madrid.
Mourinho, appointed in November 2019, is hoping to lead Tottenham to their first major trophy since the 2008 League Cup.
He has already won the competition four times, landing his first silverware in English football in 2005 with Chelsea, where he won it twice more before a further success at Manchester United in 2017.
The Tottenham boss had labelled Brentford’s visit to north London as the biggest game of his reign, so it was no surprise he picked Son and Harry Kane in a team featuring five changes from Saturday’s Premier League win over Leeds.
Mourinho’s first taste of success in English football came when Chelsea won the 2005 League Cup.
“I came to England in 2004 and I remember that in that period I had to learn the meaning of the cups here and I always took it seriously,” he said.
“If there is any secret, it’s to take it seriously.”
Mourinho has fielded strong sides in the League Cup this season even though many managers see it as a distraction from other challenges and put out weakened teams.
The Portuguese said it was important “to respect what English football is, what English clubs are, what English lower divisions are, and try to not be surprised in any of the games from smaller quality”.
Mourinho said he was approaching Sunday’s FA Cup third-round clash away at eighth-tier Marine in the same way.
“Try to be serious, respect the opponents, and try to progress,” he said.
It was late in the game that Tottenham managed to seal the encounter against spirited Brentford when Son netted with 20 minutes remaining.
Brentford, fourth in the Championship, had already beaten four Premier League clubs in Southampton, Newcastle, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion to reach their first domestic cup semi-final.
But Tottenham needed just 12 minutes to take the lead as Sergio Reguilon’s pin-point cross from the left evaded Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock and found Sissoko, who finished his burst into the six-yard box with a powerful header into the top corner.
Tottenham pressed hard for a second goal and Son’s long-range drive forced a good save from David Raya, who had to stretch to tip away Lucas Moura’s deflected header just before half-time.
Serge Aurier shot wastefully over from a good position early in the second half, a mistake made worse as the unmarked Kane was waiting for a pass with the goal at his mercy.
Son flashed a volley just wide from Sissoko’s cross, but Tottenham escaped in the 63rd minute when Ivan Toney’s equaliser was disallowed by VAR.
When Pinnock’s header was clawed away by Hugo Lloris, Toney stabbed in the rebound from close-range, only for the Brentford striker’s celebrations to be curtailed when his knee was seen to be in an offside position.
That tight decision proved the crucial moment as Son struck in the 70th minute.
Kane fed Tanguy Ndombele and the midfielder’s defence-splitting pass teed up Son, who fired high into the roof of the net for his 16th goal of the season.
Brentford’s Josh Dasilva was sent off in the 84th minute for a studs-up foul on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg that left the furious Tottenham midfielder with blood running down his shin.
