By David Awopetu
Moussa Sissoko and Heung-Min Son were on target as Tottenham eased into the Carabao Cup final after overcoming Brentford 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Sissoko scored his first goal since December 2019 to break the deadlock with a well-placed header, with Son’s emphatic finish doubling Tottenham’s lead seven minutes after Ivan Toney’s close-range strike was ruled out by VAR for offside.
Brentford’s hopes of reaching Wembley were ended in the final six minutes when Josh Dasilva was dismissed for a dangerous challenge on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg that was missed by referee Mike Dean in real-time, with the red card shown upon review.
Brentford had beaten four Premier League sides in the run to their first major semi-final but they were behind after only 12 minutes when Moussa Sissoko headed Sergio Reguilon’s cross beyond Bees keeper, David Raya.
Mourinho’s side will now meet either Manchester United or Manchester City in the final at Wembley in April.
Mourinho makes it his business to win trophies – and this competition has always been a building block in his strategy for success.
He regards the EFL Cup as vital in not just making his mark at a new club but also in giving his players the confidence that comes with securing silverware.
Mourinho’s first trophy, in his first season at Chelsea, was the 2005 League Cup. It was the first trophy of his second spell there too, as he won it in 2015. He then marked his first season at Manchester United by winning it again in 2017.
Mourinho always takes the competition very seriously and rarely fields anything other than full-strength sides. If Spurs beat either Manchester United or Manchester City in the final on 25 April, that policy will be fully justified.
