Solanke Leads Tottenham Past Manchester United in 4-3 Carabao Cup Thriller
Tottenham Hotspur edged out Manchester United in a thrilling 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final on Thursday night. Dominic Solanke stole the spotlight with two goals, while Spurs showed resilience despite late errors that almost cost them the match.
Solanke opened the scoring early, reacting sharply to a rebound from Pedro Porro’s shot. He smashed the ball off the right post, giving Tottenham a 1-0 lead. Just after halftime, Dejan Kulusevski doubled the advantage, slamming in a loose ball after James Maddison’s cross caused chaos in United’s defense.
Minutes later, Solanke made it 3-0. He raced onto Djed Spence’s lofted pass, beat Lisandro Martinez, and slotted the ball calmly into the bottom-left corner. Manager Ange Postecoglou celebrated passionately as his team seemed in total control.
United struck back after costly errors by Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster. First, a misplaced pass allowed Bruno Fernandes to set up Joshua Zirkee for an easy finish. Then, Amad Diallo intercepted Forster’s hesitation, sliding the ball into the net to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Spurs responded with a fourth goal. Heung-min Son’s corner curled directly into the net, despite United protests over interference by Lucas Bergvall. United kept fighting, and Jonny Evans headed in a late goal to make it 4-3, but Tottenham held firm for the win.
Postecoglou praised his team’s effort. “We played fantastic football and showed great resilience. Mistakes made it harder, but I’m proud of how the players fought through,” he said.
He defended Forster, calling him “brilliant” despite the errors. “Mistakes happen, but Fraser has been crucial for us during this period. He’ll bounce back,” Postecoglou said.
The manager also praised Solanke’s performance. “Dominic was outstanding tonight. His goals were top quality, but his work rate and leadership stood out. He’s been incredible during this tough stretch,” he added.
Tottenham now looks ahead to the semi-finals. Postecoglou called it a deserved reward for the team’s determination. “This is proof of their hard work and mentality. We’ll approach the next games with the same focus,” he said.
With injuries and squad depth issues, Tottenham’s journey hasn’t been easy. Postecoglou revealed that Timo Werner missed the game due to illness. “It’s just another challenge, but this team continues to step up,” he noted.
Tottenham’s aggressive attacking style remains key to their success. “We take risks because it helps us score goals. Without that conviction, we wouldn’t be where we are,” Postecoglou said.
Spurs now turn their attention to the semi-finals, where they hope to continue their strong run and move closer to lifting the trophy.