Carabao Cup: Tottenham edge out Man City to play Man United in quarter-finals

Tottenham Hotspur handed Manchester City their first loss of the season with a 2-1 win, advancing to a Carabao Cup quarter-final showdown with Manchester United.

Spurs burst into action early, taking the lead in the fifth minute when Timo Werner connected with Dejan Kulusevski’s pass and powered his shot past Stefan Ortega for his first goal since March. Shortly after, Tottenham suffered a setback as Micky van de Ven was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury, though Spurs’ momentum remained unshaken.

Man City’s lacklustre performance appeared to echo Pep Guardiola’s previous comments about not wanting to “waste energy” on the Carabao Cup. Spurs capitalised, and Pape Sarr’s impressive long-range strike in the 25th minute doubled their lead.

Man City began to control possession as the first half progressed, finding a breakthrough when Savinho’s cross met Matheus Nunes at the far post, pulling City within one just before halftime.

The second half saw a series of injuries, including Savinho being stretchered off, with Erling Haaland remaining on the bench. City pressed for an equalizer, but Spurs continued to threaten on the counter, with Ortega making key saves to deny Brennan Johnson and Kulusevski.

Tottenham’s best chance to secure the win fell to Richarlison, who was gifted an opportunity from a misplaced Josko Gvardiol throw, but his shot lacked power and went straight to Ortega. Spurs nearly paid for that miss, but Yves Bissouma made a heroic block on Nico O’Reilly’s last-second shot, ensuring Tottenham’s victory and keeping alive their hopes for a first trophy since 2008.