Tottenham host Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, with both sides looking to take another step towards the first major final of the season.
Ange Postecoglou’s side sit 10th in the Premier League after a string of mixed results, and the 2008 edition of this competition marks the last time Spurs won a trophy.
United sit even lower in the table despite their derby win last weekend, and Ruben Amorim will be aware of the merits of going far in this competition in his first season in charge.
The big news before kick-off is that Marcus Rashford is not in the United squad just days after he gave an interview saying he is ready for a “new challenge” away from the club.
Amorim dropped Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from his squad to face Manchester City last weekend and although Garnacho is named on the bench, Rashford has not travelled to London.
Follow all the Carabao Cup action with our live blog below:
Tottenham host Man Utd in Carabao Cup quarter-finals | Live on Sky Sports
Spurs bidding to win first trophy since 2008 under Ange Postecoglou
United are in buoyant mood after a dramatic win over Man City in the derby
Marcus Rashford not in squad, Alejandro Garnacho returns to bench
70’ – GOAL! Another terrible Forster error sees Diallo narrow deficit to just one (TOT 3-2 MUN)
63’ – GOAL! Zirkzee pulls one back after awful Forster error (TOT 3-1 MUN)
54’ – GOAL! Solanke produces superb finish as Spurs dominate (TOT 3-0 MUN)
46’ – GOAL! Kulusevski scores straight after half-time (TOT 2-0 MUN)
15’ – GOAL! Solanke clips home rebound after Bayindir pushes ball straight out (TOT 1-0 MUN)
Tottenham Hotspur FC 4 – 2 Manchester United FC
21:46 , Luke Baker
Five minutes plus added time for United to find an equaliser. Spurs have steadied the ship a little since conceding the second goal but Forster (understandably) looks bereft of confidence and you feel United will have another good chance.
21:42 , Luke Baker
Hmmm, not exactly convincing from Forster but he does make the save… Son gives the ball away, Mazraoui shoots from 25 yards and Forster hacks it away with his feet.
No idea why he didn’t use his hands but it was effective enough, I suppose.
21:40 , Luke Baker
A Spurs sub as Maddison taken off and Lucas Bergvall comes on. Maddison got booked seconds before being subbed, so he’ll miss the first leg of the semi-final should Tottenham get there.
21:38 , Luke Baker
Look away, Fraser Forster. Here are his two errors that have given Manchester United life in this quarter-final.
21:37 , Luke Baker
Evans wins United a corner as he pressures Bissouma on a cutback from the byline. Spurs head the corner clear though.
But they can’t get their foot on the ball and Man Utd come forward again. All the momentum with them now.
21:35 , Luke Baker
Spurs on the ropes now. Mazraoui on the overlap, then cuts back and flashes the ball across goal but no United player is making the run to turn it in. You can feel the tension in the stadium though.
Another substitution from Amorim as Alejandro Garnacho begins his reintegration to the squad by coming on for Manuel Ugarte. No Spurs changes yet.
21:31 , Luke Baker
Oh no, Fraser Forster. This is turning into a disaster for the Spurs keeper!
The ball is played back to Forster who takes way too long, thinks he has more time than he does and by the time he gets round to clearing the ball, Amad Diallo is on him and sliding tackles the ball into the net. Great perserverance from Diallo but Forster is having a nightmare.
United are right back in this now.
21:29 , Luke Baker
Mainoo drags down Maddison on halfway and the Spurs man is making the most of it to try and waste time.
21:27 , Luke Baker
This is getting nervy now for Spurs! Another ball across from Fernandes and it’s straight to Bissouma but he panics and the ball bounces off his leg, just inches wide of the post. I don’t think Forster would have got there!
It wasn’t clear if Bissouma was trying to clear the ball or pass abck to Forster but either way, it was nearly disaster.
21:24 , Luke Baker
From the sublime to the ridiculous from Fraser Forster. A horrible error just seconds after his superb save and Man Utd have hope!
Forster receives the backpass in his own six-yard box and plays a pass to his right without even looking to see where the United players are. It’s straight to Fernandes and he squares the ball to Joshua Zirkzee for a tap-in.
Still a way to go for United but that is a lifeline Spurs didn’t need to give them.
21:22 , Luke Baker
A lunge from Bissouma on Diallo but he just about gets the ball before taking out the man with the follow through – lucky he did because that was reckless otherwise.
Then it’s a great stop by Forster. Quick throw from United on the left, Fernandes slips in Dalot who hangs up a cross, Zirkzee with the header into the floor and it’s destined for the left corner before a full-stretch Forster claws it away!
21:20 , Luke Baker
A brilliant opening 15 minutes of the second half for Spurs and here’s how they turned that 1-0 advantage into a 3-0 lead.
Dejan Kulusevski doubles Tottenham’s lead, what a start to the second half! ⚡️◻️
🎙️ “The clearance from Lisandro Martinez is quite simply appalling.” pic.twitter.com/6gmXscJ665
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 19, 2024
21:16 , Luke Baker
Ruben Amorim was preparing to make a triple substitution jsut before that goal went in. It might be too late now but he’s got to try.
Joshua Zirkzee, Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo all chucked on as Hojlund, Antony and Eriksen depart. Big ask for that trio to turn this one around.
21:14 , Luke Baker
Sublime from Dominic Solanke! Absolutely superb.
A ball dinked over the top and Solanke races on to it. Martinez gets back but Solanke cuts inside him, then fires a shot through Evans’s legs that finds the corner of the net. Too easy for the striker really but Spurs are basically in the semi-finals now.
21:11 , Luke Baker
Spurs pushing on for a third. Spence tries to find Maddison running to the byline but the pass is a shade too strong and out for a goal-kick.
21:09 , Luke Baker
A defensive mistake for each of Spurs’s goals you’d have to say and it’s an uphill task for Man Utd now. They haven’t exactly been free-scoring this season but must now find the net at least twice.
21:07 , Luke Baker
What a start to the second half for Spurs! They’ve scored after about 50 seconds.
Son with a reverse pass to Maddison on the overlap, his low ball across the box is flicked by Martinez but straight to Dejan Kulusevski and he hammers the ball into the net from 10 yards. Spurs in complete control now.
21:04 , Luke Baker
Back underway in north London. Will Spurs be able to see out the next 45 minutes or can Man Utd hit back?
20:48 , Luke Baker
And that’s half-time. Spurs lead through Dominic Solanke’s finish after Bayindir parried a Porro shot straight to the Tottenham striker.
Other than that, United have handled the hosts pretty well but they’re lacking a bit of quality in the final third themselves. They’ll need to find answers in the second half.
20:46 , Luke Baker
Lindelof has gone down and is being treated by Man Utd’s physios. Lindelof looks gutted and trudges off the pitch – he’s only just back from injury and has broken down again.
He heads straight down the tunnel, takes his shirt off on the way and seems pretty upset. You have to feel for him there. The ageless Jonny Evans, who was at United when they played Spurs in the 2009 final of this competition, comes on at centre-back.
Two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
20:44 , Luke Baker
Gray heads behind for a Man Utd corner. Eriksen’s cross is deep and spence decides to knee it behidn for another corner rather than letting Martinez maybe get a touch on it.
Eriksen’s corner from the other side is again deep and Martinez clips it back across but out harmlessly for a goal-kick.
20:42 , Luke Baker
Fernandes flicks a cross with the outside of his right foot towards the back post but it’s a few inches in front of Eriksen, who can’t quite get there. United are looking reasonably threatening without quite creating a clear-cut chance.
Spurs will be happy enough if they get to half-time at 1-0 to the good.
20:38 , Luke Baker
Another Fernandes run over the top and this time it’s Antony who finds him with the long ball. He gets intot he box but his flick across is hacked away by Spurs.
Fernandes then regains the ball and tries his luck from outside the box but it’s just wide of the post, with Forster getting across to cover anyway.
20:36 , Luke Baker
Nearly an own goal from Ugarte! A mess of legs on the edge of the United box ends with Son able to flick the ball to Kulusevski. He cuts back and forth on Lindelof before putting the ball across the six-yard box and Ugarte is at full stretch to put the ball behind but only just wide of the post. He didn’t know where that was going when he lunged and Bayindir was rooted to the spot!
From the corner, Solanke tries to claim he’s brought down in the box but nothing doing there.
20:33 , Luke Baker
Lovely flick from Solanke to Son give the Spurs captain some space o drive forward. The ball is worked out wide to the right but Dalot tackles Kulusevski and clears the danger.
Porro then tries a long raking through-ball to Son but it runs a little too far and Bayindir is able to race off his line and claim the ball
20:30 , Luke Baker
Spurs get themselves into a bit of a hole defensively as Spence is suddenly having to dribble past men by own corner flag before backheeling the ball to a teammate. United claim the ball about 30 yards out but the cross is easy to deal with.
Spurs won’t want to be messing about like that too much though.
20:28 , Luke Baker
Here’s how Spurs went 1-0 up as Dominic Solanke continued his good recent record against Man Utd.
20:27 , Luke Baker
Mazraoui now joins Sarr in the book as lunges in and catches Spence as they go for a 50-50 ball hat the Spurs man reaches first. Clear yellow card.
Spurs go short from the free-kick and suddenly Kulusevski rolls past Fernandes, striking thr ball goalwards but Bayindir makes a decent stop at his near post with his leg. There was some power behind that shot but the goalkeeper was equal to it.
20:25 , Luke Baker
After that Sarr booking, Eriksen lines up the free-kick on the left. He curls it in right-footed and actually goes for goal but it lands on the top of the net, just over the bar. Forster looked unruffled and saw it over, in fairness.
20:23 , Luke Baker
Better from United as Fernandes slips he ball wide to Dalot and he cuts the ball back to Eriksen on the edge of the area. First-time shot from the Dane is fired goalwards but Bissouma gets in front of Forster to block the ball away.
Sarr then becomes the first man booked as he clatters Fernandes in the calf as he scampers back.
20:22 , Luke Baker
Another Eriksen ball over the top gives Fernandes something to chase as he drifts infield and it looks like he might get there first but Porro recovers and outmuscles the Portuguese, allowing Forster to smother.
Spurs aren’t really picking up Fernandes’s runs so far
20:19 , Luke Baker
That will be frustrating for Man Utd but Spurs will gleefully take the gift. How will Amorim’s men respond?
20:16 , Luke Baker
Free-kick in a decent position for Spurs – about 30 yards out, towards the left of the box. They play it short and eventually it falls to Porro who hammers a shot at goal and it’s pushed away by Bayindir but it’s straight into the danger zone, Dominic Solanke is following up and clips in the rebound.
It’s not great by Bayindir if I’m honest – you’ve got to push that wide/away. Anywhere that is not just straight back in front of you… Although the United defence were stationary and not exactly following up that rebound themselves.
20:14 , Luke Baker
Eriksen with a clever touch to Fernandes who slides in Hojlund. The striker gets into the box and looks to have a chance to get his shot away but takes an extra touch and is eventually swarmed by a couple of Spurs defenders who scramble the ball away.
Fernades then clips the ball across goal in the corridor of uncertainty but Hojlund isn’t attacking the space in the six-yard box and it runs harmlessly through.
At the other end, Son cuts inside on to his right foot but the attempted curler into the corner is miles wide.
20:11 , Luke Baker
Lovely cross-field passs from Eriksen to Dalot who then wins a corner for United. Eriksen whips it in towards the near post and Bissouma heads it up in the air but Martinez’s first-time effort is well over the top.
Eriksen then wins a free-kick in his own half with good strength to protect the ball. The Dane has started this match well.
20:08 , Luke Baker
Fernandes penalised for a high foot that catches Porro in the back of the head – the Portuguese doesn’t look impressed with that decision.
Man Utd counter as Eriksen strides forward and feeds Hojlund but Spurs swarm back and avert the danger.
20:05 , Luke Baker
Spurs showing good tempo in possession early on. Spence marauds down the left flank but eventually runs too aggressively into Yoro after a heavy touch and gives away the free-kick.
Bissouma then robs aAntony in possession again, for the second time in a couple of minutes – inauspicious start by the Brazilian
20:03 , Luke Baker
Nice early touch by Yoro who spins Son and plays the ball upfield. But Bissouma nicks the ball off Antony and Spurs counter with lightning pace. Kulusevski fires a dangerous-looking ball across the box but it’s defended well and cleared.
The Spurs fans signal their approval though.
20:01 , Luke Baker
And we’re underway in north London. Both these teams would dearly love to win a trophy this season and the Carabao Cup seems as good a bet as any.
Remember, there’s no VAR tonight and no extra-time if we’re level after 90 minutes – it would be straight to penalties.
19:57 , Luke Baker
The players are out on the pitch and we’ll have kick-off shortly.
19:50 , Luke Baker
We’re about 10 minutes away from kick-off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Warm-ups have been completed.
19:40 , Luke Baker
Amid all the Rashford drama, it’s easy to forget that this is a huge night for Tottenham as well. They’re looking to end their 16-year trophy drought and Ange Postecoglou will also hope to ease the pressure on his shoulders.
The Aussie boss isn’t getting ahead of himself though.
19:27 , Luke Baker
Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp have had their say on the situation and Carragher in particular is very punchy, saying Rashford isn’t a good enough player for the amount of time we talk about him.
19:22 , Luke Baker
Ruben Amorim has spoken to Sky Sports ahead of the game and, unsuprisingly, was asked about Marcus Rashford’s absence. Here’s what the United boss said:
“I chose the players that I feel are ready to cope with the demands of playing a strong game. I tried to visualise it all week and then choose my players – just selection.
“It’s always the same with every player – not just Marcus. I had to make a selection and I did it.”
“I chose the players that I feel are ready to cope with the demands of playing a strong game”
Ruben Amorim explains why Marcus Rashford is not included in Man United’s squad to face Spurs 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/0jw9PXb4Ni
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 19, 2024
19:10 , Luke Baker
So Rashford isn’t in the Man Utd squad tonight, as we already knew, but Garnacho is being reintegrated by starting on the bench. The United backline looks a bit different with Altay Bayindir between the sticks and then a back three of Leny Yoro, Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez. Manuel Ugarte, Chrisian Eriksen and Antony also get starts further forward.
Spurs’s injury issues mean Ange Postecoglou doesn’t have loads of options, with just two changes from the XI that started the thumping win over Southampton. Yves Bissouma is in midfield instead of Lucas Bergvall, while Pedro Porro starts instead of Destiny Udogie, who picked up a knock against the Saints. That means Djed Spence switches to left-back, allowing Porro to play on the right
Tottenham XI: Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke
Man Utd XI: Bayindir; Yoro, Lindelof, Martinez; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Eriksen, Dalot; Antony, Fernandes; Hojlund
19:01 , Luke Baker
And here are how the two teams will line up this evening. Alejandro Garnacho starts on the bench for United
19:00 , Jamie Braidwood
As expected, Alejandro Garnacho is here with Manchester United.
Marcus Rashford is not. Full team news to come…
18:40 , Jamie Braidwood
If it is sometimes said that there is always a crisis club in the Premier League, the warning for managers is don’t be it. As Russell Martin ran down the tunnel at St Mary’s, just as Southampton conceded a fifth goal before half-time, the relief for Ange Postecoglou was Tottenham were, for now at least, no longer that club.
Russell’s immediate departure in the wake of the 5-0 defeat, following that of Gary O’Neil of Wolves and amid Manchester City’s extraordinary collapse in the derby on Sunday, ensured a break for Spurs in the Premier League’s whirring news cycle. Even on Thursday night, when Manchester United visit Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, the impact of Marcus Rashford’s comments on his future and Ruben Amorim’s decision over whether to recall him and Alejandro Garnacho to his squad means there is less focus on Spurs ahead of what is their biggest game of the season so far.
Tottenham’s deeply weird season reaches its biggest moment yet
18:25 , Jamie Braidwood
Tottenham are set to require Archie Gray to step in at centre-back again with key defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies all out.
Destiny Udogie is a major doubt after limping off during that match. Djed Spence impressed against Southampton and may be required again.
Guglielmo Vicario is out, so Fraser Forster again fills in in goal.
18:06 , Jamie Braidwood
Marcus Rashford did not travel with Manchester United’s squad on Wednesday night ahead of their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham, but Alejandro Garnacho was pictured making the trip.
Rashford was the main topic at Wednesday’s press conference, before United travelled by train, with Amorim saying he was keen to keep a player he had yet to speak to by the time he faced the media.
“It’s hard to explain to you guys what I am going to do (when I speak to him),” United’s head coach said. “I am a little bit emotional (as a person), so in the moment I will understand what to do.
“I am preparing the game and then we will see. Let’s focus on the team not individual players. That’s it.”
Rashford, who missed training on Monday through illness, now looks set to sit out the Carabao Cup quarter-final at Tottenham.
17:55 , Jamie Braidwood
We already know everything there is to know about Marcus Rashford, a born-and-bred Manchester United fan who joined the club aged seven, with a social conscience and an eye for goal, a player with an undoubted gift who has often struggled to locate it. And yet it can sometimes feel like we don’t really know him at all.
Marcus Rashford’s love affair with Man Utd is coming to a sad, mysterious end
17:40 , Jamie Braidwood
Ruben Amorim on Alejandro Garnacho:
“Really good, he trained really well. He seems a little bit upset with me and that is perfect.
“I was really, really happy because I will do the same (in his position) and he’s ready for this game.”
17:25 , Jamie Braidwood
Ruben Amorim on Marcus Rashford:
“He’s our player and he’s ready for the next game.
“What I want is to take the best of Marcus Rashford and the other players. I don’t talk about the future. I just talk about the present. I want the best of each of them.
“I just want to win and help the team to be better. We are better with Marcus Rashford, that’s simple. We will try different things to push Rashford to the best levels that he has shown me in the past.
“This kind of club needs big talents and he is a big talent. He just needs to perform at the highest level and that is my focus. I just want to help Marcus.”
17:10 , Jamie Braidwood
Ruben Amorim says he would go to the manager with an issue rather than air it in the media after Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford declared he was “ready for a new challenge”.
The 27-year-old academy product has scored just 15 goals in 67 appearances in the 18 months since signing a big-money deal until 2028, with speculation over his future increasing in recent days.
Rashford was surprisingly left out of the squad for Sunday’s 2-1 win at Manchester City and revealed in an interview two days later that he was ready to end his 20-year association with United.
The forward, who missed training on Monday through illness, now looks set to sit out the Carabao Cup quarter-final at Tottenham having been absent from the group travelling to London.
Ruben Amorim sends advice to Man Utd’s wantaway star Marcus Rashford
17:03 , Jamie Braidwood
For United, Luke Shaw remains out, while Mason Mount is a doubt after coming off in the win over City. Jonny Evans is the only other doubt as it stands.
Perhaps the most intriguing team news surrounds Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, who could both come back into the squad after missing out last week.
Like Postecoglou, Amorim will likely pick a fairly strong starting eleven, with his line-up likely to look fairly similar to that which started last week’s derby.
17:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Spurs have several notable absentees ahead of the match, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario out alongside key defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. In addition, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Mikey Moore and Ben Davies will miss out, while Rodrigo Bentancur is still suspended.
Yves Bissouma should return after missing the win over Southampton with a suspension, while Destiny Udogie is a major doubt after limping off during that match. Djed Spence impressed against Southampton and may be required again.
17:01 , Jamie Braidwood
Tottenham vs Man Utd is due to kick off at 8pm GMT on Thursday, 19 December at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
The quarter-final match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, while subscribers will be able to live stream via the Sky Go app.
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17:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Tottenham host Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with both sides looking to take another step towards a potentially season-defining trophy.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have come in for criticism in recent weeks after a stunning collapse against Chelsea and losses to Bournemouth and Ipswich, though they sit just five points away from the top four.
However, the Australian will be aware of the importance of winning a major trophy, with Spurs still hunting a first major honour since winning this competition in 2008.
Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim looks to build on a mixed start at his new club, and what better way to do so than to advance into a semi-final just a few days after their own stunning comeback against Manchester City.
