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League Cup | Semi-Finals
Jan 28, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
SL

2-2

Adams (77', 79')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Eriksen (28', 88')

Live Commentary: Sheffield United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs win 3-2 on aggregate) - as it happened

:Headline: Live Commentary: Sheffield United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs win 3-2 on aggregate) - as it happened: ID:202026: from db_amp
Relive the thrilling 2-2 draw between Sheffield United and Tottenham as Spurs hold off a late fightback to reach the League Cup final with a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Tottenham Hotspur held off a late Sheffield United fightback to book their place in the League Cup final courtesy of a 3-2 aggregate victory over the Blades.

Christian Eriksen opened the scoring for the visitors with a delightful free kick, but two goals in as many minutes from substitute Che Adams saw Sheffield United move level on aggregate with just over 10 minutes remaining.

However, Eriksen produced a classy finish in the 88th minute to secure Tottenham's passage through to Wembley, where they will meet London rivals Chelsea on March 1.

Read how a thrilling cup tie unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute coverage below.

Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's League Cup semi-final second leg between Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur at Bramall Lane. A place at Wembley to take on Chelsea awaits the winner of this tie, with the aggregate score standing at 1-0 following the first leg at White Hart Lane last week. It is still very much in the balance, so we should be in for an entertaining clash tonight. Let's start with a look at the hosts...
Sheffield United certainly come into this match as the underdogs to progress to Wembley, but Nigel Clough will be optimistic that his side can pull off a major upset tonight. There have been a number of shocks within the last week, with the FA Cup fourth round being one that will live long in the memory, and the Blades boss has spoken of his plan to use the likes of Bradford, Middlesbrough and Cambridge United as inspiration for his side tonight.
It certainly would be a magnificent achievement for United to reach the final, but their optimism is not entirely unfounded. They have a fine record against teams from the top flight recently, beating no fewer than five Premier League sides within the last 12 months, while their performance against Spurs in last week's first leg was a very encouraging one for the Blades. They frustrated and matched their more illustrious opponents for long spells, and it was only one defensive error to give away a penalty that proved to be the difference in the end.
The Blades have established themselves as cup specialists under Nigel Clough, and they are bidding to reach Wembley for the second consecutive season tonight. They made it all the way to the semi-final of the FA Cup last season, beating Aston Villa, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Charlton Athletic along the way, only to lose 5-3 at the hands of eventual runners-up Hull in the last four. To reach Wembley in two consecutive seasons and in the two biggest domestic cup competitions would be a herculean achievement for a club like Sheffield United.
Overall, the Blades have lost just three of their 21 cup games under Nigel Clough, including their Johnstone's Paint Trophy exploits too. The latest of those, of course, came in the first leg of this tie, but they did manage to avoid defeat at the weekend despite Clough making a whole host of changes to his side in the FA Cup. They took on Preston away and, while it was not exactly a performance for the ages, under the circumstances they would have been happy with a 1-1 draw. They now face a replay here at Bramall Lane next Tuesday and should have most of their star players back having rested them ahead of tonight's game.
The slight concern for Nigel Clough will be that his side are now three games without a victory in all competitions having lost 1-0 to MK Dons before their back-to-back cup matches. They have only managed one goal in that time too, and the simple fact is that they must improve on that tally if they are to stand any chance of progressing tonight. The Blades do have priorities elsewhere as well, though, having slipped down to ninth in League One due to their inactivity in the division this weekend. They are still just one point off the playoffs, though, and have at least one game in hand over all of the teams around them.
Things are a little more promising when you look solely at home form, with Sheffield United's last three outings all having come away from Bramall Lane. They are unbeaten in their last four home games and have only lost twice in front of their own fans since the opening day of the season. Having performed so well at White Hart Lane, they will fancy their chances of using the home crowd to their advantage and getting the win they need tonight. Incidentally, they have also won both of their home League Cup ties this season, including the quarter-final victory over Southampton.
The Saints are one of two Premier League scalps already claimed by Sheffield United in this season's competition, while they also cruised past Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup. The Blades beat Mansfield in their first round of the League Cup before seeing off the challenge of West Ham United on penalties. Leyton Orient and MK Dons were next to fall at the hands of Nigel Clough's side before they beat Southampton. Facing Premier League opposition will certainly not daunt the Blades, then, and their giant-killing reputation could well play to their advantage.
Spurs are still very much in the driving seat in terms of this tie, though, and Mauricio Pochettino will be telling his players that they have nothing to worry about tonight. The atmosphere is bound to be intense and the hosts will certainly be up for it, but the onus is on United to attack and get a goal, which could very well play into the hands of Spurs. Patience could be the key for them tonight, as well as avoiding any silly mistakes at the back that might gift the home side momentum.
Speaking of mistakes, they turned out to be key for Spurs in their last outing as they crashed out of the FA Cup on Saturday. With so many fellow contenders also being eliminated it will go down as a big missed opportunity for Pochettino's side, particularly as they looked to be closing in on victory. However, two late goals from Leicester City ensured that the Foxes progressed through to the fifth round, placing even more importance on tonight's game for the visitors.
The result against Leicester was certainly a shock, but it was nowhere near the biggest of the weekend. They will know that tonight has the potential to provide another big upset, and there are reasons to be concerned for Spurs. Chief among them is their defensive record on the road. A clean sheet tonight would ensure their progress into the final, but they have not prevented the opposition from scoring whilst playing away from home since a 0-0 draw with Partizan in September, 11 matches ago.
Their form on the road has been fairly mixed this season. Early in the campaign it seemed to be a welcome release from their troubles at White Hart Lane, and their seven wins from 15 away games this season is by no means a shabby total. However, they have only won two of their last six and, while they are improving in front of their own fans - Saturday's defeat to Leicester aside - they are also showing signs of suffering a bit of a dip away from home.
Overall, though, Spurs do come into this match in decent form. Defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester have been recent anomalies for Pochettino's side, who are beginning to find their feet under the Argentine manager. Those are their only two losses in their last 12 outings in all competitions, eight of which they have won. The defeat to Leicester also ended a run of three straight victories, so Spurs will be looking to make a swift return to winning ways tonight.
However, their packed fixture schedule could well play a part in their performance tonight. This is already their eighth match in January, and they have one more to go before the month is out. Having been through such a busy festive period, as it always the case, and resuming Europa League duties next month, there have been very few rest periods for this Spurs squad in the last month or so. They do have a decent size squad to deal with such problems, but Pochettino needs to manage them correctly during such a tricky run.
Spurs have arguably been the most impressive of all the semi-finalists in this tournament so far, cruising through most rounds until the first leg of this tie. They beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 first up, and that is the last goal they have conceded in the League Cup this season. They kept clean sheets in subsequent victories over Brighton and Newcastle, the latter of whom were dispatched emphatically 4-0. However, this is their first away tie in their current League Cup campaign, so it will be interesting to see how they handle it.
TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and there are a few changes to Tottenham's starting lineup from the first leg. Townsend, who scored the only goal at White Hart Lane last week, is dropped to the bench, while Harry Kane comes in for Emmanuel Adebayor. Vorm also plays despite his mistake against Leicester at the weekend. For the hosts, meanwhile, they have Flynn available despite concerns over an Achilles injury, while Jose Baxter coming in is the only change from their first-leg side. Full teams coming right up...
SHEFFIELD UNITED STARTING XI: Howard; Flynn, Basham, McEveley, Harris; Doyle, Baxter; Campbell-Ryce, Scougall, Murphy; McNulty
SHEFFIELD UNITED SUBS: Turner, Alcock, Higdon, Reed, Adams, Walllace, Kennedy
SPURS STARTING XI: Vorm; Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Davies; Mason, Stambouli; Lamela, Dembele, Eriksen; Kane
SPURS SUBS: Friedel, Fazio, Rose, Paulinho, Townsend, Adebayor, Soldado
What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, as far as the hosts are concerned, it is no surprise to see them make limited changes from the first leg having put in such an impressive performance. They brought in a number of new faces for the FA Cup tie at the weekend, but the likes of Campbell-Ryce, Scougall and McNulty all return tonight.
Campbell-Ryce in particular was a threat in the first leg, and he will be looking to replicate that performance in front of what is sure to be a raucous home crowd tonight. The winger did fade a little in the second half of that match a week ago, but for 45 minutes he had the beating of Ben Davies and will fancy his chances up against the left-back again tonight. If he can cause similar problems tonight then it will go a long way towards helping the Blades pull off an upset.
The one change in the starting lineup from the first leg sees Jose Baxter come in for Louis Reed, with Baxter also having played in the FA Cup at the weekend. Ryan Flynn is among the players to have returned to the side despite ongoing concerns over an Achilles problem, and he could well be key tonight. Either Lamela or Eriksen is expected to be on his wing, and both can be key players for the visitors if given any space to pull the strings.
However, it must be said that the Blades did a fine job of limiting Eriksen's impact on the game last week, and if they can do the same again tonight then it will help them no end. The Dane has been one of Tottenham's key players this season, popping up with a number of important late winners and helping the likes of Kane in front of him to thrive. He is in a trio of midfielders behind the striker with Dembele and Lamela, both of whom were involved in the defeat to Leicester at the weekend.
Kane is the man chosen to lead the line today, which is an indication of Pochettino's desire to get a result here. Adebayor and Soldado have been the lone strikers for the last two games, but neither impressed during their chances, so it is back to the young English striker who has been a revelation so far this season. Despite not having particularly great pace, strength or height, he just keeps on scoring goals and has the uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time. However, he showed in the win over Chelsea earlier this month that he is a lot more than just a poacher, and it is no surprise to hear that Spurs are trying to tie him down to another new deal.
In midfield, Mason and Stambouli both return to the fold, with Bentaleb still absent due to the Africa Cup of Nations. It was in this competition that Mason made his name earlier in the season, scoring against Nottingham Forest and winning a regular first-team spot shortly thereafter. A recent injury threatened to undo his hard work this season, but he seems to have slipped straight back into the starting XI and is starting to become a fixture on Pochettino's teamsheet.
It is all change at the back, with an entirely new defensive line from the side that lost to Leicester at the weekend. Walker, Dier, Vertonghen and Davies all come back into the side, but Vorm keeps his place between the sticks. The former Swansea keeper has been the choice in the cup competitions for most of this season, but question marks were raised over his spot tonight following his costly error against Leicester on Saturday. Pochettino has kept faith with the Dutchman, however, with Friedel the back-up on the bench.
PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Bramall Lane, which means that it is time for a prediction! Sheffield United simply need to win tonight, and them doing so certainly isn't out of the question. However, they can't afford to frustrate Spurs as they did in the first leg as the visitors would be happy to just knock the ball about at the back for long periods. It is a tough one to call, but I think I'm going to go for a 1-1 draw and Spurs to progress.
Spurs certainly boast the better history in this fixture when it comes to the League Cup. Including last week's first leg they have met three times in this competition before, with Spurs winning on each occasion. The first came at White Hart Lane in 1970 when Spurs won 2-1 in the third round, while 20 years later they won 2-0 at Bramall Lane in found four. However, Spurs have not won any of their last five visitors to Sheffield United, drawing twice and losing three time.
The Blades have only been to this stage of the competition once before, when they were dumped out be eventual winners Liverpool 3-2 on aggregate back in 2003. Spurs, meanwhile, have lifted the trophy four times and will be looking to set up a replay of their last victorious final, which came in 2008 against Chelsea. They also reached Wembley the following year but were beaten by Manchester United in the final on that occasion.
Remember, away goal only count after extra time in the League Cup so, should this match end 2-1 to Sheffield United, we would still have the additional 30 minutes. We needed 120 in the first semi-final last night and could well be in for another bumper night of action here.
Right, the teams are out and, as expected, the atmosphere is electric inside Bramall Lane. It is a horrible night in terms of weather, but Sheffield United won't care about that one bit if they are victorious tonight.
KICKOFF: We're underway at Bramall Lane for the last of our League Cup semi-finals. Who will book their place to face Chelsea at Wembley on March 1?
Tottenham have made the brighter start here and almost make an early breakthrough as Kane forces an error from McEveley to charge down the right wing and cut inside to the box. His low cross is turned behind for a corner, from which Lamela eventually curls an effort high and wide.
Better from Sheffield United as they respond with a decent spell of possession themselves. They didn't create too much in an attacking sense at White Hart Lane and have not been prolific all season, so they will need to find a cutting edge from somewhere tonight.
Decent build-up play from Spurs, with Walker starting the move against his former club. The ball eventually arrives back to the full-back on the right, but his low cross is easily dealt with.
More nice football from Spurs almost sees Dembele break through, but the United defence just about gets a foot in to poke it behind for a corner.
OFF THE LINE! Oh my word, what a chance for United to get the opening goal! Campbell-Ryce does brilliantly on the right to speed past Davies and put a cross into the middle. Vorm looks to have it under control but spills the ball under very little pressure. However, he recovers in time to redeem himself and clear the ball off the line with his feet. A huge opening for the hosts goes begging.
Again the home side come forward, this time with Murphy racing on to a through-ball down the left. He puts his cross into a very dangerous area, but it is just a couple of yards in front of McNulty and rolls through to safety.
CHANCE! A chance for Spurs at the other end as Kane nips in to collect a pass ahead of the defence. It all opens up for him on the edge of the box and he tries to curl a low effort into the far corner, but can only hit it straight at the keeper. He should have done better there.
The hosts will be fairly content with how this game has gone so far, but they really should be ahead. They are unlikely to create too many chances against this Tottenham side so it is vital that they make the most of the ones they do create.
Tottenham enjoy a good spell of possession, keeping the ball for a good couple of minutes before it is worked out to Walker on the right. He skips inside Murphy before sending a dangerous cross into the middle that the keeper saves. It eventually comes out to Dembele, who drags a low effort a few yards wide of the target.
SHOT! Another shooting chance for Spurs, and again it falls to Kane. He picks the ball up on the right channel and sees that the keeper has left his near post open so tries an early strike to catch him out. However, he is slightly off balance when he hits it and it swerves comfortably wide.
Kane is through on goal again, but Howard comes out to thwart the striker with a fine save. It would not have counted anyway as Kane was offside, but the Tottenham man is looking bright tonight.
SHOT! This would have been some strike from Mason! The midfield tries an early effort from all of 35, maybe 40 yards out. It is a dipping strike and needs Howard to get down and make the save, but the keeper would have been very unhappy had he let that one in.
Campbell-Ryce has seen very little of the ball since that one run down the right to set up a chance, and it is a surprise that the hosts aren't using him a bit more often. They are getting a bit of joy with Murphy down the left, but could be well served switching things up a little more often.
OFF THE POST! Good work from Dembele in midfield as he steals the ball and pokes it through for Kane. Again the striker has only green grass in front of him, but McEveley does well to stop him getting a better angle. In the end Kane is forced to go for goal on his left foot from a tight angle, and he blasts his effort against the outside of the post.
GOAL! Sheffield United 0-1 Spurs (Christian Eriksen)
Tottenham take the lead on the night and double their lead on aggregate, and Eriksen does it in some style. The Dane lines up a free kick from around 25 yards and curls it towards the keeper's side, over Howard and in off the post. Howard was rooted to the spot as it flew over him, but he probably wouldn't have reached it even if he had dived. It was perfectly placed from Eriksen. Spectacular.
Is there any way back for Sheffield United here, then? Well, they now need two goals just to force extra time, and those earlier missed chances are looking all the more costly following that moment of magic from Eriksen. It is a big ask for the League One outfit, but a goal back before half time would set them up nicely.
Sheffield United finally get the ball back out to Campbell-Ryce, and immediately he is surrounded by Tottenham players before being fouled. Pochettino has clearly earmarked the winger as a big threat to his side.
CHANCE! Kane's movement is really causing United problems tonight. Again he races through down the left channel, but instead of going for goal with his left foot this time he cuts back onto his right, leaving McEveley on the floor. He then goes for goal from a tight angle, but Howard is well placed at his near post to make the save.
Dembele goes down in a heap clutching his face following a collision with Doyle. It was more a bodycheck than anything else, although the Tottenham man was caught on the jaw. No need for the dramatics of rolling around on the floor, though.
YELLOW CARD! The first card of the night goes to Kyle Walker, who just clipped the heels of his man when chasing back. No complaints with that one.
Spurs are looking fairly comfortable here, holding a two-goal lead and seeing the lion's share of possession. The conditions are tough inside Bramall Lane, with the snow beginning to get heavier, but right now it is hard to see Spurs letting this one slip. One goal could change all of that, however.
SHOT! Superb play from Dembele as he wriggles his way past three defenders on the right wing before cutting the ball back to the edge of the area. Mason comes to meet it but scuffs his effort harmlessly wide of the mark.
The hosts need to get a bit of inspiration from somewhere here. They had a couple of chances early on but have not creating anything since and the atmosphere is a little flat inside Bramall Lane right now.
SHOT! Better from the hosts as Scougall gets some forward momentum going from midfield, driving into the Spurs half before playing a square ball to McNulty. The striker has options to his left but opts to flick it up and go for the volley himself, dragging his effort from 20 yards wide of the post.
YELLOW CARD! Doyle is the second name in the book for a poor challenge on Mason, who was slaloming his way through the Sheffield United defence. Eriksen is standing over another free kick in a very dangerous position here...
...it is Eriksen again, but this time he slams his effort straight into the wall. Meanwhile, the fourth official indicates a minimum of one minute added time.
HALF TIME: Sheffield United 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs lead 2-0 on aggregate)
The first half comes to an end at Bramall Lane, and Spurs go into the break with one foot in the League Cup final. They lead 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate, and in truth it could be more after that first half. The Blades will be happy for the chance to regroup, and they need to improve if they are to salvage their Wembley dream in the coming 45 minutes.
The goal came through Eriksen, and it was a sublime effort from the Dane to break the deadlock. He sent a 25-yard free kick into the top corner via the inside of the post, giving the keeper very little chance despite it being on his side. It was almost the perfect free kick, and that moment of Premier League quality is the difference between the sides on the night so far.
It could have all been so different for Sheffield United had Murphy tucked away a clear chance early on, however. Just 10 minutes into the match Campbell-Ryce raced down the right flank and sent a hanging cross into the middle that Vorm failed to collect, spilling the ball under very little pressure. It was then passed square to Murphy, who was denied by a mixture of Walker and Vorm on the line.
Kane has had a number of chances of his own, which is perhaps the biggest difference between the Tottenham performance this week and last, when Adebayor was the main striker. Kane has raced through plenty of times but more often than not has found the angle slightly against him, which has helped Howard to save most of his efforts.
Perhaps Kane's best chance came after just 13 minutes when he found himself in space on the edge of the box and tried to curl a low effort into the bottom corner, only to hit it straight at the keeper when he had a clear part of the goal to aim at. The young striker has also hit the outside of the post, although he was always unlikely to be able to squeeze his effort in from the angle that faced him on that occasion.
It has been a comfortable evening so far for Spurs, who have performed much better than they did in the first leg. This was seen as a very tricky fixture, but they have negotiated it professionally and could even more than one up. They have already had more shots and shots on target than they managed at White Hart Lane, and it is hard to see them letting this one slip on the evidence of that opening 45 minutes. As things stand, they are just one half away from Wembley.
As for the hosts, it has all been very flat from them so far. The Murphy chance aside, they have given their fans very little to shout about and the electric atmosphere that accompanied the start of the match petered out as time went by. They have struggled to get the ball off Spurs and creates chances of their own and will need to throw caution to the wind a bit more in the coming 45 minutes.
KICKOFF: Sheffield United get us back underway with 45 minutes to save their League Cup campaign here. Can they produce a comeback?
SHOT! A chance right at the start of the half for Spurs as they win the ball off United and drive forward through Dembele. He eventually works the ball to Kane, who cuts inside his man but is stretching for the ball when he shoots and puts his effort wide.
YELLOW CARD! Mason goes into the referee's book and he can have no complaints having scythed down Scougall in midfield.
A nervy moment for the visitors from the resulting free kick as Vertonghen makes a mess of his clearance, only succeeding in nodding it into a more dangerous position. It is a tough one for McNulty as he tries to hook it with his back to goal, and sure enough he can't make anything of the opening.
It has been a fairly decent start to the second half from Sheffield United. You can tell that they were told to get out there and give it a go by Nigel Clough in the dressing room, and they are looking to get on the front foot whenever possible at the moment.
Still the snow continues to fall in Sheffield as Murphy tries to conjure something up from distance. However, he drags a poor effort wide of the mark, with Vorm watching it the whole way. They'll need to do better than that if they are to get back into this one.
SAVE! Yet another shot from Kane, but once again it is straight at the keeper. This time he works a yard before drilling a low effort towards goal, but it is simple for Howard. You'd have to think that he will score one of these openings sooner or later, though.
YELLOW CARD! Mike Dean shows his latest yellow card to Dembele, who tripped Murphy after being beaten for pace down the left flank. United have a free kick in a good crossing position here...
They opt against the cross as Murphy rolls it to Baxter on the edge of the box, and the midfield smashes a very well-struck effort towards goal. However, it is blocked before it can cause Vorm any problems.
The hosts are enjoying a really good spell right now, by far their best of the match. This second half has seen 44% of the play inside Tottenham's third, but the Blades are still struggling to create a clear chance. They need to make the most of this period of dominance.
YELLOW CARD! Another yellow card, this time for Flynn as he treads on the back of Dembele's ankle when the Spurs midfielder was racing forward.
SHOT! Nice build-up play from Spurs as they advance forward with a string of quick passes. Dembele eventually picks up it on the right side of the field, but his subsequent effort flies a long way off target.
Shooting opportunity for the hosts as the ball is worked down the left before being played across the edge of the box for Flynn. The full-back gets it out of his feet before drilling a low effort towards the bottom corner, but his shot is blocked.
Another opening from outside the area for Sheffield United, but once again it is a disappointing effort. This time McNulty picks the ball up and lets fly but, having gone for pure power, he drags a poor strike well wide.
Flynn is perhaps fortunate to get away without a second yellow here as he brings Davies down in a dangerous position. He could yet be further punished, however, as Eriksen is once again standing over this one.
Eriksen does indeed go for goal again, but this time it is a tame effort straight into the wall. Sheffield United come forward at the other courtesy of a good turn from Scougall, but McNulty's eventual cross is dreadful and the good attacking platform goes begging.
TOTTENHAM SUB: Spurs make their first change of the evening as Dembele departs to be replaced by Paulinho.
SHEFFIELD UNITED SUB: The hosts also make a sub at the same time, with Louis Reed coming on in place of Doyle who, like Dembele, was on a yellow card.
SAVE! Eriksen this time gives the free kick duties over to Kane, and the striker does not disappoint. He fires a fine dipping effort over the wall and on target from around 30 yards out, but the keeper is across to make a fairly comfortable save in the end.
Magnificent defending from Baxter to save what looked to be a great chance for Spurs! Lamela shrugged off one challenge in midfield before slipping the ball through for Mason. However, just as the Tottenham man is about to pull the trigger, Baxter comes flying in with a brilliant sliding challenge to deny him.
That Christian Eriksen worldie is still all that separates the two sides on the night, and it has made for a more comfortable evening than the visitors may have been expecting. Here is the Dane celebrating his wonder strike.

Vorm is clearly unhappy with Dier here as the keeper comes out of his goal to remonstrate with the young defender.
SPURS SUB: The visitors make another change as Lamela trots off to be replaced by Andros Townsend, who scored the only goal of the first leg from the penalty spot.
SHEFFIELD UNITED SUBS: The hosts also opt to change personnel, using up both of their remaining subs in one go as Michael Higdon and Che Adams come on for McNulty and Campbell-Ryce.
GOAL! Sheffield United 1-1 Spurs (Che Adams)
This one is not over yet, folks! Just minutes after coming on, 18-year-old Che Adams pulls a goal back with his first touch! It is brilliantly play from Flynn down the right as he bursts past one defender before playing a peach of a low cross into the box. It goes all the way through to Adams at the back post, and he tucks it away with aplomb to set up a grandstand finish.
GOAL! Sheffield United 2-1 Spurs (Che Adams)
Incredible scenes here in Sheffield! The hosts have a second in as many minutes, and it is Adams again who gets it! This time Murphy provides the cross from the right flank and once again it finds its way to Adams. The young sub takes a touch to come inside before seeing an effort deflect off Dier and past Vorm! What an unbelievable turnaround for the Blades!
Who saw that coming, then?! Spurs looked to be cruising to the final and were in complete control of this tie, but right now they are on the back foot. As things stand we are heading for extra time, but Sheffield United may fancy their chances of getting a third here.
SHOT! A hint of a chance for the hosts to get that third goal, but Scougall's finish is a poor one. It arrives to the midfielder on the edge of the box, but he scuffs an effort into the arms of Vorm.
Nigel Clough can barely wipe the smile off his face on the sidelines now. His side looked dead and buried a little over five minutes ago, but they have all of the momentum now and the crowd are in full voice. Spurs can't quite believe what has happened to them here.
CHANCE! Huge chance for the hosts to get their third goal! The ball is slipped through for Reed, who finds himself in space with only the keeper to beat. The youngster goes for power, but blazes his effort over the crossbar when he should have done better.
So, a reminder of where we stand with this scoreline right now: If it stays 2-1 at the end of 90 minutes then we will go into extra time, but if that is still the scoreline after 120 minutes then Spurs will progress on away goals. There is no chance of penalties tonight, so Sheffield United still need to score one more goal without reply if they are to progress.
GOAL! Sheffield United 2-2 Spurs (Christian Eriksen)
Heartbreak for Sheffield United as Spurs regain their aggregate lead! Kane turns provider this time, sliding a pass through for Eriksen, who finds himself with only the keeper to beat. The Dane shows great composure to just cut the ball into the far bottom corner, leaving the keeper no chance. Classy finish, and that could just be that.
Right, so Sheffield United now need another goal to force extra time, and then would need to score a fourth before the end of 120 minutes to progress. It is a big ask, but they have shocked us once already tonight. Time is running out, though.
SPURS SUB: A late change for Spurs as they look to wind down the clock, with Danny Rose replacing Mason.
As that sub is taking place, the fourth official indicates a minimum of four minutes added time. Will there be more late drama here at Bramall Lane?
CHANCE! A chance for the hosts late on as the ball is slipped through for Basham, whose touch is just a little heavy. Vorm comes out to meet him and gets clattered by the Sheffield United man, which draws an angry reaction from a couple of Tottenham defenders.
YELLOW CARD! Basham goes into the book for that challenge, but the ball was there to be won. Vertonghen is fortunate to avoid punishment having grabbed Basham by the throat, but all this is wasting valuable time for the visitors.
A hint of a chance for the hosts once again as a long throw is flicked on and goes right across the face of goal. There are no red and white shirts there to knock it in, however, with Adams arriving too late to complete his hat-trick.
FULL TIME: Sheffield United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs win 3-2 on aggregate)
Spurs manage to hang on and progress to the League Cup final, where they will meet Chelsea on March 1. They certainly know that they were in a game here, although it took the hosts a long time to get going, Their late rally almost saved extra time and gave them an additional 30 minutes to find another goal, but ultimately Tottenham's class shone through in the shape of Eriksen.
It was Eriksen who broke the deadlock with a beauty of a free kick, curling his effort over the keeper and perfectly into the top corner. They seemed to be cruising into the final before Che Adams was introduced, but the 18-year-old scored twice within a couple of minutes of taking to the field, levelling the scores on aggregate. However, Eriksen had the final say with a classy finish to restore parity on the night and clinch the aggregate victory for his side.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for yet another thrilling cup tie as Spurs hold off a late Sheffield United fightback to reach the final of the League Cup. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction from both camps. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256
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