Spurs do Pochettino proud as Gunners crash out of cup

Revenge is a dish best served on a cold wet Wednesday night in north London as Tottenham returned to the scene of their humiliating league defeat to win a place in the League Cup semi-final.

Well-taken goals from Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli either side of half-time were enough to defeat a below par Arsenal, who emerged 4-2 winners here only two weeks ago.

“We knew how important it was today, a big test. It was a strong performance in the end,” said Alli. “When I went through for my goal I knew I had to time my run and keep my composure.”

Mauricio Pochettino’s men were ambushed by a much sharper home side that Sunday night, but the Argentine coach had his men on the pace from the start this time, Son winning possession from Arsenal’s kick-off setting the tone from the off.

As Pochettino showed off the managerial skills Manchester United hope they can attract to Old Trafford, Unai Emery’s Arsenal were reminded they have to improve to start winning trophies again.

And the match was not without controversy — again.

After North London Derby 1 was marred by a Tottenham fan throwing a banana skin at Togo striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal let themselves down this time when Alli was struck by a plastic bottle as he tried to waste time on the touchline.

Alli had the last laugh by reminding the offending fan of the score before getting himself booked for winding up Arsenal players and fans alike by running the ball into an empty net long after he had been flagged for offside.

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Dele Alli was struck by a bottle thrown from the crowd during Tottenham Hotspur's 2-0 win over North London rivals Arsenal.

Report as Spurs avenge north London derby defeat in style: https://t.co/GhPzVuaiZE pic.twitter.com/xCoCTF0vbI

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 19, 2018

And how the Tottenham fans milked it, delighted at the opportunity to celebrate soon after their miserable experience here so recently.

It could have been such a different story had Arsenal taken their early chances as Henrikh Mkhitaryan missed a good headed chance in the opening exchanges.

Aaron Ramsey, recalled to the starting line up, then tried his luck from distance after a neat one-two with Alex Iwobi and fired a dipping right foot drive that whistled narrowly past Paulo Gazzaniga’s left post.

Alli had an opportunity to head Tottenham in front but was off balance and out of position when he tried to nod in a Kieran Trippier cross.

Mkhitaryan was through with only the Tottenham keeper to beat in the next attack but wastefully shot too close to the Argentine shotstopper, who plays ahead of Hugo Lloris in this competition.

The Armenian’s shot was a really poor attempt from such a great position and served only to lift the visiting supporters and their team.

It looked like it would prove to be a costly miss as Tottenham were matching Arsenal in intensity last night, unlike when they were brushed aside in the league.

And Arsenal’s season-long defensive weakness surfaced again soon after when Son shot Pochettino’s fired up side into a 21st minute lead.

Centre back Sokratis slipped as he moved to clear Gazzaniga’s long goal-kick and Alli took full advantage by sending the perfect through ball to Son, who showed Mkhitaryan how it’s done with a neatly clipped shot past the advancing Petr Cech.

With only Alex Lacazette an obvious attacking option for Emery on the bench, having decided to omit Mesut Ozil, the Spaniard was in the novel position of having to rely on his starting line-up to dig him out of a losing position again.

Not that Ozil had been missed much when he was dropped or injured in Arsenal’s 22-match unbeaten run which ended, with him on the pitch as a substitute, at Southampton on Sunday.

But at least Pochettino had the likes of Erik Lamela and Harry Kane to bring on if Arsenal found a way back into the tie.Kane has not started a League Cup tie in over three years, since Arsenal knocked them out of the cup in September 2015, and his full powers were on hold again last night with a weekend trip to Everton adjudged more important.

And it was their keeper who Tottenham had to thank for keeping them in front going into half-time when Ramsey ended a sustained spell of Arsenal pressure with a flying volley which Gazzaniga tipped on to a post with little more than a fingernail.

Sokratis headed wide with a great chance from a corner moments later and Tottenham were glad to hear the half-time whistle blow. Maybe Emery would just have to ask for more of the same from his men to get back into it?

The only switch he made at the break was to replace Mkhitaryan with central defender Laurent Koscielny and a sustained spell of Arsenal attack followed. But there were few chances and Arsenal always looked vulnerable on the break, no more so than when Pochettino replaced the hard-working Lucas Moura with Harry Kane.

The England striker’s first touch was to send Alli clear to kill off the clash with a chip over Cech’s head of the highest quality.

No wonder Tottenham supporters behind the goal celebrated as if they had already won the cup — it was a goal worthy of any big occasion.

Emery had sent on Lacazette for Iwobi at the same time and the French striker’s first input was to shoot against a post.

Arsenal were finished and the match ended with a series of ill-tempered challenges from both sets of players.

Afterwards Emery said leaving Ozil out was “tactical decision and I thought the players I selected would get the result for us. He was at the match.

Every player is important. I decided he didn’t play and it was tactical.

Pochettino now has a chance of signing off as Tottenham manager with his first trophy and make amends for Tottenham’s defeat in the final of this competition three years ago. Not that he showed much signs of leaving when he stayed on the pitch long after the whistle to salute fans deliriously chanting his name.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech 5; Maitland-Niles 6, Sokratis 5, Xhaka 5, Monreal 6; Torreira 5, Guendouzi 6 (Nketiah 65, 5); Mkhitaryan 6 (Koscielny 45, 6), Ramsey 5, Iwobi 5 (Lacazette 58, 5); Aubameyang 5.

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Trippier, Alderweireld, Davies, Rose;Winks, Sissoko’ Eriksen, Alli, Lucas; Son 7 (Lamela 88, 6).

Ref: Jon Moss 5

Att: 59,016