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Beast Baptista leads the way in classic fight back
Wonder start for Tottenham but poor passes gift Arsenal draw
Carling Cup
Semi-Final First Leg
Spurs 2
Arsenal 2
ARSENE Wenger hailed Julio Baptista’s true grit after the Brazilian striker overcame an own-goal blunder to keep Arsenal’s Carling Cup hopes alive at White Hart Lane last night (Wednesday).
The Beast, architect of Liverpool’s humiliating exit in the previous round, looked to be in for a mauling in the first half when he clipped the ball into his own net.
But Baptista kept his head to bag a brace in the second half and put the Gunners in the box seat when Spurs visit the Emirates Stadium next Wednesday.
Arsene Wenger said: “He has shown again tonight what a player he is. He is mentally strong, scoring an own goal but instead of feeling sorry scored two.”
The own goal had put Spurs 2-0 up, the goal coming hot on the heels of Dimitar Berbatov’s headed opening for the home side with just 11 minutes gone.
Spurs dominated a side that was largely the same as the one Wenger fielded at Anfield.
But Spurs threw away their lead in the second period as Wenger brought on Alexander Hleb and Emmanuel Eboue to galvinise his younger charges.
Within minutes of their arrival Baptista has squeezed a shot past Paul Robinson, and with Spurs giving almost every pass away cheaply, another goal was always on the cards.
That was delivered on 77 minutes, Justin Hoyte wiping in a decent cross, which Baptista side footed into an empty net as Robinson flailed in no mans land.
“Its 50/50 now,” said Wenger. “We feel strong at the Emirates and we want to qualify. We are 90 minutes away from the final.”
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