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Young Guns cruise past rivals to taste cup glory
‘They deserve to play in Cardiff’ says manager Wenger
Carling Cup Semi-Final
Second Leg
Arsenal 3
Spurs 1
Arsenal win 5-3 on agg
ARSENE Wenger’s young guns dumped Spurs out of the Carling Cup last night (Wednesday) – running out 3-1 winners at the Emirates Stadium after extra-time.
Goals from Emmanuel Adebayor, Jeremie Aliadiere and an own-goal from Pascal Chimbonda mean the Gunners will travel to Cardiff on February 25 to take on Chelsea in the final.
Sorry Spurs miss out on a gauranteed Uefa Cup place after crashing to another defeat against their north London rivals.
Wenger stood by the inexperienced side that thrashed Liverpool at Anfield in the previous round, and that bravley fought back in the first leg at White Hart Lane from two-goals down.
Aliadiere partnered Adebayor up front and teenagers Justin Hoyte, Theo Walcott, Armand Traore and Denilson all started the game.
Arsene Wenger said after the match: “This is the best crop that I have ever worked with, and they all deserve to play in the final.”
The manager saluted their mental strength and it was a sense of belief that separated the two sides at the sound of the final whistle.
The Gunners started brightly, but a determined Tottenham side weathered the early storm.
An eventful first half passed with five booking and few clear-cut chances.
Tomas Rosicky came on for Walcott in the second half and spurred Arsenal forward with a new sense of urgency.
The midfield dynamo passed to Adebayor on 77 minutes, and the Togo striker coolly slotted the ball past Spurs keeper Paul Robinson to give the Gunner the lead.
The celebrations were short lived as Mido headed Spurs level to send the game into extra-time.
A defensive error allowed Arsenal to score their second as Aliadiere latched onto a slip from Rocha to blast into the corner at the end of the first extra period.
And Rosicky helped wrap up a deserved win when his superb run and shot bounced off the post and in-off Chimbonda in the final minutes of the match.
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