Spurs 4-0 Newcastle

A superb all-round performance saw us book our place in the last four of the Capital One Cup with a four-goal salvo to see off Newcastle United at the Lane on Wednesday evening.

We will now face Sheffield United in the two-legged semi-final next month after the draw was made following the conclusion of Wednesday's quarter-finals.

Key action

Nabil Bentaleb set us on our way against the Magpies, scoring his first Spurs goal on his 34th appearance in the 18th minute, before we added three goals in the second half. Nacer Chadli struck within a minute of the restart to double our lead, Harry Kane scored his 13th of the season in the 63rd minute and Roberto Soldado rounded off the scoring seconds after coming on as a substitute.

It took just three minutes for the game to spark into life, Michel Vorm out quickly to smother the ball from Emmanuel Riviere after Moussa Sissoko’s through ball, while four minutes later Benji Stambouli’s 25-yard drive deflected off the back of Mike Williamson, prompting the ball to dip fiercely, but it just cleared the crossbar.

Andros Townsend then sent a pass down the left side of the area for Chadli, who drilled a shot straight at Jak Alnwick, and just a minute later Danny Rose clipped over a deep cross but it was just too far for Kane and he couldn’t get a decent connection on the ball.

The visitors were certainly playing their part in a lively opening and attacked with real menace when in possession, particularly through Sissoko. He was close to firing the Magpies ahead on 15 minutes but Vorm parried his 20-yard drive away to safety.

Three minutes later and we went ahead, courtesy of a dreadful error from Alnwick. The goalkeeper, brother of our former stopper Ben, spilled a Christian Eriksen corner with no-one anywhere near him and Bentaleb poked out a foot to prod the ball looping into the back of the net.

Newcastle responded well to the setback though, Riviere heading wide when unmarked from Yoan Gouffran’s cross – although he was offside so it wouldn’t have counted – while that man Sissoko again tested Vorm moments later, but the Dutch goalkeeper was equal to his effort.

Nine minutes before the break, Gouffran gave the ball away straight to Kane who drove forward, ignored the run of Townsend and fired a right-foot shot which whistled inches past the far post. And shortly after, the in-form striker appeared to be brought down by Fabricio Coloccini close to the byline in the area, but referee Andre Marriner waved away our appeals for a penalty.

The last chance of note in the first half fell to the visitors when Coloccini sent a good ball out to Remy Cabella wide on the left, he delivered a cross which ran through to Gouffran 12 yards out to the left of goal but he fired over the bar.

When the two teams met here in October, we led 1-0 at the break but were hit by a Newcastle equaliser within seconds of the restart, but this time it was us who came flying out of the traps after the interval and doubled our lead after 36 seconds!

Chadli and Eriksen combined down the left, Eriksen fizzed a ball inside to the Belgian on the edge of the area and he ran across the pitch, chased by Williamson, and drilled low into the corner of the net.

Quite how Newcastle didn’t reduce the deficit on 55 minutes was something of a mystery as Ayoze Perez broke clear down the right and raced into the area near the byline, sending a low centre across the face of goal which both Cabella and Riviere got a touch on but neither could divert into the net.

Moments later, Alnwick saved well from a 25-yard Vlad Chiriches drive from the left angle and Paul Dummett diverted a teasing cross over his crossbar, before Massadio Haidara cleared Jan Vertonghen’s header off the line as we stepped up the pressure again.

And that pressure told in the 63rd minute when we added a third. Substitute Mousa Dembele found Townsend on the edge of the area, he touched it on to Kane via a fortunate bounce and the striker did what he does best, finding the back of the net with a left-foot shot.

That was Kane’s last action of the game as he made way for Soldado and within a minute of his introduction, the Spaniard scored. Eriksen again was at the heart of the action, bursting forwards and driving low from 25 yards, Alnwick could only parry it out and there was Soldado to take a touch and tap home.

He almost made it 5-0 on 77 minutes, getting on the end of Rose’s excellent cross but this time Alnwick saved well, while at the other end Newcastle’s teenage striker Adam Armstrong – on as a substitute for Riviere – went close with a 25-yard drive before testing Vorm with a shot from a tight angle, the goalkeeper denying him with a smart save low down. Vorm then made another good stop from Perez’s long-range effort as the visitors attempted to add a consolation goal to the scoreline, but we preserved our clean sheet and marched on to the last four.

Mauricio Pochettino said 

“I’m very pleased with the players and our fans were brilliant. The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic and I’m so happy. I enjoyed it from the bench as well!” beamed Mauricio.

“The key was how we played over the 90 minutes. We played very well over the 90 minutes and we fully deserve to go into the semi-finals.

“We were clinical and that’s important in football. In front of goal we had chances and scored. It was an important game for us and we now need three points against Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.”

Match data

Spurs (4-2-3-1): Vorm, Chiriches, Vertonghen, Fazio, Rose, Stambouli, Bentaleb (Capoue 80), Townsend, Chadli (Dembele 61), Eriksen, Kane (Soldado 69). Substitutes (not used): Lloris, Naughton, Kaboul, Lamela.

Newcastle (4-3-3): Alnwick, Dummett, Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Cabella (Vuckic 80), Colback, Gouffran, Perez, Sissoko (Anita 74), Riviere (Armstrong 60). Substitutes (not used): Woodman, Streete, Satka, Roberts.

Goals: Spurs – Bentaleb 18, Chadli 46, Kane 63, Soldado 70.

Yellow cards: Newcastle - Haidara.

Referee: Andre Marriner.

Attendance: 34,677.