‘Biggest game yet? Yes, I think so’ - Jose on Brentford
Mon 04 January 2021, 18:42|
Tottenham Hotspur
Opportunity knocks for the players on Tuesday evening - and Jose Mourinho feels this is an opportunity we must not let slip.
We take on Championship high-fliers Brentford in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (7.45pm). It’s a one-off tie that will go to extra time and penalties if required, with either Manchester City or United waiting for the winners in the final at Wembley on 25 April.
Brentford agonisingly missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season with defeat against Fulham in the play-off final. They then lost their top-scorer (Ollie Watkins, 26 goals, to Villa) and playmaker (Said Benrahma, to West Ham), but are knocking on the door again (fourth after three defeats in their first 23 games) having snapped up League One’s top scorer Ivan Toney (24 for Peterborough United in 2019/20), who is now top scorer in the Championship (16 goals).
They’ve also knocked out Southampton, West Brom, Fulham and Newcastle in this run to the last four.
Jose said: “Teams in the Championship would go to any league in the world and be a Premier League team in every country... high quality of coaches, of players, of organisations, the level of the clubs, amazing. Brentford is a very good team with lots of good players, a great coach (Thomas Frank) and philosophy, who knows what he wants.
“It’s a big match for us. If the final was in February it would be an even bigger motivation for the boys, but to play a semi-final at home with the chance to put it in the pocket and wait for that final until 25 April, it would be magnificent for us. It’s an opportunity that we have to realise we cannot lose, it’s one match at home and we have to win it.”
Asked if it was his biggest game so far at Spurs, Jose replied: “Yes, I think so. In the perspective of the club chasing silverware for many years, I would say so, of course.
“We always have important matches. Last season, we had the match at Palace that could give us a yes or no for participation in this season’s Europa League. The game against Leeds was very important because we came from a few without victories in the Premier League. But I would say that a semi-final is always an important match. There is only one more important than semi-finals - finals.
“If we win two matches, we win the trophy, two difficult matches, of course, but if we win two matches, we win the trophy and that would be a very good thing for the club and the players.”
