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Tottenham Hotspur, who were leading 3-0 and almost saw their advantage slip away, sealed the win against Manchester United with an Olympic goal from Heung-min Son and are now just two games away from breaking a 16-year trophy drought in the League Cup.

Managed by Ange Postecoglou, the Spurs took a crazy game in which they were 3-0 up by the 54th minute, but had to endure some nervous moments due to mistakes from their goalkeeper Fraser Forster, until Son sealed their spot in the semifinals with a corner kick goal.

After beating Manchester City last weekend in Rúben Amorim's best win since arriving at United, the Red Devils came face-to-face with a brace from Solanke—first capitalizing on a poor clearance by Altay Bayindir, then leaving Lisandro Martínez behind, and a goal from Dejan Kulusevski, who scored from a poor clearance by the Argentine, practically sending them out of the cup.

But from the 60th minute on, it became the Forster show, as he gifted two goals in under ten minutes. First, trying to play the ball out, he handed it straight to Bruno Fernandes, who provided the assist for Joshua Zirkzee to pull one back.

There was still plenty of time, and Forster added more tension to the Spurs' nerves with another inexplicable mistake. He took forever to clear the ball, Amad Diallo closed in on him, the ball hit him, and it went straight into the net.

Out of nowhere, a United side that had been totally outplayed was suddenly alive again, and Tottenham was on edge. The Red Devils had a few chances, though none were too clear-cut, but Son, from a corner kick where Bayindir asked for a foul on Lucas Bergvall during the jump, scored the Olympic goal that sealed the game.

In the final moments, on a corner kick, Johnny Evans pulled one back, but there was no time for a miraculous comeback that would have kept United alive, the last time they won this competition was in 2023 against Newcastle United. Tottenham continues to hope they can win a trophy 16 years after their League Cup win under Juande Ramos back in 2008.

Spurs scored five goals in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time, with James Maddison setting the tone by scoring inside the first minute, a blow the Saints never recovered from.

Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski briskly added to Spurs' lead, scoring in the 12th and 14th minutes respectively, before Pape Sarr struck soon after against a Southampton defence that was all at sea.

Maddison compounded the hosts' misery by bending in an excellent fifth in the final minute of first-half stoppage-time, as Ange Postecoglou's team began to celebrate a much-needed return to form.

Southampton was more competitive in the second half, Mateus Fernandes finding the net only to be flagged offside, but remains bottom of the Premier League, while Tottenham moves up to 10th, just five points off the top four.

Having won just one of its past six league outings, Tottenham seemed to relish cutting loose on a night when it made history.

Postecoglou's rampant team took full advantage of some generous Southampton defending, and Saints boss Russell Martin, who had disappeared down the tunnel by the time Maddison netted Spurs' fifth, may be feeling hot under the collar.

The humbling defeat marked the end of Martin's Southampton tenure, with the club confirming shortly after full-time that he had been dismissed from his role.

Postecoglou, though, was in a position to hail his side's efforts after a difficult week for him and the club.

Postecoglou, who has been under increased scrutiny after a poor run of form, had stressed the importance of a fast start to his players and was delighted with how they delivered.

"We had 10 first-team players unavailable tonight and for the lads to come out with that much energy was outstanding," he said.

"We had to come out quickly because we knew we were going to get tired. We are asking a lot of our players.

"We've had great opportunities in the last few games early on and if we'd have taken them then you put pressure on the opposition. I said to them before the game, 'Let's be ready, let's have a fast start'.

"You just want the players to feel good and get a reward for their efforts. We can't rest or rotate and you want them to feel good.

Spurs scored five goals in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time, with James Maddison setting the tone by scoring inside the first minute, a blow the Saints never recovered from.

Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski briskly added to Spurs' lead, scoring in the 12th and 14th minutes respectively, before Pape Sarr struck soon after against a Southampton defence that was all at sea.

Maddison compounded the hosts' misery by bending in an excellent fifth in the final minute of first-half stoppage-time, as Ange Postecoglou's team began to celebrate a much-needed return to form.

Southampton was more competitive in the second half, Mateus Fernandes finding the net only to be flagged offside, but remains bottom of the Premier League, while Tottenham moves up to 10th, just five points off the top four.

Having won just one of its past six league outings, Tottenham seemed to relish cutting loose on a night when it made history.

Postecoglou's rampant team took full advantage of some generous Southampton defending, and Saints boss Russell Martin, who had disappeared down the tunnel by the time Maddison netted Spurs' fifth, may be feeling hot under the collar.

Tottenham only had two shots as it eased off in the second half but racked up an xG of 2.62 overall and can take great satisfaction from a significant victory that saw it move back into the top half.

Vicario produced a couple of excellent saves to keep out Manchester City, as Ange Postecoglou's Spurs claimed a stunning 4-0 victory over the champion at the Etihad Stadium.

However, the Italian needed treatment during the first half after colliding with Savinho, and it has now been revealed he played the final hour of the match with an ankle break.

The former Atalanta shot-stopper wrote on social media: "Sometimes football gives you its highs, and sometimes it challenges you in ways you don't expect.

"I played 60 minutes at the Etihad with a broken bone in my ankle, giving absolutely everything I had for the team.

"Unfortunately there was no way around this one. I needed surgery. I'm disappointed I won't be able to help the team for a while."

Tottenham did not put a timescale on Vicario's recovery in a statement of its own, saying: "We can confirm that Guglielmo Vicario has undergone surgery for a fracture of his right ankle.

Vicario needed treatment after a first-half collision in the 4-0 Premier League win at Manchester City on Saturday but was able to finish the game.

The Italian was seen limping as he left the Etihad Stadium, with Spurs confirming a fracture that required an operation.

"We can confirm that Guglielmo Vicario has today undergone surgery for a fracture of his right ankle," said a club statement.

"Guglielmo will be assessed by our medical staff to determine when he can return to training."

Vicario joined Spurs from Empoli in 2023 and has become a key player in Ange Postecoglou's squad.

The future of South Korean footballer Heung-min Son, one of Tottenham Hotspur's most prominent stars, seems to be taking shape. According to reports, the 32-year-old player is set to leave the London club at the end of the season when his contract expires.

The forward, who has played 419 matches for Spurs, scoring 165 goals and providing 87 assists, has recently been linked to other clubs, including Galatasaray. Although Tottenham has an automatic one-year extension option in his contract, it appears both parties have decided not to activate it, allowing the player to explore new challenges in his career.

Son's potential departure marks the end of an era for the English team, where the South Korean player became a key figure thanks to his scoring ability and vision on the field. This move could open the door to his joining another European league or even returning to Asia.

ottenham Hotspur has officially appealed the seven-match ban handed to midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur for making a racially insensitive comment about teammate Heung-min Son. The club described the punishment as "too severe" in a statement issued on Wednesday.

While Tottenham acknowledged Bentancur's guilt, they argued that the length of the suspension was excessive. The Uruguayan player will remain suspended throughout the appeal process, ruling him out of Saturday's clash against Manchester City.

Through the appeal, Spurs aim to reduce the suspension by at least one game, enabling Bentancur to return for the match against Liverpool on December 22.

Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap gave Ipswich a 2-0 lead at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs fell short, despite Rodrigo Bentancur returning a goal in the second half.

It was Tottenham's third defeat in its past five matches across all competitions and leaves Postecoglou's side in 10th place in the Premier League with 16 points from 11 matches.

"It's hugely disappointing. We started slow and passively. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. In the second half, we had chances but didn’t do enough to win the game," the Australian said.

"It's just down to me, I’m not getting consistent performances from the players. It’s something I need to address. I’m the person in charge, so that’s usually the way it goes. I take responsibility.

"It’s very disappointing. Before they scored, we had a couple of chances. We conceded a very sloppy goal that shouldn’t happen, it’s more than disappointing," the Korean said.

It was the fifth straight Premier League home game in which Tottenham had conceded first and proved costly this time around.

Szmodics opened the scoring for the visitors with an acrobatic finish just past the half-hour mark before Delap doubled Ipswich's advantage prior to the interval.

Spurs, who saw a Dominic Solanke goal overturned by VAR for handball early in the second half, handed a lifeline when Rodrigo Bentancur headed in from a corner to cut the deficit in the 69th minute.

Solanke had a great chance to restore parity in stoppage-time, but Arijanet Muric made a fantastic stop as Ipswich held on for a memorable triumph.

"I am so proud. It's been a long time for the club, 22 years since the supporters saw a win in the Premier League. The journey to get to here has been a big one," McKenna said after the game.

"It feels a bit special today. We believe we’ve been improving. We had picked up five out of 10 results but were waiting for the first win to validate the work and improvements. It’s a massive moment, one to cherish.

"The first half, it was everything [you'd want] for a team in our context against Tottenham. There was a good balance. There were moments where we played a good tempo and moments where we slowed it down.

"It was a top half away from home. In the second half we showed good resilience. We didn’t give away too many chances. We defended well and were a threat on the break. A top performance.

"It was really important [to hang on]. If we’d conceded at the end it would have been a big blow. To get one over the line like that we’ve deserved for quite a few weeks. A big boost for everyone.

Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap gave Ipswich a 2-0 lead at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs fell short, despite Rodrigo Bentancur returning a goal in the second half.

It was Tottenham's third defeat in its past five matches across all competitions and leaves Postecoglou's side in 10th place in the Premier League with 16 points from 11 matches.

"It's hugely disappointing. We started slow and passively. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. In the second half, we had chances but didn’t do enough to win the game," the Australian said.

"It's just down to me, I’m not getting consistent performances from the players. It’s something I need to address. I’m the person in charge, so that’s usually the way it goes. I take responsibility.

"It’s very disappointing. Before they scored, we had a couple of chances. We conceded a very sloppy goal that shouldn’t happen, it’s more than disappointing," the Korean said.

It was the fifth straight Premier League home game in which Tottenham had conceded first and proved costly this time around.

Szmodics opened the scoring for the visitors with an acrobatic finish just past the half-hour mark before Delap doubled Ipswich's advantage prior to the interval.

Spurs, who saw a Dominic Solanke goal overturned by VAR for handball early in the second half, handed a lifeline when Rodrigo Bentancur headed in from a corner to cut the deficit in the 69th minute.

Solanke had a great chance to restore parity in stoppage-time, but Arijanet Muric made a fantastic stop as Ipswich held on for a memorable triumph.

"I am so proud. It's been a long time for the club, 22 years since the supporters saw a win in the Premier League. The journey to get to here has been a big one," McKenna said after the game.

"It feels a bit special today. We believe we’ve been improving. We had picked up five out of 10 results but were waiting for the first win to validate the work and improvements. It’s a massive moment, one to cherish.

"The first half, it was everything [you'd want] for a team in our context against Tottenham. There was a good balance. There were moments where we played a good tempo and moments where we slowed it down.

"It was a top half away from home. In the second half we showed good resilience. We didn’t give away too many chances. We defended well and were a threat on the break. A top performance.

"It was really important [to hang on]. If we’d conceded at the end it would have been a big blow. To get one over the line like that we’ve deserved for quite a few weeks. A big boost for everyone.

Timo Werner and Pape Sarr were both on target in the first half, with Matheus Nunes reducing the deficit on the stroke of half-time.

Spurs held on against a much-rotated City side, which suffered its first defeat of the season after a 2-1 reverse in north London.

Tottenham disappointed in a 1-0 loss away to Crystal Palace in the Premier League before this win, though Postecoglou was delighted with his side's response.

"It's a cup tie played against a formidable opponent, I thought we did well for the most part," he said. "We didn't allow too many clear-cut chances. We could have put the game away, but City are always going to push you.

"It's an ever-evolving process, this team is growing all the time, but when you have growth you are going to stumble.

"As disappointed as we were on Sunday I had great belief we could come out today and put up a great show.

"Both our goals were quality goals, they have to be as City don't give easy chances."

Spurs had been eliminated in its last three Carabao Cup ties against fellow Premier League sides, going out to Chelsea in 2021-22, Nottingham Forest in 2022-23 and Fulham in 2023-24.

Werner eased any nerves after just five minutes, however, with his close-range finish easing the mounting pressure on the former Chelsea forward.

"Great for Timo. He is going through a tough time, but the build-up play was great," Postecoglou said. "It should lift him, we are supporting him, but it is down to him and his approach to things.

"He was unlucky to not get one or two more, if attacking players don't score they feel anxiety a bit."

Postecoglou hammered his side after its collapse at the start of October in a 3-2 defeat to Brighton, and similar criticism came after after a defeat to Palace last time out.

"I don't believe in big moments or catastrophic moments - we are the same team that we were three days ago. Hopefully, we have more good days ahead of us," he said.