The 2020/21 Carabao Cup semi-finals will bring a tantalizing derby to Manchester, while Tottenham have a huge chance of reaching the final by hosting Brentford in the other game.
In a change from the competition’s usual two-legged affair, the semi-finals will instead be played on one leg in an effort to reduce the already crowded fixture schedule in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Manchester United and Tottenham were drawn as home teams for the matches. Both meetings will take place the week of January 4.
Spurs reached the Carabao Cup semifinals after proving they can do it on a cold Wednesday night in Stoke!#STKTOT pic.twitter.com/kWhZi6ojgz
– 90min (at 90min_Football) December 23 2020
The Manchester derby will be a repeat of last season’s semi-final, with City advancing over two rounds in the 2019/20 campaign and continuing to lift the trophy for the third year at the trot.
Tottenham reserved their place in the last four with a 3-1 win over Stoke on Wednesday night. Gareth Bale had given Spurs a first-half lead with a gaze header after a dominant 45-minute opener, but they were pinned in the second half thanks to a Jordan Thompson half-volley.
But Spurs backed off and confirmed their place in the semifinals thanks to fabulous long-distance training from Ben Davies and a thunderous finish from Harry Kane.
The League Cup is the last piece of silverware Spurs have lifted, after winning the competition in 2008.
Manchester United also confirmed their fourth place on Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory over Everton thanks to late strikes from Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial.
The game at Goodison Park seemed to be going for penalties, before Cavani produced a magnificent individual goal two minutes from time. Martial rounded off the victory with a close-range finish.
Your semi-final matches confirmed! #EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/ORU6MxIT2g
– Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) December 23 2020
Brentford secured their place in the semi-finals of a major Cup competition for the first time in history with a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Tuesday, while defending champions Manchester City progressed to the bottom four for the fourth consecutive season with a convincing result. 4-1 victory over Arsenal.
City have won the competition four times in the past five years.
