On this day 2008, a pulsating performance saw White Hart Lane bouncing as we run riot over our North London rival to book a place in the Carling Cup final.
We got off to the perfect start when Jermaine Jenas angled in a shot to put them 2-1 ahead on aggregate. Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner then headed into his own net before Robbie Keane’s 18-yard shot put Spurs 3-0 up. Aaron Lennon sidefooted in for Spurs before Emmanuel Adebayor grabbed a consolation for Arsenal but Steed Malbranque’s strike completed the 5-1 rout.
We had been left rueing a late Arsenal equaliser in the first leg and we also had the psychological baggage of losing to the Gooners at the same stage 12 months earlier and not having beaten our arch rivals since November 1999.
But, with home advantage and a bouncing White Hart Lane crowd and the Arsenal side having a number of second string players in it (although contained a number of first teamers too), the Lilywhites smelt blood – especially when a Jenas goal after just 3 minutes really got the place going.
Spurs gave Arsenal’s defence no respite with their fluent and attacking football as they took a stranglehold on the match.
The Gunners were also starved of possession in attack and they rarely looked like levelling, due to a mixture of poor play and a determined White Hart Lane side.
Bendtner’s own goal added to the home side’s lead after he headed in as he went up with Michael Dawson to meet a Jenas free-kick.
Arsenal were rattled and on the backfoot and Dimitar Berbatov should have inflicted another bodyblow to the visitors when he was clean through, only to hit the post with his shot.
Jenas poked into the side-netting just before the break but Spurs did not have long to wait for a third.
Lennon’s delightful ball with the outside of his right foot sent Keane through to score with a shot which appeared to catch Fabianski by surprise and one he should have saved.
It got worse for Arsenal when Lennon slotted in on the hour mark as Spurs threatened to run riot.
Adebayor’s 20-yard strike was too late to give Arsenal a way back into the game and their frustration boiled over when Bendtner appeared to argue with his team-mate and goalscorer before exchanging angry words with Gallas.
Malbranque compounded Arsenal’s misery as Juande Ramos secured a place in the Carling Cup final on 24 February in his first season in charge – where he would see his team beat Chelsea 2-1 and secure the club’s first cup victory since 1999.
