Manchester Utd 2 Tottenham 1:Alex Ferguson's side remain on track for an unprecedented quadruple after squeezing past Tottenham at Old Trafford to reach the last 16 of the FA Cup.
Paul Scholes and former Spurs favourite Dimitar Berbatov struck within a minute of each other to overturn Roman Pavyluckenko’s early opener for the Londoners.
Berbatov will be particularly pleased with his goal given the brilliance of what turned out to be the matchwinner, although for Tottenham the true test of the week will come against Stoke on Tuesday while Ferguson’s team tackle West Brom with Fabio and Danny Welbeck new doubts.
Injury concerns are relative. If Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was offered the opportunity of having the team Ferguson put out as his first-choice line-up, he would doubtless accept it without a second thought.
For United, it represented the best they could manage with 10 senior players missing, which just emphasised the folly of the Spurs board in believing theirs should be a top four team.
As Burnley had overturned a three-goal deficit to come within a couple of minutes of reaching the Carling Cup final at Tottenham’s expense on Wednesday, it was hardly a surprise United should find acres of space in which to exhibit their skills.
Youngsters Fabio, on his debut, and Welbeck both impressed, while Carlos Tevez buzzed about in his usual enthusiastic style and Berbatov, so hated by the visiting fans, seemed to have all the time in the world, when as Tottenham know only too well, he needs very little.
Still, when Nemanja Vidic got himself in a muddle and allowed Pavlyuchenko to give him the slip and turn home a deft header, United must have been slightly concerned.
The trouble for Redknapp was his side still had 85 minutes to hold out.
Having survived a quarter-final pummelling to emerge victorious with eventual tournament winners Portsmouth on the same ground last term, he knew it could be done. But his present team are a pale shadow of the side he left on the south coast.
As the chances piled up, it was beyond imagination that Tottenham could survive. How cruel though that one of their old boys should wreak the havoc.
Michael Carrick’s move north from White Hart Lane created none of the animosity Berbatov’s did. In the same quiet way, Carrick has gone on to become one of the most influential members of Ferguson’s squad.
When he spotted Scholes lurking with menace on the edge of the box, he coolly rolled a corner into the veteran’s path. The shot was pretty fierce and once it had flicked off Tom Huddlestone, Ben Alnwick did not have a hope of keeping it out.
A minute later Carrick floated a pass over the Spurs defence. Berbatov’s first-time control was awesome. His second touch was a precise shot into the bottom corner that again left Alnwick flailing.
In the blink of an eye, or two Carrick passes, the tie had been transformed. Not though United’s injury woes as Fabio collapsed in agony in the early moments of the second period after he had landed awkwardly following an aerial duel with Spurs substitute Giovani dos Santos.
The young Brazilian hobbled off, almost certainly making it an entire team Ferguson will be missing at West Brom on Tuesday.
Fabio’s replacement, Richard Eckersley, is a virtual mini-Scholes with his ginger hair. They were both born in Salford too.
United’s next substitution heralded the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo, who headed straight for the dressing room after wishing Zoran Tosic the best of luck on his debut.
At the same time, Redknapp made the slightly odd decision to replace David Bentley, a player who at least possessed the confidence to shoot from distance, with Jermain Defoe.
Welbeck joined United’s walking wounded late on and a late penalty shout was the best Spurs could muster.
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