Spurs manager Maurico Pochettino: 'I am happy for the players. We needed a victory to give us a lift after Sunday'

Published: 29 October, 2014
by DAN CARRIER at White Hart Lane

Capital One Cup Round Four
SPURS 2, BRIGHTON 0

ERIK Lamela broke Brighton hearts tonight (Wednesday) when the half-time substitute scored the goal that set his team on their way to a Capital One Cup quarter-final tie against Newcastle United.

Lamela, who replaced Aaron Lennon at the break, swept home Tottenham's opener against the visitors from the Championship and the game was made safe 15 minutes later by Harry Kane.  

Speaking after the game, Spurs manager Maurico Pochettino said the result helped put Sunday's league defeat to Newcastle out of the players' minds.  

He said: “It was a good performance. We played well and created chances. I am happy for the players. We needed a victory to give us a lift after Sunday.”

The opening 45 saw Spurs have plenty of the ball but after a bright start, where it felt like one goal would lead to a cascade, Brighton got the measure of the Spurs attacks. As so often has been the case at the Lane this season, Spurs began to run out of ideas and found it difficult to pick a way through deep-defending opponents. Brighton goalkeeper Christian Walton was finally tested by Kane and then Roberto Soldado, but he did enough on both occasions and Brighton survived.  

At the other end, Brighton had one moment of note. On 27 minutes, a speculative cross struck Kyle Naughton on the arm. Luckily for Spurs, referee Mark Clattenburg missed it. It looked a penalty.

On 53, the deadlock was finally broken. Soldado worked a neat one-two with Lamela, and the Argentine winger finished with his right boot. Soldado nearly doubled Tottenham's lead on 60 when Andros Townsend sent him clear, but the unfortunate Spanish forward struck the crossbar with a thundering effort.

As Brighton tired, Spurs found chances easier to come by and on 74 Spurs grabbed a second through a close-range Kane effort. 

Now Pochettino has the chance to avenge last Sunday's 1-0 defeat against Newcastle – and book a cup semi-final by doing so.  

SPURS: Vorm, Vertonghen, Lennon (Lamela, 45), Soldado, Naughton, Townsend, Kane (Paulinho, 83), Dembele, Fazio, Stambouli, Davies.

SPURS COMMENT by Dan Carrier  

IT has been a pretty miserable 15 months for Roberto Soldado. He has had few chances to really impose himself in the Premier League, and has suffered in a lone-striker system. It looks obvious that he needs a partner. But tonight, with Harry Kane next to him, the forward showed what a canny operator he is. He was at the heart of all the best Tottenham had to offer, and surely, with Emmanuel Adebayor hardly setting the world alight, a Soldado and Kane combination is due a run out in the first team.