I will say it is luck as the usually reliable Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech messed up the clearance from Tottenhams’ free kick. He punched the ball to Woodgate which happened to rebound strongly off his head into the net. Woodgate said of his first goal in two years: “I don’t believe it. I don’t usually go up for corners but I just managed to get my head to it.”

Nevertheless, it was a thoroughly deserved victory as Spurs are by far, the more enterprising team. Juande Ramos, only four months after arriving from Sevilla, has shown once again that Tottenham can take the game to any opponent and achieve results. A stark reminder is the 5-1 demolition of their arch rival, Arsenal, en-route to this match.

I am struck by the scenes of wild celebrations: the free-flowing champagne, the gleaming Carling Cup reflecting the unbridled joy and pride of the players. Without doubt, a fire has been lighted in their bellies. Tottenham are ready to set their sights higher and look forward to greater things.

Who can blame them? It has been a long time since Tottenham won anything meaningful… the League Cup is their first silverware in nine years. Jonathan Woodgate’s decision to snub Kevin Keegan and opt for Spurs is turning out to be a smart career decision. Ramos, the King of Cups or Keegan, the also-ran? It was a no-brainer once Woodgate professed his desire “to win trophies.”

Speaking of kings, there is yet another who deserves special mention. He is none other than Ledley King, the captain of Tottenham. He battled bravely through the dark days of rehabilitation from a knee surgery. Frustration and vicious speculation about his early retirement abound but he rose from the ashes to prove all his critics wrong.

His assured manner in marshaling the defense was a key reason for the credible performance of Paul Robinson. Robinson now has a chance to get back into the good books of Ramos after dealing effectively with the menacing Drogba and Anelka.

Compared to Avram Grant’s crestfallen and befuddled look, Ramos was calm and in control throughout the match. It is a great folly to underestimate the impact of a shrewd and steady hand when the odds are stacked against the team. Ramos did not disappoint as he made the right substitutions and tweaked the formation to achieve a more incisive attack.

Spurs will now turn their attention to the Uefa Cup after moving into the round of 16 and will meet PSV Enidhoven next month. If Ramos succeeds again, this will be his third consecutive Uefa Cup titles, having already won it in 2006 and 2007 with Sevilla. His track record qualifies him as a winner and to those who question his hefty pay package, I say it is money well spent.

I am constantly amazed at the transformation Ramos has brought to the team in such a short period of time. On the pitch, it is still the same players but several months ago, they were languishing at the bottom and a firm candidate among punters for the drop.

That is not slighting Martin Jol’s achievements, he did his best during his stint by guiding Spurs to the brink of Champions League qualification. A prevalent loss in self-belief proved to his undoing and he did not know how to extricate the team from the slump.

When Ramos came in, he implemented a new work ethic, a strict dietary plan and extended training sessions. The result is a lean, mean, sharp and confident Spurs. The players learned about Ramos tactical methods and were disciplined in keeping to their roles in battle. While they lacked the mental edge in the past, even during Jol’s successful years, they now possess the killer instinct. Just ask Arsene Wenger.

The board has given Ramos a war chest of 40 million pounds to turn Spurs into Premier League title contenders. His attack is already among the best in the league and he should do his best to retain Berbatov. I trust Berbatov is less edgy about moving on now that he has tasted success. To join other elite clubs will not guarantee him a first team spot while lesser teams do not fulfill his ambitions.

It is likely Ramos will add in wingers as that has been his trademark emphasis since his Sevilla days. Goalkeepers will also be another crucial area to consider as Robinson is destined to be shipped out once a suitable offer comes along or reduced to a secondary role after this season.

I will give Robinson some credit for his heroics in the Carling Cup victory but when Tottenham aim to do well in the Champions League and EPL, the manager cannot be sweating over a safe pair of hands every now and then. The defense also need some shoring up as Woodgate is too injury prone to last the rigors of the entire season. It will be a busy summer in the transfer market for Tottenham and the fans can expect a tighter Premier League race next season.

Only eight Premier League sides are still left for the FA Cup fifth round. It could be whittled down to six after the Manchester United-Tottenham Hotspur tie and if Manchester City lose at Sheffield United on Sunday.

Havant, who included a refuse collector, a trainee taxi driver, a teacher and security officer in their squad, normally play in front of about 600 fans. This time round, despite playing in front of 42-000 fans and a worldwide audience, and clashing with an opponent who has been crowned seven-times FA Cup winners, Havant showed no stage fright.

The Conference South part-timers, who were ranked six divisions and 123 places below Liverpool in English football league hierarchy, were up for the challenge; if not for a hat-trick by midfielder Yossi Benayoun, we will have witnessed the biggest upset in the FA Cup’s 137-year history.

Havant fired the first salvo when Richard Pacquette, who once played in the same Queens Park Rangers youth team as Liverpool’s striker Peter Crouch, put the visitors ahead after eight minutes.

It took Liverpool until the 27th minute to equalize as Brazilian Lucas scored with a 30-meter shot but the Anfield faithfuls were stunned for a second time when Alfie Potter’s shot was deflected into the net by defender Martin Skrtel.

Yossi Benayoun claimed Liverpool’s second equalizer a minute before half-time and he went on to complete a 15-minute hat-trick by producing a well-taken shot on the turn after 56th minute. Peter Crouch put the icing on the cake with a late fifth goal.

Havant and Waterlooville bowed out of the FA Cup as heroes, to the sound of an Anfield ovation. They can hang their heads up in defeat as this is a notable achievement worth savoring.

Havant manager Shaun Gale said he was a proud man. “You have dreams and beliefs and we came here today and thought we might get something. We knew the enormity of the task but to be twice in front at Anfield, not too many teams have done that,” he told Sky Sports News.

“My lads have been magnificent today and I am proud of them. It has been a fairytale. It will be a long time before anyone else does anything like this.”

Liverpool has escaped from the jaws of defeat yet again but they are in an unenviable position. In fact, if we compare them to where Leeds were in 2002, there were glaring similarities. Both needed the sanctuary of a fourth spot in the Premier League and Champions League qualification.

David O’Leary led his team to the top of the table at the turn of the new year but didn’t win again until March. They crashed out of a top four and only a late recovery salvaged a Uefa Cup spot. That summer, David was sacked by chairman, Peter Risdale and key players were put on the transfer market. They were eventually relegated in 2004 and a former footballing power has languished in mediocrity since.

Will Liverpool suffer the same fate? I hope not but they are getting near. On the pitch, the players cannot help but feel demoralized as they do not know if their manager will be around the next game.

Before the Havant victory, they have only won just 10 of 18 of its home game this season in all competitions. One win in its last six matches and five wins in its last 11 overall have tested the patience of the Anfield fans. Even if the owners give Rafael Benitez a vote of confidence, there is no guarantee of them getting past Everton, Aston Villa or Manchester City, all of which have reached a consistency and top form.

Financially, the outlook is equally bleak. At a time of worldwide financial crunch, taking on a huge loan is a risky business. News of recession and interest rate hikes will set them back further than not qualifying for the Champions League.

I know Liverpool fans yearn for the good old days of Bill Shankly when football was so simple. Focus on the fundamentals and not to whore itself in front of a sugar daddy, in the hopes that his wealth can be exchanged for glory.

This is the price and heavy lesson for one of the finest football clubs to pick up, even if it meant a humiliating trip down to Division One, if the club has to liquidate its best assets when the banks come calling.

The fact that an electrifying atmosphere hangs over the jam-packed stadium (a phenomenon not usually seen in this “useless” competition), could have given an indication of things to come. Tottenham players knew what the fans are clamoring for and duly responded with a resounding victory.

Some Tottenham fans will prefer to attribute the flattering scoreline to skills and desire (indeed, Spurs were more hungry, compact and cohesive) but I do not want to discount the element of luck. Tottenham manager Juande Ramos, as well as Martin Jol, have come close to achieving victories in the past but were always denied by late recovery from Arsenal.

The game plan Ramos devised was simple enough. Do not accord Arsenal players too much time and space on the ball. Harry them into losing possession or making skew passes. Invite Arsenal to attack and then launch swift counter-attack. It worked to a tee.

When Jermaine Jenas collected Dimitar Berbatov’s pass 30 yards out and surged towards goal, it appeared harmless enough as a mass of defenders were in his way and he is not known for possessing enough guile to pass through them. What we do know is his ability to shoot from distance.

It took everybody by surprise as Jenas’s acceleration and control took him past four players and into the penalty area, where he fired a low drive past Lukasz Fabianksi off the far post. To get an early goal from Jenas settled the nerves but to race to a two goal lead in the first half hour proved critical.

When the second goal came in the 27th minute, it smacks of sheer luck but Ramos’s side deserved it. Jenas swung in a free-kick from the left and Bendtner, rising above Michael Dawson to clear the danger , succeeded only in heading into his own net.

Spurs were playing with the kind of fluid movement that Arsenal has made it their own. Tottenham had another gilt-edged chance earlier for a second goal when Keane powered past William Gallas before Justin Hoyte came to the rescue.

It was not Arsenal’s day as yet another player reported to their treatment room. Denilson’s injury midway through the first half forced Wenger to send on Cesc Fabregas, a substitution which he would have preferred not to use for this match. But the Spanish dynamo could not lift Arsenal’s gloom nor halt Tottenham’s momentum.

Berbatov wasted a chance to add a third when he took Jenas’s clever chested pass and sprinted away, but the Bulgarian’s shot hit the post. That near-miss briefly sparked an off-color Arsenal to life. Bacary Sagna forced Radek Cerny into action for the first time with a header that the Spurs keeper tipped over.

It wasn’t enough to for Arsenal to stamp their authority though as Spurs struck with a classic counter-attack in the 48th minute. Lennon’s lofted pass floated past Hoyte out of and gave Keane the chance to drive in a low shot that Fabianski let slip through his grasp into the far corner.

Adebayor reduced the deficit with a superb strike in the 70th minute. But Arsenal’s frustrations were clear when the Togo striker clashed heads with Bendtner. The party was not over for Spurs yet as a tap-in from Malbranque capped a magnificent night for Ramos’s team.

Wenger said: “They defended like mad and caught us on the break. I don’t give too much importance to the competition frankly. The score was very high and brutal but does not reflect what I saw on the pitch.” He also added that he did not see the Adebayor incident… must be selective blindness again.

Tottenham have now clinched a first cup final appearance for six years against Everton or Chelsea, the victor will be decided on Wednesday. Ramos said: “To get to Wembley is a fantastic achievement, especially for the fans. It is a long time since they have tasted a final and that makes it more satisfying.”

The trip to Wembley is proof of the progress Ramos has made since taking over in October but it pales in comparison to the significance of destroying their arch-rival. This is something which Martin Jol, despite bringing Tottenham to giddying heights for two consecutive seasons, never manage to achieve. Ramos still need to deliver trophies but for now, most Spurs fans will concur with his appointment.

Did Arsenal underestimate Tottenham? I feel that Wenger has brought it upon himself by not giving enough respect to this competition and fielding a below-strength team which Spurs took full advantage of to record their biggest derby win for 25 years.

Arsenal had scrapped through at the Emirates Stadium two weeks ago by forcing a 1-1 draw in the first leg so I had actually expected Wenger to field a strong team and put Tottenham in their place but obviously, he has other considerations and this competition is too low a priority for him to expend his best resources.

It will be the FA Cup fourth round next. I don’t think Arsenal will suffer a second straight defeat against Newcastle. The Geordies are still finding their feet and not in the right frame of mind to take the game to Arsenal, the track record also shows that Arsenal usually bounce back strongly after a poor result, so Kevin Keegan better tighten his defense to prevent a humiliating backlash.

If we were to look at Tottenham’s record in Arsenal’s territory, it gets even more pitiful. For 15 good years, they were unable to conquer the Gunners even once. It begs the question, what must Tottenham do to defeat Arsenal? Not for the first time, they played well, led for the better part of the game but only to squander it at the end.

Arsenal started off the match on the right tone as they controlled the tempo while Tottenham rarely ventured forward. Their passing was fine but the front line lacked punch. For all their possession, the only serious attempt on goal came from Nicklas Bendtner’s powerful 14th-minute header, which keeper Cerny bravely saved.

As the game progressed, Spurs stood up to the onslaught and asserted themselves. Steed Malbranque wasted an excellent chance to give them the lead after 32 minutes, firing wide with only goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to beat.

A minute later, Malbranque headed wide under pressure and Dimitar Berbatov (continuing his recent scintillating form) forced Fabianski into a fine save with a long-range shot. Spurs were rewarded for their enterprising play when Jermaine Jenas put them ahead by tapping in Robbie Keane’s square pass in the 37th minute. There was a slight suspicion of offside but the goal stood.

Keane had a chance to double Spurs’ lead but shot wide early in the second half. Jermain Defoe, who came on as a late substitute, went close to winning it for the visitors only to fire high and wide. Ramos is prepared to let Defoe leave and based on this performance, even if it was only for a few minutes, I believe there will be no shortage of suitors.

Arsenal manager Wenger was forced to make some changes at half time as Eduardo replaced an injured Robin van Persie and his team benefited from a renewed impetus in attack. Eduardo, like Berbatov, enjoys being the creative spark and has an impressive run of late. His clever through ball found Walcott and while Spurs defender Lee Young-pyo made a timely tackle which seems to have snuffed out the effort, the ball took a wicked bounce off him and Walcott duly chested it into the net.

This is a weird deflection and has nothing to do with Walcott’s brilliance (the footballing gods are blessing Arsenal). The hapless Cerny must have been so engrossed with the action before him that he stood rooted while the ball flew past him.

Speaking about Cerny, he has now upgraded himself in the pecking order. And while this performance is barely satisfactory, at least it ends in a draw and until such time when the nightmarish memories of Paul Robinson’s errors are erased from Juande Ramos mind, Cerny should be featuring in Tottenham’s lineup.

Robinson had already lost his England place this season and Ramos was non-committal about whether Robinson was still his No.1 choice. He said: “Robinson is a good goalkeeper which he has demonstrated with his career so far. But I choose who I think is best for each match. It was the same decision as Stalteri, Boateng and all the players who are on the bench.”

Before Arsenal’s equalizer, Tottenham were 11 minutes to ending their barren spell and under the circumstances in which they earned the draw, Wenger had no complaints.

He said: “I believe it is a good result considering Tottenham created more chances. We had to be resilient and didn’t give in. In two weeks it can change completely. I feel we are in a good position to make it.”

Wenger may be confident of eliminating Tottenham in the Carling Cup. After all, Arsenal knocked Spurs out at the same stage of the competition last year and there is little reason why they cannot repeat the feat.

However, he may not be so confident of their Premier League title challenge with an injury crisis to resolve. The match left him counting his walking wounded after Robin van Persie, Philippe Senderos, Johan Djourou and Theo Walcott were all injured.

Van Persie was forced off at half-time after suffering a thigh problem. The Dutch striker had been plagued by a knee injury since October and Wenger will be waiting nervously for an exact diagnosis.

Even more worrying for Wenger are Senderos’s knee ligament problem and Djourou’s groin strain. With Kolo Toure, Alex Song and Emmanuel Eboue on African Nations Cup duty, Wenger is short of defensive options as the title race hots up.

If Senderos and Djourou don’t recover in time for Saturday’s home game against Birmingham, the league leaders will be left with William Gallas as his only fit centre-back.

He said: “We had no injuries before the game started but now we have lost three players and we have three at the African Nations Cup. That is very difficult for us. We have problems with the central defence. Who will play against Birmingham? Me!”

With the transfer window open and Arsenal reporting record profits, the funds are available to purchase the necessary talents to shore up his defense but at this point of time, Wenger is likely to be held at ransom and forced to spend more than he normally would.

Or if he persists with financial prudence, he could promote more players from his youth team into the senior squad. Since Arsenal will not be clashing with the top guns any time soon, he should be able to steer the team out of the crisis by then.

I believe Wenger will field a strong team in the return match instead of relying mostly on the reserves. He knows his team are riding their luck and Totteham deserved more than a draw. Luck can be unpredictable and the day will come when the mighty shall fall.

Under Ramos, Tottenham have played two games at the Emirates Stadium and they are getting closer to a victory each time. Maybe for the next 90 minutes, they should treat Arsenal as an ordinary opponent and not accord special meaning to the derby. Play badly and kill off the match with a freak goal, that should do the trick of getting the much needed victory.

Shaun Wright-Phillips was the toast of the day as Chelsea overcame the dismissal of John Obi Mikel to snatch an injury-time winner. The Blues led with a first-half goal by Wright-Phillips who whipped in a beautiful right-footed shot in off the post. Florent Malouda supplied the assist and it must be heartening to Avram Grant that he showed little sign of rustiness from a two month injury absence.

The sending off blight happened in the 55th minute when Obi Mikel made a studs-up challenge on Phil Neville. It was a correct decision by the referee as this is a career threatening tackle. Obi has to watch out as his disciplinary record (four red cards in 18 months) is raising eyebrows, and the dismissal did Chelsea no favors as they scrambled to re-organize in the face of mounting pressure from Everton.

Indeed, their fortress was breached nine minutes later as Everton hit back to equalize through Ayegbeni Yakubu and maintained their hopes of reaching the final for the first time in 24 years.

Everton manager David Moyes was pleased with the way his side matched Chelsea in the second half and relishes the return match at Goodison Park. He said: “We know we will have the advantage of the crowd behind us but basically we are still playing a really good team. I’ve been waiting for games like this at Goodison since I arrived; a cup semi-final second leg.”

However, Chelsea, despite fighting with ten men, had the presence of mind to snatch a dramatic 2-1 win deep in injury-time. Wright-Phillips was again instrumental as he pressurized Joleon Lescott into heading an own goal. In the dying seconds, Lescott had time to make amends at the other end but was thwarted by the on-rushing Hilario.

Everton, already knocked out of the FA Cup by Oldham Athletic last week, sorely missed the midfield creativity of Mikel Arteta who was suspended and realistic chances were far and few in between. They gained some traction with numerical superiority but still fell to the late assault by Chelsea. It is doubtful if Everton can recover from this deficit as they are lacking the all-important killer instinct.

Avram Grant believes Chelsea’s never-say-die spirit is the key to their third League Cup final in four seasons. The defiant display showed his players are as hungry as before and that is enough to overcome the absence of several leading players through injury, suspension and international duty.

He said: “With the small squad and all the problems, the players deserve credit for the way they played. They showed spirit and character. It’s not easy at Goodison Park but it’s not easy against us either. We have the advantage although it does not guarantee anything. If we play like this, we have a good chance.”

Grant is also relieved to see Wright-Phillips impress in a variety of roles in front of new England coach Fabio Capello. “Shaun is in good form,” Grant said. “I think he will be in the next England squad. He started in midfield, then on the right wing and then as a striker. He got used to it very quickly and that showed he is an intelligent player.”

The hard-to-beat characteristic in Chelsea is still intact, a spillover effect from the Mourinho’s era. However, it is clear that Chelsea is lightweight at the front, even if they looked sharper in this match and had more attacking intent from the start.

Grant made no secret of Chelsea’s deal with Bolton to secure striker Nicolas Anelka before the return leg. The Blues had a 10 million pounds bid for Anelka rejected, but he hinted that an improved offer is on the way.

“We made a bid two days ago because we wanted him for the Everton match. We do not plan to stay with one striker. It is important to do it quickly but this is not my area. I am not negotiating with Bolton,” Grant added.

It will be interesting to see how Anelka and Drogba match up in attack. If they form a telepathic partnership, there is a good chance of Chelsea being the black horse in the Premier League title race.

The Blues progress to a League Cup semi-final meeting with Everton after beating Liverpool 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. It was a flattering score in an intense and spiteful match. Crouch was handed a red-card for a reckless tackle on John Obi Mikel and little separated the two sides until Lampard broke the deadlock. Against a 10-man Liverpool reserve team, Chelsea gained a Pyrrhic victory.

Andriy Shevchenko suffered an ankle injury that could rule him out for Sunday’s trip to Blackburn. To add to the strikers malaise, Claudio Pizarro missed the match with a fever and Florent Malouda wasn’t unable to make his expected return from a knee injury.

With Didier Drogba and John Terry already sidelined, Grant cannot afford to lose any more of his first team players as he tries to close the six-point gap with leaders Arsenal. He must be relieved that Obi remained on the pitch after an ugly two-footed lunge by Peter Crouch.

Things are looking bleak at the moment. On the back of a 16-match unbeaten run and a new 4-year contract, Avram Grant sat for his first major test against Arsenal last week which will allow him to cross the chasm into a world-class manager.

Nobody expected him to slaughter the Gunners and get a distinction, but to match them stride for stride was not beyond this team which he has carried thus far. Unfortunately, he ended a few points short of flunking the test.

To be fair, it was only a 1-0 defeat which came from an uncharacteristic mistake by Petr Cech, but when Grant is benchmarked against Jose Mourinho, his inadequacies were magnified. In the space of three months, Grant lost to the top two teams (away from Stamford Bridge, if that is any consolation).

If Mourinho was in charge of this match, Chelsea will make light of the absence of Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Ricardo Carvalho. Last season, Arsenal took the lead in all three fixtures yet Chelsea managed two draws and one victory. The Blues did not lose to Arsenal during Mourinho’s three years reign, and only lost to Manchester United once.

Avram Grant lost the proud record but more importantly, the characteristics which made Chelsea so hard to beat. Fielding the same players, Chelsea preserved the form but they were void of the key substances – steel and discipline – prevalent in every team Mourinho has managed and achieved honors with.

There is a palpable sense of crisis at Stamford Bridge as Grant grapples with the lack of firepower and a second-rate defense over the Christmas period. He will have to bear the consequences of fueling Chelsea’s title hopes earlier on. Definitely, Grant will strengthen the team in the January transfer window but opening the purse-strings is no guarantee of success right now.

There are few strikers who are not cup-tied for the Champions League, thus it will still be the same old faces (or lack of) which Grant has to contend with in Europe. Moreover, attracting big names to Chelsea is a challenge as many players do not foresee a glittering career under Grant. Chelsea is also over-dependent on senior players with few upstarts breaking through the ranks, unlike Arsenal.

However, the biggest problem plaguing Chelsea stems from their skipper John Terry. Before Mourinho’s departure, he had fiery arguments with Terry for deteriorating performances but Mourinho was packed off before he instituted any changes to the captain’s armband.

Just a year ago, Terry enjoyed a father-son relationship with Mourinho. He gave a new definition to Captain Marvel. Almost a perfect leader, with excellent qualities – reliability, fortitude, positioning, distribution, commanding air presence, and a knack of scoring crucial goals. Praised as the best crunch tackler in modern football, he was the backbone of Chelsea’s first title-winning side in 50 years.

This season, his ego has been inflated to the point of unpopularity. Snarling and arguing with referees at close quarters has become part of his game. His role in Liam Miller’s sending-off at Stamford Bridge was disgraceful. Miller had caught him in a clumsy tackle and both two players became entangled, when Terry got up, he was indignant and leaned into the face of Miller, hurling abuses.

His temper also got the better of him when facing off with Derby County last month. He led a posse of Chelsea players to Andre Marriner at Derby after the referee had sent off Michael Essien. In September, during another mass confrontation while playing against Manchester United, Terry snatched at the red card Mike Dean showed to Obi. It is clear the entire team was egged on by someone who is not setting the right example.

And we don’t need any reminder of Terry’s off-pitch misdemeanors. In 2002, he was charged in court for affray in a West End watering hole. A tabloid caused substantial damage to his image when it accused him of being “sick as a parrot” after a carpark encounter with an underage blonde ended in fellatio. He is also said to have a weakness for gambling and drinking.

Terry clearly believes his own hype after being repeatedly told what a tough and fearless hero he is. Strutting with his chest puffed out like a pompous bighead he has become, the impact of his actions on the team and fans no longer interest him. He clamored for action against Valencia, just four days after suffering a depressed fracture of the cheekbone, an injury which could sideline him for up to six weeks.

That is not all. In a separate incident – Carling Cup final last year, Terry suffered a life-threatening kick on his head and he swallowed his tongue, was unconscious and immediately rushed off to hospital. Once he regained consciousness, he did not rest but instead joined his mates in the pub, despite admitting he has no memories of the second half of the match.

Chelsea cannot have a player dictating when he wants to play, that is the sole discretion of the manager. Terry needs a long lay off to sort his head and body out. Maybe the injuries and the recent outcry over his massive wages have taken their toll; and he is comforting himself that his halo will be restored by acting like an overbearing ass. He was actually a very disciplined player until a year ago.

Will the John Terry of old step up? I am half hoping that Capello strips him of the captain’s armband and put him in his place. Grant has no guts to do that but sometimes, taking drastic measure is needed. A wake-up call may bring home the point that nobody is bigger than the team, especially when it involves your influential captain.