Chrstian Eriksen steers Tottenham into League Cup final

Sheffield United Kingdom Two moments of magic from Christian Eriksen helped Tottenham Hotspur reach the final of the League Cup with a 32 aggregate victory over League One club Sheffield UnitedTottenhams Christian Eriksen celebrates after scoringDane Eriksens sublime firsthalf freekick put Maurico Pochettinos team 10 up on the night and they looked to be in cruise control before two goals in as many minutes from 18yearold substitute Che Adams levelled the tie overall But a calm finish from Eriksen with three minutes left meant the Premier League side prevailed without the need for extratimeWith most of the 30236 supporters roaring on the home team at a Bramall Lane lashed by wintry showers it was the sort of night to expose any flaws in character and Tottenham only just survived Their reward is a meeting with Chelsea in the final on March 1 Spurs first Wembley final since 2009 and a chance to win the League Cup for a fifth time When they scored they got confidence and you saw the crowd but we had to play our best said EriksenTo be in the final is what everyone wants at Tottenham Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough praised his players Im incredibly proud of the players to run a team like Spurs so close that bit of quality made the difference he said United will point to marginal moments that mounted up and cost them the tie and before Eriksens opener they might have taken the lead and levelled the aggregate scoreMichel Vorms late error led to Tottenhams FA Cup exit at the hands of Leicester City on Saturday and the goalkeeper endured another uncomfortable moment as the Blades made a bright start The Netherlands international under pressure from Marc McNulty spilt Jamal CampbellRyces cross and McNulty prodded the ball to Jamie Murphy only for the winger to see his shot blocked on the line by Kyle Walker Tottenhams Sheffieldborn defenderTottenhams defeat came on the same day that Chelsea were stunned 42 by League One side Bradford City and Manchester City lost 20 against Middlesbrough of the Championship Clough has criticised topflight teams for deprioritising the FA Cup and League Cups and he is in a position to judge This was only his second defeat in 20 FA or League Cup fixtures with the South Yorkshire clubThe Blades beat Southampton in the last round and have beaten fellow Premier League clubs West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup this season Even given their impressive record in knockout competitions Sheffield United knew it they faced an uphill task to reach Wembley for a second time in two seasons having reached the FA Cup semifinal last seasonTrailing 10 from the first leg Clough had spoken of the need to prevent the Premier League side from scoring but faced with Eriksens quality that is easier said than done A momentary lapse in concentration from Jay McEveley cost Sheffield United in the first leg with the defender conceding a penalty for handballThis time it was Bob Harris who gave Tottenham a helping hand His poor clearance allowed Tottenham to break Michael Doyle fouled Benjamin Stambouli and Eriksen whipped in a magical free kick to score his ninth goal of the seasonIt left the home team needing three goals to progress and it looked like a smooth ride into the final for Tottenham until the introduction of Adams as a substitute Within five minutes of coming on the teenager had scored his first two goals in professional football to stun Tottenham First he met Ryan Flynns cross to fire the ball beyond Vorm to give the home fans hopeTwo minutes later Adams converted Jamie Murphys cross to give the supporters something to really shout about With the aggregate score at 22 the match was heading for extra time but another moment of magic from Eriksen eased Tottenhams worries The 22yearold former Ajax midfielder latched on to Kanes through ball and clipped a delightful finish beyond Howard and into the bottom corner