Carling Cup Final: Man Utd v Tottenham

Venue: Wembley Stadium Date:
Sunday, 1 March
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, text commentary on BBC Sport website plus full commentary on BBC London 94.9, BBC London DAB and BBC London online at bbc.co.uk/london. TV coverage on Sky Sports


Sir Alex Ferguson has told youngsters Darron Gibson and Danny Welbeck they will start Sunday's Carling Cup final.

Rafael Da Silva is out with a fractured ankle but Wayne Rooney should start as he continues to build match fitness.

Tottenham's Robbie Keane, Wilson Palacios, Carlo Cudicini and Pascal Chimbonda are all cup-tied.

Jamie O'Hara (hip) has declared himself fit but on-loan Fraizer Campbell cannot play against his parent club and Ledley King (knee) will have a fitness test.

Ferguson said next Wednesday's Premier League trip to Newcastle is a bigger priority for his side than the Carling Cup final.

"We obviously want to win because the winning mentality in the club is why we have been successful, but we know what our priorities are and that will affect the team that I pick on Sunday," he said.

"We have a big game at Newcastle on Wednesday and the priority for us will always be the Premier League and the Champions League.

"The Premier League is the only place to be and Harry Redknapp is well aware of that judging by the team he picked in the Uefa Cup on Thursday."

But Ferguson dismissed suggestions that United were taking the game lightly by travelling down to London just 24 hours before the game.

"We have always travelled down to the League Cup final the day before the game," he said.


Paddy_The_Red_Devil
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said United were his dream opponents in Sunday's final.

"You have to look forward to playing Manchester United," Redknapp said.

"When people asked when Derby won the first leg of their semi-final if it would be great if they could pull it off, I said no way.

"No disrespect but I really wanted to play United in the final. It's a way for you to test yourself against the best.

"They are the best team in Europe, and they were tremendous against Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"We've had some good games against the big teams this season. At home with United we drew, with a good performance, so we've got players who can play against anyone.

"Hopefully, playing on a big stage on Sunday will bring best out of them and we'll get the bit of luck that you always need against the best teams."

Redknapp added that he had been struggling to find time to prepare for the match after a busy schedule which has included Uefa Cup matches alongside Premier League games.

"It's been difficult to enjoy the week as having so many games we haven't been able to relax," he said.

"I was going to take them to Southend to walk them up the pier and have a bowl of jellied eels and ice cream, but we just haven't had the time."

Tottenham (from): Gomes, Alnwick, Corluka, Assou-Ekotto, Woodgate, King, Bentley, Jenas, Modric, Zokora, Lennon, Pavyluchenko, Bent, O'Hara, Huddlestone, Bale, Dawson, Gunter, Giovani, Taarabt.

Man Utd (from): Foster, Kuszczak, Neville, Fabio, Gibson, Evans, Vidic, Ferdinand, O'Shea, Evra, Welbeck, Anderson, Carrick, Fletcher, Park, Scholes, Nani, Ronaldo, Giggs, Tevez, Rooney.

BIG-MATCH FACTS

Manchester United take on the holders Tottenham Hotspur in the 49th League Cup Final and the sixth sponsored by Carling.

United are vying for a unique five-timer. They have already won the World Club Championship in Japan, and stand all square at 0-0 in their last 32 Champions League tie with Inter Milan, going into the Old Trafford leg. The Red Devils are in the box seat at the top of the Premier League table, and have an away tie to Fulham in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Tottenham will be playing their third match in seven days, having been knocked out of the Uefa Cup by Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday. Monday's 2-1 win at Hull lifted them three points further away from the Premier League's relegation zone, but they are still uncomfortably close.

This year's final comprises two of the three most recent winners.

Both clubs had to knock out two Premier League clubs and two Championship sides to qualify for the final. Both also lost one leg of their semi-final against lower league opposition; Manchester United at Derby, Tottenham at Burnley.

The League ladder

Tottenham lie 13 places below leaders Manchester United in the Premier League table.

Referee

Chris Foy (Merseyide)

MANCHESTER UNITED

Current form

Unbeaten in 12; won 11 and drawn one in all competitions since losing 1-0, away to Derby in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final on 7 January.

Avoided defeat in 26 of the last 27 matches.

Recent League Cup performance

The 1992 and 2006 League Cup winners are competing in their seventh final.

The Manager

Victory will give Sir Alex Ferguson his third League Cup victory. He will join a distinguished list to have achieved such a feat; Brian Clough (four wins), Bob Paisley and George Graham.

Currently in his 22nd year in charge at Old Trafford, Sir Alex boasts 10 Premier League titles, two Champions League, five FA Cups, two League Cups, the European Cup Winners' Cup, the World Club Championship, the European Super Cup, the Inter-Continental Cup and the FA Charity/Community Shield seven times, excluding the year when United were joint holders.

Player milestones

If he gets a run out, Ryan Giggs will become only the seventh player to play in five League Cup finals. The Welshman could hold the unwanted record of being the first to lose three League Cup finals with the same club.

Wayne Rooney needs a hat-trick to become the first player to score five goals in League Cup finals. He netted twice against Wigan in 2006. Chelsea's Didier Drogba currently holds that record with four.

If Dimitar Berbatov finds the back of the net, he will become the first player to have scored in the final for two different clubs, having opened Tottenham's account from the penalty spot in last season's 2-1 victory over Chelsea.

League Cup fact

United's 4-0 win against Wigan in 2006 was the biggest ever victory in a League Cup final, since the showpiece ceased to be played over two legs.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Current form

Monday's league win over Hull was their only victory in five in all competitions.

Won two of 10.

Recent League Cup performance

The 1971, 1973, 1999 and 2008 winners are competing in their seventh League Cup final and are aiming to become the third team to retain the trophy, and the first since Nottingham Forest 19 years ago.

Victory would see Spurs join Aston Villa as the second most successful club in this competition with five wins, two behind Liverpool.

The Manager

Harry Redknapp, who led Portsmouth to FA Cup victory last season, is hoping to become only the second English manager in 13 years to win the League Cup. Steve McClaren was the last to bear that distinction, with Middlesbrough in 2004.

Player milestones

If he plays, Roman Pavlyuchenko will become the first Russian to feature in a League Cup final.

League Cup fact

Last knocked out of this competition by Arsenal in the semi-finals in 2007. Since then they have played 11 games, winning nine, drawing one and losing one.

HEAD to HEAD

All competitions

Manchester United have won almost twice as many league games as they have lost against Tottenham; won 70, lost 38.

The Red Devils are undefeated in 17 league and cup games against the Londoners, and are meeting them for the third time this season.

The Premier League fixture at White Hart Lane was a goalless draw, but United subsequently knocked Spurs out of the FA Cup, 2-1 in the fourth round at Old Trafford. Paul Scholes and Berbatov both scored within a minute of each other, half an hour after Pavlychenko had given Spurs an early fifth minute lead.

League Cup

But it is a different story in the League Cup. Spurs have won five of their six meetings.

The most recent was a 3-1 triumph in the quarter-finals at the Lane on 2 December 1998, when Chris Armstrong got a brace and David Ginola the other. Teddy Sheringham replied for United. Spurs went on to lift the trophy that season, beating Leicester 1-0 in the final.

The Big Match Facts were compiled by Peter Robinson, and Infostrada Sports.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/7905889.stm

Published: 2009/02/27 12:06:50 GMT

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