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LONDON - Tottenham Hotspur and Everton must overcome physical and psychological barriers this week if they are to give football a rare cup final involving none of the established big four.
The League Cup semifinals are delicately poised with Everton needing to overturn a 2-1 first leg deficit
against Chelsea at Goodison Park on Thursday and Tottenham hosting north London rivals Arsenal with their tie balanced at 1-1.
Since Middlesbrough beat Bolton Wanderers in the 2004 final, the competition, which had appeared to be rapidly declining in importance, has tickled the fancy of the heavyweights with Chelsea (twice) and Manchester United winning the last three editions.
It would be a brave man who bets against a repeat of last year's final when Chelsea beat a youthful Arsenal side in a bad-tempered affair at Wembley.
Tottenham have not beaten Arsenal in their last 20 meetings in all competitions, a dismal run stretching back to 1999.
Last year they led 2-0 at home in the first leg of the League Cup semifinal, only to draw 2-2. The Gunners won the second leg before losing to Chelsea in the final.
Tottenham also led in a League Cup semifinal replay in 1987 after the two legs had ended 2-2 on aggregate, but their hopes of reaching the final were shattered by two late Arsenal goals at White Hart Lane.
This season, Tottenham again took the lead in the first leg at The Emirates Stadium but the hoodoo returned in the form of a fortunate Theo Walcott equaliser.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has vowed to continue his policy of using his squad players in the second leg, which should, in theory, tip the balance slightly in Tottenham's favour - if Spurs can finally shake off their inferiority complex.
"There is another game to be played and that's what we'll focus on," Jermaine Jenas, scorer of Tottenham's goal in the first leg, told the club's website.
"We had the chances to maybe put the tie to bed but it's difficult to say that when you play against a team like Arsenal because they are always likely to score goals."
Everton will take on Chelsea full of self confidence after moving into the top four of the Premier League on Sunday with a 2-1 victory at Wigan Athletic - a result manager David Moyes described as "second fiddle" to Wednesday's League Cup clash.
They have never won the competition and it is 24 years since they last appeared in the final, although there is quiet optimism that they can overcome a Chelsea side missing several key players through injury and African Nations Cup duty.
Then again, their record against Chelsea is nearly as bad as Tottenham's against Arsenal.
They have not beaten the Londoners in their last 18 meetings stretching back seven years and have not won any silverware since the 1995 FA Cup.
- REUTERS
