For those that consider the Carling Cup as a Mickey Mouse trophy, ie all those that are no longer in it, the first leg semi finals threw up the type of entertainment that keeps football alive.

Both Semi final games were a rare treat for the neutral, with end to end attacking football from start to finish. While Chelsea controlled much of the game at Stamford Bridge, Everton showed amazing character to get back into the game and set up a grandstand finish in the final 20 minutes, that could easily have gone either way.

And in last nights game it was a similar story only this time it was Tottenham away at the Emirates stadium, who enjoyed most of the possession and were made to pay for their surprisingly lack lustre finishing. At 70 minutes the young Arsenal team somehow grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck earning an equaliser and once again setting up for a frenetic end to end finish.

If this is what the Carling Cup is all about, then I am all for it. I just hope the second leg fixtures will bring more of the same.