Manchester United – Tottenham Hotspur

Join us at 1500 GMT for commentary on the first big final of the year, the Carling Cup final between Man Utd and Tottenham at Wembley.

Some early team news, and it's not good news for Spurs fans. Ronaldo starts and so does Ferdinand. Otherwise it's youngsters Foster, Evans, Gibson and Welbeck. But also Scholes, Nani, O'Shea, Evra and Tevez.

For Spurs, it's as full strength as they can be. Gomes, Corluka, King, Dawson, Assou, Lennon, Modric, Jenas, Zokora, Bent, Pavlyuchenko

A blow for Spurs that Jonathan Woodgate misses out, but at least Ledley King is there.

United are still massive favourites though, so keep up to date with all the action from 1500 GMT.

There's no doubt who needs to win today the most. Spurs are the defending holders of the cup and are chasing their last hope of a trophy this season following Thursday's European exit. Manchester United, with a clutch of yougsters starting today, are midway through a vital Champions League tie with Inter Milan and are closing in on another domestic title.

Such future concerns are unlikely to hinder the United players who stroll out on to the pitch this afternoon though as the season's first trophy comes up for grabs at a packed and expectant Wembley.

Some truly naff electronic music is swirling repetitively around Wembley as the players await the signal to begin the walk out to the pitch. And here they come...

Handshakes and introductions are the order of the day as Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King go up the line of players and do the honours for both sides.

And now for the National Anthem. I hope you are all standing up. I certainly am which makes this typing a little tricky.

The noise level of the fans is being measured at Wembley today so crank up the volume and let's be having ya. Spurs will get the ball, literally, rolling....and we're off.

Ben Foster gets his first touch of the day in the United goal. Patrice Evra then does well to get a defensive header on a high ball in.

Jonny Evans strokes a pass up towards Danny Welbeck but the United youngster is unable to control. Big day for him up front for Alex Ferguson's men.

Evra does well to beat Corluka before playing a neat pass in to Carlos Tevez who is challenged as he meets the ball in the Spurs penalty area but a goal-kick is the decision.

Great tackle from Evans who then sets Tevez away but he is unceremoniously dumped by Zokora and United have a free-kick in a dagerous area.

Ronaldo steps forward and tries his luck but there is no repeat of his screamer last week as the shot sails over the bar.

Tevez holds up the ball well and then plays it in to the path of Ronaldo who hits his shot straight at Gomes. United have started brightly here.

Lovely pass from Paul Scholes to play in Welbeck who is unable to capitalise on the veteran's visionary delivery.

Gibson is caught from behind by Pavlyuchenko and his appeals for a free-kick are granted.

Another fantastic crossfield ball from Scholes, this time to Evra. Two world class passes from the little ginger lad so far.

Assou-Ekotto stands firm as Ronaldo tries to get past him and the United man's cross bounces off the Spurs defender's knees.

My word - Darron Gibson has a shot from thirty yards out which cut through the air like a knife. It was just off target though. What a start that would have been for the youngster.

Bent shows far too much of the ball to Ferdinand who breaks up what looked like a promising Spurs attack.

Nani ducks his shoulder and heads inside Aaron Lennon before bringing a good save from Gomes. Corner to United.

Gibson takes the corner which is cleared but United linger around and after a bit of a scramble Tevez fires a shot against the side-netting. Spurs look very nervy so far and United are totally in control of the opening stages here.

Having said that, Lennon shows great pace to nip inside the United defence and play a short ball across which is put behind for a corner. They can't make anything of the corner but that was Spurs best piece of play so far.

Modric now lifts in a free-kick but United clear and now Scholes looks around for a target. United knock it around patiently and Welbeck eventually has a shot which is blocked.

Dawson went in hard on Tevez there and won the ball but it was not to the ref's liking - United get a free-kick which leaves Dawson shaking his head.

Great piece of play from Ronaldo to beat Assou-Ekotto to a header and his speed takes him away from the Spurs defender. He cuts it back but it is put behind for a corner.

Once the corner is played in, the ball breaks to Rio Ferdinand on the edge of the penalty area but his long range shot is a few inches too high of ths Spurs goal. A little unexpected that from Rio.

Lennon curls in a great cross after leaving Evra for dead. It's a little too high though but the little Spurs winger is his team's standout performer so far.

Nani teases Corluka then floats a cross towards the far post. It reaches Ronaldo but Dawson is on hand to clear the danger for Spurs.

Spurs are knocking the ball around with a bit more confidence now. Jermaine Jenas just fails to get on the end of a Corluka pass though the middle and it appears Spurs have settled a little now.

Bent is found by Modric in the United penalty area but his shot is straight at Foster when perhaps he should have made the United keeper work a bit harder.

Modric almost plays a cute ball in to the path of Aaron Lennon but it is just cut out by Ferdinand who comes across to cover inside the penalty area.

Evra can only knock a header in to the path of Lennon and he plays in a teasing cross which United are able to clear. They are going to have to tighten up on Lennon though because he is causing them a lot of problems.

Good tracking back from Jenas to tackle Nani as he looked to advance for United.

Zokora hestitates before coming insde and winning a free-kick when a John O'Shea tackle brings him crashing to earth.

It's a poor free-kick from Modric though and he fails to find a Spurs man. Lennon, out on the left this time, puts in a delightful cross for Pavlyuchenko who holds his head after missing a good chance with a poor header.

Nani calls for a handball which is not given when Corluka was definitely guilty of grabbing the ball as he went to ground.

Spurs fans are 47.9% noisy to United's 52.1 % noisy if that statistic which just flashed up makes any sense to you.

Poor pass from Gibson which travels from midfield in the direction of absolutely nobody.

Modric finds Lennon in loads of space who then cuts it back to Corluka. Spurs don't manage to carve an opportunity this time though but again Lennon is the conduit for their best moments.

Zokora does really well to beat Evans but then puts in a woeful cross when he was well placed to put United under pressure.

Corluka puts in a better delivery which brings appreciative applause from Bent. It's slightly too high for him though and he is unable to get a firm head to it.

O'Shea cuts a ball inside to Tevez but his shot from inside the Spurs area is blocked.

Another terrible Spurs cross - this time from Pavlyuchenko who overhits it. Spurs seem to think the ball is make of concrete because when Lennon gets on the end of the Russian's cross he too puts in a heavy delivery that goes out for a goal-kick.

Good piece of tenacious play from Tevez to get back and win the ball from Jenas before a neat little backheel.

Ferdinand has to look sharp to get back and put Lennon's corner behind for a corner. When it is played in, Evans is on hand to head it back out of play and that is the last piece of action for this half...

HALF-TIME: A nervy start for Spurs but with Lennon looking at his sprightly best they have ended the half much stronger and looked arguably the better side in the closing stages. It should be an interesting second half. I'm going to the toilet. See you soon.

The naff music pummels us once more which can only mean one thing. The second half is about to begin...

Great tackle from Assou-Ekotto on Ronaldo and the Spurs man has marshalled the threat of the Portuguese well. So far anyway.

Ronaldo stands over a free-kick, puffs his chest and then delivers a free-kick straight out of the Roberto Carlos school of free-kicks (the rubbish ones that is). Miles wide that was.

O'Shea plays a delightful ball in to Ronaldo who elects to play a cross when he was well placed to shoot. A strange decision and a bad one as his pass is behind all the United strikers.

Lennon meanwhile has broken up the park and won a free-kick which Pavyluchenko decides to take. It is quite possibly the worst free-kick Wembley has ever seen and you can safely assume he will not get a chance to make amends should Spurs get another.

At the other end United now have a corner. Gibson plays it in but Zokora heads it away for Spurs.

Gibson's deflected shot brings United another corner and this second half is shaping up in a similar way to the first with United firmly in the ascendancy.

The corner yields nothing for United and at the other end Pavlyuchenko's cross is headed away by Evans. Nani then brings down Modric on the edge of the area and Spurs get a free-kick.

Modric takes the free-kick himself which Ferdinand puts behind for a corner. That is then boldly claimed by Foster who made no mistake when he came for it.

Assou-Ekotto dithered on the ball there and Nani seized on his hestitation to take it from him. He gets away with it though. That was the first piece of careless play from the Spurs defender.

Anderson has come on for Welbeck who has made little impression on the game.

O'Shea goes in the book after being warned previously he was on his final chance. The free-kick puts United under pressure but Foster again does well, this time punching it clear when Modric strokes it goalwards.

Great pass from Anderson to Ronaldo who decides to try to head it on when perhaps he could have used a bit of chest action to get the thing under control.

Zokora sprints up the field and then lays it on to Pavlyuchenko who once more fluffs his line with a terrible shot when he was well placed. 'Arry will not be 'appy with that.

Another United corner who despite their pressure have yet to fashion too many clear cut chances. They almost score here though as Tevez tries to backheel Evans' shot past Gomes. His flicks doesn't have enough on it though and is wide of the post.

Dawson scrambles back to clear a cross from Nani and Spurs are being put under the cosh a bit here.

Free-kick to United which Ronaldo, ever the gent, leaves to Anderson. He may wish he hadn't though as his shot was well off target. Not the best angle for a shot perhaps either. Perhaps that is the reason for Ronado's act of altruism.

O'Shea is very lucky to still be on the park when he hacks down Modric. O'Shea looks worried as he gets to his feet but he escapes the walk of shame.

Evra does enough to put off Bent who was lurking in the United penalty area. Meanwhile Jamie O'Hara gets his chance to shine as the woeful Pavlyuchenko trudges off.

Ronaldo goes down in the penalty area and is shown a yellow card for diving as Ledley King challenges him. A bit harsh perhaps and the award of a penalty would have been no shock to be honest.

Modric plays in Bent and he then knocks it out to Lennon. The winger's cross again is poor though and Evra makes a pretty straightforward block.

Assou-Ekotto slips but manages to get a cross over. It finds Lennon who steadies himself and then blasts a shot at Foster who dives to his right to parry the effort away. A great chance and a wonderful save.

Anderson tries to slip a ball though the middle to Tevez but King is alive to the danger and clears the ball when it is played through.

Jenas tries an acrobatic bicycle-kick which results in a free-kick for high feet.

Nani floats a ball in which Gomes comes to claim well.

Gomes looks even better when a curling Anderson shot forces him in to action with the much maligned Spurs keeper making a good diving save.

A strange one this - O'Shea is off and Vidic is on. Perhaps this is in light of his yellow card. Quite a good defensive sub to bring on though eh?

Great tracking back from Lennon who shows his appetite for the cause when he makes sure there is no way past for Evra who was looking to get in a cross.

Vidic's first contribution is to head the ball out for a throw. He may have to make a more telling one now as Evra has given away a needless free-kick on the edge of United's penalty area...

O'Hara has a go with this one but it is straight at Foster to the disappointment of the Spurs fans.

Ten minutes left - this has got extra time written all over it in big indelible black ink (with the word penalties next to it in brackets accompanied by question mark).

Jenas now shows some lung-bursting energy to get back and put in a tackle on Anderson.

Modric tries to find a way past Vidic but discovers instead the delights of another corner. It's O'Hara to deliver once more and again the result is the same - straight at Foster. Poor crossing has been a feature of this game throughout.

Modric is judged to have brought down Evra which is not apparent from the replay. It's a free-kick to United nevertheless.

A ludicrously ambitious effort from forty yards out by Ronaldo which strikes O'Hara in the wall. He is down on the floor though which seems a bit of an over reaction to being struck on the chest. Or perhaps it is a cunning ruse to allow some liquid to be taken by the rest of the Spurs players?

Zokora battles through the middle with the ball but Spurs slow the play down and end up passing the ball back. Lennon shows a bit more direction as he darts in to the penalty area but the ball just gets caught under his twinkling toes as he looked well placed to have a shot.

Assou-Ekotto once more races back to make sure Tevez doesn't get to a long ball. Dawson then puts in a foot to make an important intervention to frustrate the Argentine when the ball is played across to him.

Unbelievable - in the last thirty seconds of normal time Ronaldo blasts a shot off the Spurs post and the ball bounces out of play. A breathtaking effort but that is the end of the ninety minutes.

FULL-TIME: A fascinating match which will now go in to extra-time. Who will have the legs to go on and win this? From a purely selfish point of view this has delayed my much neeed visit to the kitchen microwave in order to enjoy a nutritious ready made meal for at least 35 minutes.

Coins are tossed and deals are struck between the two skippers who trot back to their respective ends. Ronaldo is having a chat with the referee and you can only presume that has something to do with the 'penalty' that wasn't.

Darron Gibson is off for Ryan Giggs which should provide United with an important source of creativity over the next half hour.

Zokora and Jenas are now up against the much fresher legs of Giggs and Anderson in the middle of the park. Could this be a decisive factor as the opening period of extra-time gets underway here?

A tired looking Jenas almost stumbles in to the United penalty area but Vidic is on hand to mop up the danger.

The game has slowed down considerably during these opening exchanges of extra-time which is understandable really.

Scholes plays a pass through to Nani who gets it on to his right peg before firing a shot straight at Gomes.

Gomes tears out of goal to reach a ball before Tevez. He needn't have worries though as the Argentine was offside.

Ronaldo plays a cross along the Spurs eighteen yard line but Jenas is there to make an interception. Its his last act of the afternoon though and Gareth 'Jonah' Bale now joins us.

Ronaldo's shot cannons off a Spurs leg and United's big men make their way up for the corner.

And now they sprint back after Gomes makes a clean catch and launches a quick throw. Meanwhile Lennon has slowed down and he looks to be in trouble. The infamous Wembley cramp methinks.

A signal involving turning ones hands around each other in a circular motion is made to the Spurs bench and this can mean only one thing - Lennon is off and David Bentley comes on.

Ronaldo flashes another shot at goal but it is high and wide of the mark.

Ronaldo's dinked cross is cleared by Spurs and Bale then launches himself towards the United goal. He fails to keep adequate control of the ball though and, despite his fresh legs, the opportunity passes him by.

Tevez gets a header in from eight yards out but Gomes was never really in danger - despite an acrobatic dive.

HALF-TIME: Why don't we just go straight to penalties and get it over with eh?

Dawson goes in hard on Evra as the second period of ET begins and United now have a corner. Gomes flaps at it somewhat but Modric is on hand to hook it away.

O'Hara is wasteful at the other end with a terrible shot from long range when Modric was screaming for it.

Paul Scholes is booked for a badly timed tackle. There's a sentence you won't have read before.

A terrible set-piece deliver from David Betley from a free-kick which carries on the fine tradition of this game so far.

Tevez has a go from about thirty yards out but it is well over the bar. Meanwhile Dawson is down with cramp now.

Dawson is on his feet - just about. Not long left now Michael old son.

Dawson has come off the pitch for some more treatment but looks likely to come back once he's sorted himself out.

Great piece of defending from Evans who anticipated Bentley's pass to Corluka and cut him off at the pass.

Great save from Foster was Darren Bent looked like he would strike a descisive goal. Foster saves well with this feet and Spurs have a corner.

Dawson is back and shows us he's better by knocking the ball out of play with a thumping header.

Assou-Ekotto reacts quickest to a ball which Nani should have get to first. It's a throw to United though. The ball comes over towards Evra who shoots as he slips. It looks like it's going to arrow in to Gomes' goal but it's rising just too much and clears the crossbar by centimetres.

Surging run forwards from Bale but he runs out of options and is going up a blind alley as United crowd him out.

Tevez wins a corner from King. There's three minutes of extra extra time to play. Can United sneak a winner here?

No is the answer as Gomes takes Giggs' corner comfortably.

Marvellous tackle from Dawson, whose weary limbs stretch defiantly to thwart Ronaldo in the penalty area.

FULL-TIME: Penalties!! Yeah! Everyone loves a bit of penalties. Let the two sided coin marked heartache and ecstasy be flipped by friends...

This is only the second ever shoot-out to be staged in the final of this competition. Gomes prepares for the drama to come by reclining on the Wembley turf then saluting the Spurs fans. What an unlikely hero he could become after the criticism he has endured this season. And it is going to take place at the United end of Wembley.

Edwin Van der Sar looks on nervously. Which keeper will emerge victorious from this battle of wills? Pity the penalty takers though. And first up is Ryan Giggs...

Giggs scores - it's in off the post and Gomes guesses correctly but it is in.

Jamie O'Hara for Spurs...

O'Hara misses!! Foster guesses right and saves to his left. Poor penalty.

Tevez then slots home United's second coolly in to the bottom corner.

Corluka is up now...

Nice pen - Foster goes the right way but Corluka's pen goes over his diving body.

Ronaldo approaches...

He sends Gomes the wrong way and makes partial amends for his Moscow miss.

David Bentley...

Bentley knocks it wide of goal and United are now on the brink of victory here.

Anderson is the man with the responsibility of winning it...

..and he delivers with a smartly struck pen that Gomes is nowhere near. United win in the most heartbreaking of circumstances for Spurs. The clean sweep is still on for Fergie's boys. Hard luck Spurs though.