West Ham United 2–3 Tottenham Hotspur on 11 March 2001

Sergei Rebrov struck twice to set Tottenham on their way to a 3-2 victory over West Ham and an FA Cup semi-final clash with arch-rivals Arsenal.

It was a thrilling match played in driving rain and completed a memorable weekend of quarter-finals.

Rebrov's stunning opener was cancelled out by an archetypal Stuart Pearce free-kick towards the end of the first-half.

But a second from Rebrov and a Gary Doherty header put Spurs in complete control, before West Ham substitute Svetoslav Todorov set up a rip-roaring finale by pulling it back to 3-2.

The real hero for Tottenham was goalkeeper Neil Sullivan, who kept the Hammers at bay with a series of superb saves.

Despite their goal drought in the Premiership, Tottenham have now scored 12 goals in their four FA Cup games this season.

They have won away from home just once this season in the Premiership but have now won three of their FA Cup tieson their travels.

After West Ham's slaying of Manchester United and Sunderland in the previous two rounds, Hammers fans could have been forgiven for thinking this was to be their year.
Instead it is Tottenham who progess into the semi-finals, where boss George Graham will face Arsenal, the team he graced as player and manager.

After a quiet start, Spurs began to press on and Shaka Hislop produced sharp saves from Les Ferdinand and Stephen Clemence, before Luke Young hit the post with a header.

Tottenham were definitely on top by now and a cracking left-foot volley from Rebrov broke the deadlock just after the half-hour.

As the ball looped over from Steffen Freund's long throw-in, the Ukrainian drifted into the box and smacked it first-time into the roof of the net.

With half-time just around the corner, Michael Carrick was upended 25 yards out and Pearce stepped up for the free-kick.

The 38-year-old, who had defied injury to play in the tie, fired a left-foot drive into the corner of the net for his third goal of the season.

West Ham kept up the momentum immediately after the break with Michael Carrick dispossessing Clemence to put Kanoute through - but the striker sprayed his shot well wide.

Then Rebrov popped up at the other end to restore Tottenham's advantage.

Ferdinand headed the ball through and his strike partner again latched onto the ball and with his first touch drove the ball under the advancing Hislop.

After 62 minutes, a Spurs corner found Doherty on the far post. Joe Cole was well placed on the line to block it but stepped aside, Hislop was unable to reach it and the ball found the back of the net.

The third goal seemed to take the sting out of West Ham and the match seemed as if it might fizzle out.

But after 73 minutes, Young was unlucky to flick the ball into the path of substitute Todorov, who calmly put the ball past Hislop.

As the heavy conditions began to take their toll, the game opened up and players visibly tired.

It was fast and furious stuff with West Ham throwing everything they had at a Spurs defence that did well to stand firm.

Sullivan blocked a shot from Todorov and then produced a marvellous save from Kanoute, diving at full stretch to his right to keep the ball out.

In injury time a scramble in the Tottenham goalmouth could so easily have produced an equaliser - but it was not to be for the Hammers.