Football news - Harry Kane gives Spurs first-leg advantage but League Cup semi-final VAR from over

Harry Kane’s first-half penalty gave Tottenham the edge in their League Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.

Kane was initially ruled offside in a move that saw him felled inside the box by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, but VAR stepped in to change that decision, allowing referee Michael Oliver to point to the spot and book the Blues' number one.

The England striker did the rest and his goal ultimately proved the only one in a game which Chelsea largely controlled, though they could not find a way through.

The tie remains far from decided going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight’s time.

The game's standout moment saw Kane give Spurs the lead from the spot, but only some two minutes after the incident happened. Referee Michael Oliver deserves praise for calmly handling the situation, while he was advised to give the penalty after Kane was deemed to be onside.

There will be some grumbles about how long it took, and some question-marks regarding whether Kane was leaning into an offside position, but in all the process was smooth.

Allowing the fans inside the stadium to see what television viewers can see, however, must be taken into account.

Chelsea looked good for large parts of the match, particularly after the break, but Spurs withstood everything that was thrown at them. Sure there was a post hit here and a bar hit there, but Alderweireld – and Sanchez – kept Hazard quiet for most of the evening, despite the forward’s best efforts to engineer his own opportunities.

Not only did Alderweireld frustrate his compatriot, but he also made some timely interceptions and clearances to help preserve the clean sheet. The match also served as another reminder why Chelsea must pursue a goalscoring No 9 this January, with Alvaro Morata seemingly on his way out.

Tottenham: Gazzaniga 7, Trippier 7, Alderweireld 7, Sanchez 7, Rose 7, Winks 6, Sissoko 6, Eriksen 6, Alli 6, Son 6, Kane 7. Subs: Lamela 6, Skipp N/A.

Chelsea: Kepa 6, Azpilicueta 6, Christensen 5, Rudiger 6, Alonso 6, Jorginho 5, Kante 7, Barkley 6, Willian 6, Hazard 6, Hudson-Odoi 6. Subs: Pedro 6, Kovacic 6, Giroud 6.

25: OFFSIDE... OR IS IT?! Big moment for Michael Oliver and his VAR friends. Kane is flagged for offside before going down under a foul from Kepa inside the area.

We can see the offside lines checking to see if Kane is off… It's very, very tight.... They're still reviewing the incident.... now looking at Kepa's foul on Kane... and it's a PENALTY TO SPURS!

27: GOAL! Kane scores from the spot!

41: OFF THE POST! Kante is an attacking maestro! He makes a brilliant near-post run and meets Alonso's low cross before seeing his effort deflect onto the outside of the post.

45+1: CLOSE! A Hudson-Odoi cross almost catches out Gazzaniga, who is forced to tip it onto the bar before Alderweireld clears.

59: WHAT A CHANCE! Chelsea have a corner and Barkley flicks it on to Christensen at the back post, but he cannot direct his attempt on target!