DEFOE

LONDON (AP):

ARSENAL'S YOUNG team is just one round from a second straight League Cup final and again has to beat fierce north London rival Tottenham to get there.

The Gunners host Spurs today in the first match of a two-legged semi-final, less than a year after a 3-1 extra-time win at Emirates Stadium gave them a 5-3 aggregate win at the same stage last season.

With Arsenal leading the Premier League and Tottenham unable to solve defensive problems that have plagued them all season, few would bet against a similar result this time around.

"We know against a side like Arsenal that we can't afford to make mistakes," Tottenham captain Ledley King said. "We need to keep solid and we know we can score goals."

Tottenham have the second best attack in the Premier League after Arsenal, but mistakes have been the team's undoing all season.

The club has conceded more goals at home than any other Premier League club, and more from corners and free-kicks than any other.

Struggles

Michael Dawson has struggled with his form, while Younes Kaboul has also made mistakes as he settles into his first season in English soccer.

King has played three matches this season after a long-term knee injury, but the club has still conceded eight goals in its past three games - two of them with King at the heart of defence.

King should feature today despite playing the whole of Saturday's 2-2 FA Cup draw with Reading, possibly alongside Dawson.

Dawson played in last season's loss at Emirates Stadium, when Spurs rallied to 1-1 before conceding two extra-time goals.

"It was one of last season's major disappointments," King said. "We are hungry to put it right and we are happy we have got the chance to play them again.

"It is in our hands and hopefully we can set it up nicely to come back to the Lane."

The second leg is at White Hart Lane on January 22.

Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane are likely to start up front for Spurs, with Jermain Defoe among the replacements again despite having scored five goals in his past seven games.

Transfer

Coach Juande Ramos has told the England striker, whose contract expires at the end of next season, that he can join another club to boost his chances of a regular starting spot, but Defoe wants to stay and sign a new agreement.

"The manager has said I can, leave if I want," Defoe said. "At first I thought it was a joke, I thought he was going to say I would be starting against Arsenal ... which was why he didn't give me a game against Reading.

"Yet I have no intentions of leaving this club because I love it here. I know people at the top of the club want me to stay."

Arsenal went on to lose the final 2-1 to Chelsea last season and could meet the Blues again, since Chelsea are up against Everton in the other semi-final.

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has long used England's second-tier Cup competition to give his reserves and youth team players regular experience and is set to continue the policy.

Having fielded a mix of regulars and reserves in Sunday's 2-0 FA Cup win at Burnley, Wenger will likely retain defenders Philippe Senderos and Armand Traore, and add the likes of midfielder Alexandre Song and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.