Tottenham Hotspur 5 Arsenal 1 (Spurs win 6-2 on aggregate)

ARSENAL players lost their cool at White Hart Lane last night as Tottenham manager Juande Ramos hailed a perfect'' performance after a resounding 5-1 victory secured a trip to Wembley in the Carling Cup final.

It has been more than eight years and some 21 encounters since Spurs last got the upper hand over their North London rivals, but it was a thoroughly deserved victory and nothing more than their determined approached warranted.

After dominating the first leg at Emirates Stadium a fortnight ago, but only coming away with a 1-1 draw, the home side got off to the perfect start through Jermaine Jenas inside three minutes and never looked back.

Arsenal - with manager Arsene Wenger again fielding a young side, but one bolstered by the experience of captain William Gallas and, from the bench, Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor - just had no answer to the home side's midfield tenacity and pace in the final third.

Indeed, during the closing stages, with the tie already lost, skipper Gallas was seen to square up to young Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner, whom pictures also suggest had been involved in an altercation with team-mate Adebayor. Eventually, referee Howard Webb had to intervene to restore calm.

The night, though, belonged to Spurs, who revelled in defeating their old enemy en route to a first cup final since 2002 - and all in the opening few months of Ramos' reign.

In order to beat a team like Arsenal, you have to play well. We didn't make mistakes and were perfect in all areas of the team,'' said Ramos.

The effort put in to reach the final means the players are the architects of this victory.'' The Spaniard - who took over from Martin Jol with the club in crisis during October - added: It makes me tremendously happy that the fans are happy with my work and with the team - but the architects of this were the footballers themselves.

They're the people putting in the effort on the pitch. In the time that I've been here, there's recognition of what we're doing and that's very pleasing.

To get to a final in such a short period of time since I came here is a fantastic achievement.

More so for the fans, who are tremendously happy.

It's been a long time since they've had a flavour of a final.

It's tremendously satisfying, more so because they are a direct rival from the same city and, add to that the fact that we hadn't beaten them for so long... and add to that the scoreline. It's all the more satisfying.'' Wenger, meanwhile, insisted he knew nothing of the confrontation between his players.

The Arsenal manager said: I haven't seen that.

I don't know anything about it. I don't know what you're talking about.'' Wenger maintained he had no regrets'' with his team selection as Arsenal failed to make it to the Carling Cup final for a second successive season.

None at all,'' said Wenger, who insisted the competition was not a priority.

The only regret I have is to have played the players who should not have played. I'd rather have had a completely young side, but it was good for us to see.

We go into every season with that priority in terms of the competition.

They have potential.'' Wenger added: It is a disappointment because we lost, of course."