Sheffield United vs. Tottenham: Winners and Losers from Capital One Cup Game

Tottenham Hotspur will face Chelsea in the final of the Capital One Cup after their 3-2 aggregate win over Sheffield United in the semi-final round of the competition.

Christian Eriksen scored both goals for Spurs in Wednesday's second leg at Bramall Lane—a 2-2 draw—but his tallies bookended a brace from Che Adams, who found the back of the net twice in two minutes after coming on as a Blades substitute.

Overall there were several performances that caught the eye in South Yorkshire, as well as one or two that were rather less impressive.

Following are the winners and losers from the encounter.

Winner: Che Adams, Who Nearly Turned the Tie on Its Head

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Sheffield United looked to be meekly heading out of the cup in the 74th minute when Che Adams replaced the disappointing Jamal Campbell-Ryce.

Five minutes later they were back on level terms.

Shortly after coming on, Adams—who only joined the club in November—beat Spurs goalkeeper Michel Vorm inside the far post after receiving Ryan Flynn's well-placed cross.

Then, just two minutes later, his shot from near the penalty marker took a deflection as United equalised on aggregate.

"What a dream for Che Adams, signed from non-league now scoring two goals in a cup semi-final," tweeted Norwich City midfielder Elliott Bennett.

"Wow! Che Adams, 18, has scored twice in two minutes to put Sheff Utd 2-1 up v Tottenham (2-2 agg.). Heading for extra time as it stands," added The Times' Oliver Kay.

Loser: Marc McNulty, Who Disappointed in Front of Goal for Sheffield United

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That Che Adams had the chance to be the hero was down to Marc McNulty's failings in front of goal over the two semi-final legs.

By the time of his 74th-minute exit, the Sheffield United striker hadn't placed a single shot on target at Bramall Lane, and in the 65th, he missed a glorious opportunity to score when he skied his effort after some fine work by Stefan Scougall.

The Blades could have used more of a contribution from him, as well as Jose Baxter and Jamal Campbell-Ryce on Wednesday.

Winner: Mousa Dembele, Who Shone in a Playmaking Role for Spurs

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Mousa Dembele operated further upfield than usual on Wednesday, and until his exit with a slight knock in the 66th minute, he generally impressed.

Whether dribbling into the 18-yard box and holding up play or putting through teammates with accurate passes, the Belgium international looked as good as he has all season.

Of course, he had more of a license to embrace a playmaking role given the presence of both Ryan Mason and Benjamin Stambouli behind him.

"Been impressed with Dembele," tweeted Leon Mann of the BBC. "He hasn't played like his old self for a long while, but signs are there he could get back to his best.

Winner: Jamie Murphy, Who Was One of the Blades' Few Bright Lights

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From start to finish, Jamie Murphy worked his socks off for Sheffield United on Wednesday.

Working opposite Kyle Walker, he generally had the running of the Spurs right-back and often moved inside to set up Stefan Scougall and Marc McNulty—neither of whom did his service proper justice.

In the 79th minute, he was rewarded with an assist when, after passing the ball to Che Adams, he watched as the teenager's shot took a deflection en route to the back of the net.

Loser: Spurs' Defensive Record

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Tottenham Hotspur simply can't keep a clean sheet away from White Hart Lane.

According to Squawka, they came into Wednesday's match without a shutout in their last 11 games on the road, and at the final whistle that streak had stretched to 12.

Naively, they allowed complacency to set in after the restart and were punished by a pair of Che Adams goals as Sheffield United attacked in waves near the final whistle.

Such issues in the back line will be punished by a player such as Diego Costa in the final against Chelsea at Wembley on March 1 if Pochettino cannot find a solution.

Their travels will next take them to West Bromwich Albion, where on Saturday they'll look to finally break a troubling trend.

Winner: Christian Eriksen, Who Hauled His Side into the Final

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Christian Eriksen has had his share of heroic moments this season, but perhaps none so more important as his vital brace at Bramall Lane that delivered a Capital One Cup final for Tottenham Hotspur.

In the 28th minute, the Denmark international opened the scoring with a spectacular, right-footed free-kick that crossed goalkeeper Mark Howard before bulging the net at the far corner.

"Pretty sure I've said before that I think Eriksen is the best free-kick taker playing in England. That was one of his best," tweeted Matt Law of The Telegraph.

Then, in the 88th minute, Eriksen scored with a delicate shot to undo Che Adams' work and send Spurs to Wembley.

"Could Eriksen dig me out of the car park? He's so sensationally good at digging Tottenham out of trouble this season!" tweeted television pundit Mark Pougatch.

BBC Sport quoted Eriksen as saying, "It means a lot to get to Wembley, we are all really excited. The first goal, a free-kick, was one of the better ones I have scored. It was a bit surprising to hit that so high in the net. I don't practice free-kicks that often."

He continued, "Sheffield United were impressive. They played like a Premier League team. They should play higher."