Afternoon folks! There might be the small matter of the League Cup final currently taking place at Wembley but there's Premier League football to build up to. Here we're focussing on the match at White Hart Lane as Spurs take on Cardiff. Team news is just reaching us at SM.

SPURS XI: Lloris; Naughton, Dawson, Vertonghen, Fryers; Lennon, Dembele, Paulinho, Townsend; Adebayor, Soldado

SPURS SUBS: Friedel, Veljkovic, Bentaleb, Chadli, Sandro, Sigurdsson, Kane

While we wait on news of the visitors' lineup, let's take a closer look at that Spurs XI. There's three changes from their last Premier League game as Ezekiel Fryers, Andros Townsend and Roberto Soldado come in for Danny Rose, Nabil Bentaleb and Etienne Capoue.

Spurs have since been in action in the Europa League on Thursday and are missing Christian Eriksen today after he picked up a "back injury".

If you want to follow the closing stages of the Capital One Cup final at Wembley you can follow this link for our live updates. Sunderland were winning at half time but now favourites Man City have turned it around thanks to a pair of sublime goals from Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri.

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CARDIFF XI: Marshall, Caulker, Turner, Medel, Campbell, Kim, Gunnarsson, Cala, Fabio, Bellamy, John

CARDIFF SUBS: Lewis, Jones, Mutch, Cowie, Theophile, Daehli, Zaha

That's six changes for Cardiff as Craig Bellamy, Gary Medel, Declan John, Kim Bo-Kyung, Aron Gunnarsson and Ben Turner return following last week's 4-0 drubbing by Hull.

ALL OVER AT WEMBLEY! City have won the League Cup for the first time since 1976 thanks to a second-half fightback led by Yaya Toure's wondergoal. Click here for our instant match report.

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Anyway, back to today's game at White Hart Lane, which is one of three Premier League games kicking off in half an hour's time. Find links for the other two games at Villa Park and the Liberty Stadium here if you want to follow those too.

REFEREE WATCH: The man in charge today in North London is Phil Dowd.

When these two sides last met in the reverse fixture back in September, Spurs stole the points in the 93rd minute when Paulinho found the net.

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Gylfi Sigurdsson is back from injury and on the bench today - if he comes on, it will be his 50th Spurs appearance. — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 2, 2014

Click here to see how the Premier League table looks ahead of this afternoon's trio of games. Spurs are in fifth and now know thanks to City's victory in the League Cup that there are two Europa League spots up for grabs in the Premier League. If they are beaten today then Everton will be able to go above them with their game in-hand.

Cardiff are second from bottom on 22 points, one more than Fulham and will go level on points with West Brom in the safety of 17th with a surprise win today.

If Cardiff are going to pick up an unlikely win today, they'll have to end a run of six straight away defeats, which puts them at the bottom of our away table.

Look at this dressing room picture from @VincentKompany of the Man City players enjoying their success:

League Cup Winners!!!! #MCFC pic.twitter.com/zTuBnFoWsR — Vincent Kompany (@VincentKompany) March 2, 2014

PREDICTION TIME! Just five minutes until kickoff at White Hart Lane so I best make my pre-match prediction. You have to fancy Spurs and I think that they will win 2-0. Soldado to bag one.

The teams are out https://t.co/IjWI0GNoxy

— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) March 2, 2014

KICKOFF! We're underway at White Hart Lane.

Early pressure from Spurs as Naughton releases Lennon down the right. The England winger crosses low to the near post where Soldado can't direct it goalwards under pressure from Caulker.

UPDATE: There's already been a goal at Villa Park and it's visitors Norwich who take the lead through Wes Hoolahan.

First opportunity for Cardiff to test Lloris from a 30-yard free kick but Bellamy shoots well over the top.

CHANCE! Cardiff have responded well after a quick start from Spurs and they have a decent chance as Bellamy crosses low for Fabio. The Brazilian takes a touch and is about to shoot when Dawson makes a great challenge.

Spurs now with a great free-kick opportunity as Townsend nutmegs Fabio and is tripped by the Cardiff full-back.

It's Adebayor who surprisingly steps up to take it and hits it into the wall.

Goodness me, Cardiff almost have a brilliant chance on the break but Fryers cuts out a pass that would have set Campbell free.

BOOKINGS! Cardiff have two players booked as Kim goes in late on Fryers before Bellamy is also shown yellow for dissent.

Fryers is certainly in the thick of it at the moment and delivers an inviting cross that's just too strong for Adebayor to get a toe to.

SAVE! Cardiff keeper Marshall is tested for the first time as Townsend shoots low with his weaker right foot from the edge of the area towards the near post. The Scot's save is unconvincing but gets the job done.

UPDATE: As well as the three games in the Premier League, there's also the small matter of the Madrid derby in Spain. Open this link in a new tab to follow our live updates on that one, where Atletico have just gone 2-1 ahead on Real with a stunning goal from Gabi.

Dawson is causing problems when he goes forward for set pieces and has just fired wide after Cardiff failed to clear a corner.

CLOSE! Dawson continues to look dangerous in the air, this time making a great run to the near post and flicking Naughton's corner just wide.

PHOTO Andros Townsend gets involved in the action in his first #BPL start since November 10. It's Spurs 0-0 Cardiff pic.twitter.com/kRiiNTH1ao

— Premier League (@premierleague) March 2, 2014

Although Spurs have had 74% possession, Cardiff are doing OK here. They look quite dangerous on the break, which is their most likely chance of scoring.

UPDATE: Villa have just equalised against Norwich thanks to a superbly-taken overhead kick by Christian Benteke.

UPDATE: And now the deadlock is broken in the other game as Jonathan de Guzman puts Swansea ahead against Crystal Palace.

UPDATE: And another goal for Benteke, what a turnaround by Villa. Goals galore, just not here!

And now we have a goal at White Hart Lane too as Soldado, like I predicted (!), finishes off a brisk Spurs counter-attack, collecting Adebayor's perfectly-weighted pass before poking into the corner.

OFF THE BAR! Oh what a miss by former Spurs man Caulker. He met Bellamy's corner from just two or three yards out but somehow headed against the frame of the goal. Incredible miss.

Soldado's goal was his first in open play at White Hart Lane this season. Here he is pretty relieved I guess:

In front! @R9Soldado opens the scoring against Cardiff #COYS pic.twitter.com/sakKp5jJ5L — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 2, 2014

UPDATE: It's now 3-1 to Villa against Norwich. What a quick turnaround from the hosts. Leandro Bacuna with the third.

Back to White Hart Lane where Spurs look pretty comfortable at the moment. There's no rush, but Sherwood will definitely want that second goal to make things a little more comfortable.

SAVE! Maybe Spurs aren't as comfy as I thought! Cardiff have an opportunity to equalise as left-back John charges down the left and goes for goal instead of looking for a teammate in the middle. His shot is powerful but the angle is narrow and Lloris beats it out at his near post.

Spurs then break from the resulting corner and flash a shot wide through Dembele, who was given too much room 25 yards out.

TWO minutes of time has been added on at the end of the first half.

It's home side Spurs who lead then thanks to Roberto Soldado's first goal from open play at White Hart Lane since joining the club last summer.

SNAP! Here's a picture of Soldado looking astonished at the fact that he scored a goal not from the penalty spot:

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If you're only just joining us and want a quick recap of the opening 45, check out our half-time report here.

Spurs have had 63% possession and double the shots that Cardiff have had. They're only one ahead though and Cardiff will feel that they do still have a chance to get something out of today's game.

Will Caulker live to regret that simply awful miss soon after Spurs had scored? The former Tottenham defender was under a lot of pressure but he was only just under the crossbar and should have found the net instead of heading against the woodwork.

KICKOFF! We're back underway in North London, with Spurs currently on course to maintain their faint top-four hopes.

Cardiff have started the second half well and have a corner kick after Dawson took a safety-first approach when clearing Campbell's low centre.

Kim's corner doesn't beat the first man and then Fabio is jeered for messing up a backheel on the touchline.

UPDATE: Ronaldo, who else, has just equalised for Real in the Madrid derby.

Spurs have a free kick on the right-hand corner of the box that Townsend swings towards the far corner. He might be trying to catch out Marshall but can't do so as the Scot claims comfortably.

Less to report in the last few minutes as the rain falls heavier in the capital.

CARDIFF SUB: Double change from Solskjaer as Mats Daehli and Jordan Mutch replace Aron Gunnarsson and Craig Bellamy.

Spurs have a free kick in a dangerous position but they can't take advantage as Caulker heads clear.

SPURS SUB: Sherwood makes his first substitution, bringing on Nacer Chadli for Townsend.

SUBS: More changes as Sherwood brings on Sandro for Brazilian teammate Paulinho, while Kenwyne Jones takes the place of Fabio for the visitors.

Naughton picks out Adebayor in the middle but the Togolese striker is offside and can't beat Marshall anyway.

We had seven goals in the first half of the three 4.30 kickoffs but there hasn't been a single one in the second yet. It remains, 1-0 to Spurs here, 1-0 to Swansea against Palace, while Villa are on their way to three points as they are 4-1 up on Norwich.

There's been so little goalmouth action in the second half, Spurs have had four shots in the second half, Cardiff just two. We remain separated by Soldado's composed finish.

SPURS SUB: Speaking of Soldado, his game has just come to an end as he is replaced by Harry Kane in what is the final substitution of the match.

Nice one-two between Daehli and Kim. The former moves into the area but is then dispossessed by a great Sandro tackle.

UPDATE: Palace are level in Wales as Glenn Murray scores from the spot after Chico Flores was sent off.

CHANCE! Spurs should have put this game to bed but Kane can only prod a one-on-one chance straight at Marshall. It shouldn't cost the home side, but they might regret it as we approach the full-time whistle.

FOUR minutes of time have been added on. Can Cardiff steal a point?

CHANCE! Opening for Cardiff as Daehli collects Jones's flick-on but just can't get it down to get off a shot.

The visitors have a couple of corners and keeper Marshall goes up for them but he doesn't help and Spurs clear. That should be that.

Spurs win through in another close game at White Hart Lane. They still have a slight chance of making a dash for the top four in the final two months of the season.

For Cardiff, they remain in the bottom three and now have a huge game at home against the one side below them in the table, Fulham, next week.

That's just about it from us here. Thanks for joining SM. Click here to find links for all of today's scores, scorers and match reports.