LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur gained a slender advantage in its League Cup semifinal against London rival Chelsea as Harry Kane’s penalty earned it a gritty 1-0 first-leg win at Wembley Tuesday.

Kane’s 26th-minute spot kick, his 160th goal for the club, was awarded after a lengthy, but correct, VAR decision and means Tottenham remains on course to claim its first silverware since winning the League Cup against Chelsea in 2008.

It still has a long way to go, however, and Chelsea will feel confident going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge on Jan. 24 having outplayed its host at times.

Maurizio Sarri’s side was twice denied by the woodwork and it dominated the second half as Tottenham dug deep.

Tottenham has now won three consecutive matches against Chelsea for the first time since a run of five between 1961 and 1963, but unlike when it outclassed the Blues in November, winning 3-1 in the Premier League, this was a night for hard graft.

VAR, used in various FA Cup ties at the weekend and most probably in the Premier League next season, has had a mixed reception but the technology proved correct Tuesday to give Tottenham the edge ahead of the second leg.

There appeared little doubt that Kane was taken out by Arrizabalaga as he rounded the Spanish keeper but referee Michael Oliver initially did not award a penalty as he checked, firstly whether Kane had been onside in the build-up, and then whether indeed there had been contact.

Eventually Oliver pointed to the spot and produced a yellow card, rather than a red, for Arrizabalaga and Kane drilled his spot kick low into the corner to score for the sixth successive match in all competitions and move above Cliff Jones into fourth spot on Tottenham’s all-time goalscorers’ list.

“I played to the whistle and nicked it round the keeper, it was a clear penalty. VAR is there for a reason and they got it right,” Kane said.

Lyon knocked out

Lyon suffered a surprise exit from the French League Cup Tuesday as Bruno Genesio’s side was beaten 2-1 at home by Strasbourg in the quarterfinals.

The host, which sits third in the Ligue 1 table behind runaway leader Paris Saint-Germain and Lille, fell behind to an early Ludovic Ajorque spot kick.

Nabil Fekir wasted an opportunity to level on the stroke of half-time, blazing a penalty over the crossbar after he had been tripped in the area, but Bertrand Traore latched onto Memphis Depay’s flick to power home a 49th-minute equalizer.

Strasbourg responded quickly, though, as Ivorian defender Lamine Kone headed in his second goal in as many games.

Blackman scores winner

Sporting Gijon’s English forward Nick Blackman came off the bench to score the winner as the Spanish second-tier side beat floundering Valencia 2-1 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last 16 tie Tuesday.

Blackman, on loan from Derby County, had been on the pitch for under 60 seconds when he headed home from close range.

Sporting, the club where Valencia coach Marcelino began his playing career and spent two years as manager, took the lead in the 35th minute through left back Javi Noblejas.

The visitors leveled on the stroke of halftime with a long-range strike from Dani Parejo.

Valencia has the opportunity to turn the tie around in next Tuesday’s second leg at its Mestalla stadium. — Agencies