Tottenham Hotspur seemed like they were on a mission in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final as they earned a well-deserved 1-0 win against Liverpool.
Tottenham were the underdogs heading into the clash as Arne Slot has managed to transform his Reds side into the best team in the Premier League as well as arguably the most feared team in the world.
Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou would admit that based on Spurs’ displays in the Premier League this season, they have been far from impressive.
But plenty of Tottenham players impressed on Wednesday, with Lucas Bergvall stealing the headlines with a well-taken winner and Archie Gray stepping up against Liverpool at centre-back.
Dominic Solanke lauded Antonin Kinsky’s display against the visitors as well as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was treated to one of its most memorable nights in a while.
Lucas Bergvall, Antonin Kinsky and Archie Gray hailed for Tottenham vs Liverpool
In the aftermath of Tottenham’s narrow victory against Liverpool, Michael Dawson reserved special praise for Bergvall, Archie Gray and Antonin Kinsky for looking the part on such a big night for the Lilywhites.
Dawson said on Sky Sports: “
“I have to look at [Lucas] Bervall, 18 years old. [Antonin] Kinsky, 21 years of age, just come in. And Archie Gray. I thought the three of those players were absolutely magnificent.”
“Bergvall certainly, the way he pressed and made the opportunity for Pedro Porro. But it’s a performance from back to front they can be proud of.”
However, Michael Dawson warned Tottenham that Liverpool will not look as undercooked as they did in the second leg.
“It is only halfway and I don’t see Liverpool playing like this in the first week of February.”
Ange Postecoglou backed and Tottenham vs Liverpool shows why
Tottenham’s board are backing Ange Postecoglou, as are the players and their inspired performance against Liverpool.
If Spurs had sacked Postecoglou earlier or decided to cut ties with him before the contest, perhaps the squad could well have undergone a dip in morale heading into their fixture against Arne Slot’s juggernaut.
But whether it be Bergvall, Gray and Kinsky or any other Tottenham player, they looked right up for the fight against Liverpool.
Ange Postecoglou’s tactical ideas may split opinion but they seem to muster up assured performances out of his side like against the Merseyside-based club and when things click, this group of players entertain like not many teams can.