Liverpool succumbed to only their second defeat of the season to head into the League Cup semi-final second leg with a one-goal deficit after another lacklustre performance.
Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool
Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
January 8, 2025
Goals: Bergvall 86′
Alisson – 7 (out of 10)
A surprise starter as this has typically been Caoimhin Kelleher‘s competition, with Slot explaining it was for rhythm, and he was swiftly put to work with a reaction save.
Quick off his line but his distribution was questionable and bordering on self sabotage, gifting Spurs an open goal, which they squandered on that occasion.
Another game without a clean sheet.
Conor Bradley – 7
If there was one thing you could not question it was his work rate – though, understandably, he needed time to settle with this his first start in more than six weeks.
Battled hard and proved a reliable option on the right flank with his overlapping runs. A foundation to build on at the very least.
Jarell Quansah – 5
Has found playing time hard to come by and it showed with a nervy pass into midfield very early on that was nowhere near a teammate, his captain swiftly told him to calm down.
From then on he consistently looked on edge, but before we knew it he was forced off with an injury after just 30 minutes – it’s been a torrid season for the 21-year-old.
Virgil van Dijk – 8 (Man of the Match)
The calm presence Liverpool needed, Van Dijk was assured when others were sloppy and readily positioned himself brilliantly to deny Spurs a chance to take aim at Alisson.
It is so easy to brush over his performances such is the standards he has set for himself, but he was everywhere he needed to be, and more, and notably left Brennan Johnson in a heap.
Couldn’t cover for Konate late on but that does not take away from his individual performance.
Kostas Tsimikas – 6
It’s becoming a theme that Tsimikas’ first involvement is usually an error, as was the case here as he passed straight to the Spurs player in the box – thankfully, Van Dijk had it covered.
Tsimikas was not the only one but he was guilty of overcooking seemingly simple passes, being easily dispossessed and out of position. Insult to injury he couldn’t be on the pitch for Spurs’ winner.
Ryan Gravenberch – 7
A mix of the good with the bad like so many, but ended in the category of the former.
An understated performance on the whole, though, with his now hallmark ability to work himself out of tight spaces still very much a feature. He was vital when making a late recovery run, using his body expertly to stop Spurs in their tracks to prevent another goal.
Alexis Mac Allister – 7
Swept up a lot of the loose balls, his positioning is always spot on and he was certainly one of the players to improve as the game wore on.
Made the most recoveries of any Reds outfielder (7) prior to his withdrawal and perhaps telling that Spurs could only find a breakthrough after his substitution.
Curtis Jones – 6
With Dominik Szoboszlai still absent due to illness, Jones had the chance to put Sunday out of his mind with a strong performance – though we wouldn’t quite call it that.
Looks like a player that needs a rest, but he was at least accurate when it possession of the ball – though that hints at opting to be safe over making line-breaking passes as the No. 10.
Mohamed Salah – 5
The fewest touches of any Reds player in the first half (11) and the opportunities he did have he snatched at them as he tried to make something happen.
Salah is always capable of conjuring a moment of magic on even the poorest of days but it just never looked like happening despite his efforts.
Cody Gakpo – 6
Looked bright on the left when given the chance to run at the Spurs defence and cut inside onto his right boot, but it was a rare occurrence for the Dutchman.
The most likely route to goal before his substitution.
Diogo Jota – 6
After six successive appearances off the bench, Jota finally got his first start since October 21, and he started as the most involved of the front three in what was a stop-start first half.
Found half-spaces to operate in and did contribute defensively but one shot before his substitution on the hour mark spoke volumes of his lack of involvement in the areas where it mattered.
Substitutes
Wataru Endo (on for Quansah, 30′) – 8 – For the second time this season was tasked at coming on at centre-back, a position all too familiar to him. The best compliment you could give him was that you didn’t even question his presence there before he moved into midfield late on.
Darwin Nunez (on for Jota, 60′) – 7 – Injected energy up front and came close with an improvised shot.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (on for Bradley, 60′) – 8 – Was immediately serenaded with his song from the travelling Kop and helped inject much-needed forward impetus. Had a shot cleared off the line and there will be no question about his efforts this time.
Luis Diaz (on for Gakpo, 60′) – 6 – Did a lot without doing a lot, make sense?
Ibrahima Konate (on for Mac Allister, 80′) – 6 – Enabled Endo to move into midfield but he could not take the ball away from Dominic Solanke in the lead up to Spurs’ goal.
Subs not used: Kelleher, Robertson, Elliott, Chiesa
Arne Slot – 6
There will have been some surprise at Slot making only four changes, but he made it evident he was looking for rhythm from some while giving rest to others – he didn’t quite get that, though.
The injury to Quansah is far from ideal with Ibrahima Konate only making his return and Joe Gomez still a number of weeks away from a comeback – Endo’s stock has quickly risen!
Will have been frustrated, again, by how sloppy and wasteful his side were in possession but his changes – which looked pre-planned – did at least inject life into his side for the final 30 minutes.
His annoyance boiled over after Lucas Bergvall scored for Tottenham moments after the midfielder ought to have been shown his second yellow card, instead it was his assistant who was cautioned. Typical.
A one-goal deficit is not the end of the world but that he could not get a result with a strong XI is far from ideal, it is yet another wake up call.