The dates for Liverpool’s two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur have been confirmed by the EFL.
The Reds were paired with Spurs just two days before Sunday’s pulsating 6-3 win in the capital, and Liverpool fans - and neutrals - will hope for a repeat of that when the Reds travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium again next month.
The first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final will be played at the ground on Wednesday 8 January, in between Liverpool’s games against Manchester United and Accrington Stanley. There is also a four-week gap between the two legs against Spurs, with the second to be played at Anfield on Thursday 6 February. Both matches will kick off at 20:00 GMT.
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The home tie will be sandwiched either side of a Premier League trip to Bournemouth, and a fourth-round FA Cup clash, should Liverpool progress. Assuming Arne Slot’s side eliminate Accrington it means that a fourth-round tie will most likely be played on the Sunday or Monday after the Spurs second leg.
Elsewhere, in the other semi-final, Arsenal and Newcastle United will see the first meeting take place at the Emirates on Tuesday 7 January, with the return fixture set for Wednesday 5 February.
The 2025 Carabao Cup final will take place on 16 March, meaning, should Liverpool secure its place, the home Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers will need to be rearranged.
Given Liverpool’s fixture pile up that is far from ideal. Progression into the last four of the Carabao Cup means the Reds have midweek matches in six of the next seven weeks, and that’s after a run of four midweek matches since the November international break. With a trip to Everton to be squeezed in somehow as well, the mounting number of games could become a pressing subject for Slot in coming months.
For now, the Dutchman will still be reveling in Liverpool’s 6-3 win on Sunday. Goals from Luis Diaz (2), Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah (2) secured the three points, although Slot was disappointed with Liverpool’s defending at times.
“Until 60 to 65 minutes, I really, really, really enjoyed what I saw,” the 46-year-old said after the game. “But then you also saw that no matter how much quality players have, if they think they don’t have to run anymore in this league, especially against Tottenham, they immediately start to create and they scored two goals. I was happy when the sixth one went in.
“Maybe it is human when you are 5-1 up. You think: ‘OK’. But Tottenham always keep on going and they have the ability to create. You have to be on top of your game every second of the game and if you’re not 100% then it hurts you.”
The win at Spurs means Liverpool tops the Premier League table by four points at Christmas, with a game in hand. Next up is the home match against Leicester City on Boxing Day.