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Chelsea like to remind London rivals Tottenham let Willian slip through their grasp.

In 2013, in one of the more brutal transfer hijackings the Premier League has seen, the Blues - Champions League winners in 2012 - paraded their transfer might when they pinched the Brazil international.

Spurs were very interested in signing, then a 25-year-old Anzhi Makhachkala star and manager Andre Villas-Boas believed a deal was pretty much over the line.

A medical was scheduled for Willian, a player he hoped to bring to the club using some of the money they got from selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for £85m that summer.

But then Chelsea came calling. Former owner Roman Abramovich contacted Anzhi owner, Suleyman Kerimov, and the rest is history.

Liverpool were also said to be interested, but Chelsea eventually signed Willian on a five-year contract in a move worth around £30million.

In 2018, he told Brazilian TV show Resenha that signing for the Blues was actually his preference and revealed his agent, Kia Joorabchian, informed him of the Blues' offer when he arrived at Spurs' training ground for his scheduled medical as is customary before players sign for new clubs.

"I said ‘So make do, I’ll get back in the van, you’ll make do and I’ll go to Chelsea, I will not sign with Tottenham.'"

But it wasn't made easy for him as he was warned about the consequences of the U-turn he was about to do.

"I stayed there for eight hours in the training centre. Tottenham's director said 'I'm going to report you to FIFA, this and that, fans here in England will boo you, this and that.' They made up a lot of things.

"I got stuck there for eight hours. Then I left and I went straight to meet the Chelsea people to sort the details and sign."

And just to rub it, he told the media as he joined that 'Chelsea are one of the best clubs in the world' and revealed his delight at playing for Jose Mourinho, whom he labelled 'one of the best managers'.

It didn't help the bad blood between the clubs, with supporters firmly bitter enemies, it seemed like it war in the boardroom too.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy refused to sell Luka Modric to Chelsea despite a £40m offer and the midfielder's desire to go. At the time there was also friction between managers Jose Mourinho and Villas-Boas. They worked together at Porto, Chelsea and Inter but the relationship has soured.

Regardless, Willian made his debut for the club a couple of weeks later in their 2-1 Champions League defeat against Basel.

His first Premier League appearance saw him score just five minutes after coming off the bench away at Norwich in their 3-1 win.

Chelsea fans were clearly delighted with the player's decision to choose them over Tottenham, so much so that they created a new chant in his name.

During his time at the club, supporters could be heard singing: "The s*** from Spurs, they booked his flight, but Willian, he saw the light, he got a call from Abramovich, and off he went to Stamford Bridge, he hates Tottenham, he hates Tottenham, he hates Tottenham and he hates Tottenham!"

Even Mourinho laughed at the time.

"That's the danger of medicals before contracts," the Stamford Bridge boss said with a smile on his face.

Willian played 339 times for Chelsea during seven seasons at the club, scoring 63 goals in all competitions.

In his 17 appearances against Spurs, he scored four goals and recorded one assist.

And while he won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League in west London, Spurs are still waiting on a first trophy since 2008.

If that wasn't bad enough, Willian then made Tottenham sick again by signing for their north London rivals Arsenal in 2020.

He spent one season at the Emirates Stadium before returning to Corinthians in his native Brazil for a year before heading back to England and joining Fulham in 2022.

The winger eventually left London for Greek side Olympiacos in 2024 but has now been linked with a return to England in 2025.

ESPN in Brazil report that two top flight clubs have been in talks about bringing the 36-year-old back to the Premier League.

Speaking about his time in London, he told the Evening Standard in 2023 that 'London is everything'.

“Me and my family love being Londoners, we are happy to be back and living in London. It is one of the best cities in the world.” He also targeted playing at the top level of football until he is 37 or 38.

It suggests a London club might be his next destination, but it is safe to say it won't be Spurs.

Arsenal and Tottenham are both balancing injury-hit squads when they clash for the season's second north London derby this week.

The goal-shy Gunners host a Spurs side ravaged by defensive injuries in one of the Premier League's most intriguing encounters.

Mikel Arteta's men are hoping to bounce back from their FA Cup exit to keep pace with leaders Liverpool on their return to the Emirates.

Despite their penalty shootout heartache, Arsenal remain the only team with their unbeaten Premier League home record intact.

Tottenham meanwhile will bid to restore their lost bragging rights having fallen to defeat in the reverse derby fixture in September.

Spurs did secure their spot in the FA Cup fourth round but have only taken one point from the last 12 on offer in the Premier League.

Arsenal vs Tottenham: Team news and predicted line-ups

Arsenal

The hosts are continuing to miss talisman Bukayo Saka in attack, with Gabriel Jesus now facing the prospect of alengthy lay-off as well.

The latter's former Manchester City teammate Raheem Sterling had arguably his brightest showing in their FA Cup defeat on Sunday.

The Chelsea loanee has also just come back from injury himself but has been waiting for an opportunity to earn a run in the team.

Sterling has started just two Premier League games since his summer loan from Stamford Bridge.

One of those starts ended after just 37 minutes following William Saliba's red card in the 2-0 loss against Bournemouth in October.

Alternatively, Gabriel Martinelli could present an option on the right, with Arteta recently talking up his capability to deputise for Saka.

The Brazilian's pace in behind will be a vital asset against Tottenham's defensive high-line on either flank.

Should Martinelli be given the nod over Sterling on the right then Leandro Trossard is the other option to feature from the left.

Kai Havertz endured a nightmare against Manchester United, missing a plethora of chances before his penalty was saved in the shootout.

His form has led to increased calls for Arsenal to sign a new striker, but in their current state, the German will continue to lead the line.

Arteta has a more straightforward selection pick in midfield, with Thomas Partey and Declan Rice replacing Jorginho and Mikel Merino.

Tottenham have conceded at least once in each of their last 25 Premier League away games against Arsenal, since a 0-0 draw in 1998-99. In their league history, only at Bolton have they had a longer run without an away clean sheet (35 between 1923 and 2012).

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League home games (W9 D3), and are the only side without a home loss so far this season (W6 D3). They’ve kept a clean sheet in each of their last four home league games, last recording five consecutive shutouts at the Emirates between December 2013 and February 2014.

Tottenham have won just one of their last eight Premier League matches (D2 L5), with that victory coming at bottom side Southampton. Indeed, since the start of this run only Leicester (4) and Southampton (1) have earned fewer points in the Premier League than Spurs (5).

Captain Martin Odegaard, goalkeeper David Raya, and the back four are all expected to retain their spots from the FA Cup defeat.

In addition to Saka and Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all confirmed absentees.

Riccardo Calafiori will hope to be back involved, but Kieran Tierney has a bigger case to challenge Myles Lewis-Skelly's place at left-back.

The Scot was notably the defender called upon from the bench by Arteta over Oleksandr Zinchenko against Man United.

Tottenham

The visitors are again without the majority of their first-choice backline, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario still sidelined.

January signing Antonin Kinsky has impressed with successive clean sheets in his first two outings and will be between the sticks.

Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero,Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies are all in the treatment room - leaving Radu Dragusin as the only fit senior centre-back.

The Romanian will be partnered by orthodox defensive midfielder Archie Gray, with Djed Spence returning on the left.

Pedro Porro is an ever-present option at right-back, while Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr are likely to start in midfield alongside Dejan Kulusevski.

Rodrigo Bentancur will miss out due to concussion protocols, with highly-rated youngster Lucas Bergvall also pushing to be involved.

Ange Postecoglou's favoured front three looks poised to include Heung-min Son and Dominic Solanke, while Brennan Johnson will hope to start over James Maddison after scoring against Tamworth.

Brazilian forward Richarlison has been out with a hamstring injury since November, while summer signing Wilson Odobert is also sidelined.

As a team, Tottenham have applied more pressures in the final third than any other side in the Premier League this season (1,321). Striker Dominic Solanke leads the way for this among players, with his 386 over 100 more than the next highest (Erling Haaland, 275).

Arsenal have conceded a league-high 28% of their Premier League goals in the opening 15 minutes of games this season (5/18). Meanwhile, Tottenham have scored more goals in this time period than any other side (11).

Each of Kai Havertz’s last 11 Premier League goals have been scored in London. The last Arsenal player to have a longer such run was Lukas Podolski (12 between December 2012 and April 2014).

Arsenal vs Tottenham: What has been said?

“Today we will take it again and we’ll go to Wednesday,” Arteta said following his team's FA Cup exit on Sunday.

“Another opportunity for us, probably at the right time as well to get what we deserve, perform again and give our supporters what they deserve as well.”

“Incredible how we didn’t win the game,” added Arteta. “That’s basically to sum up the dominance, the superiority in relation to opposition and everything that we did to try to win the game.

“And that’s it. We didn’t get what we deserved, clearly, but there is an element that is about putting the ball in the back of the net.”

Arsenal have won six of their last eight Premier League games against Spurs (D1 L1) and are looking to win three consecutive league games against them for the first time since January 1989 (a run of five).

Tottenham have won just one of their last 31 Premier League away games against Arsenal (D12 L18) and are winless in 13 since a 3-2 victory in November 2010.

Following their 1-0 win in September, Arsenal are looking to complete the Premier League double over Tottenham for the fifth time. Only in 2013-14 have they done so without conceding in the competition.

Arsenal vs Tottenham: How to follow

This Premier League clash is set to take place on Wednesday, January 15.

Kick-off at the Emirates is scheduled for 8pm.

The match will be shown on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. Coverage begins at 6:30pm.

You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.

talkSPORT will also have updates from north London, with Adrian Durham, Deeney and Scott Minto taking you around the grounds.

talkSPORT.com will also have the action in our dedicated live Premier League blog.

To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

Luis Enrique offered a peculiar answer when asked about speculation over the future of Randal Kolo Muani at Paris Saint-Germain.

The forward has become the subject of transfer interest this month amid a season in which he has made just two starts in Ligue 1.

Manchester United and Tottenham have both been linked to a loan deal for Kolo Muani.

However, Juventus are said to be the leading contenders for the 26-year-old, who signed for PSG from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023.

Kolo Muani was not involved in his current club's 2-1 win against Saint-Etienne that has continued their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

However, PSG manager Enrique remained quiet on the Frenchman's future at the club with an unusual press conference answer.

"I don’t know," he said on the speculation via the Metro. "The transfer window, for me, is more like the market for fruit, fish, bread."

Enrique then added: "I have nothing to say."

A January move to Spurs for Kolo Muani would see him compete with Dominic Solanke for the starting role in the centre of their attack.

Ange Postecoglou has been without Richarlison due to a hamstring injury and he's set to return imminently.

However, with the club still in three cup competitions, an attacking signing may be pending this window.

Kolo Muani would also face competition for minutes at United as they already have Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in their ranks.

However, talkSPORT reported last week that Juventus have offered them Dusan Vlahovic as part of a shock swap deal for Zirkzee.

After rising through the Nantes academy and into their first team, Kolo Muani excelled during his stint at Eintracht Frankfurt.

He scored 26 goals and assisted 17 others in 50 appearances and was part of the France side that reached the final of the 2022 World Cup.

The forward caught eyes of PSG and they signed him in a £76.4million deal, although he has struggled in front of goal since.

Kolo Muani has netted just 11 times in 54 outings for the French giants and played only 453 minutes in all competitions this season.

Incoming Tottenham player Luka Vuskovic had a day to forget on Saturday ahead of his highly anticipated north London move.

The 17-year-old defender was sent off for the first time in his career for Belgian side Westerlo.

Vuskovic received two yellow cards in the space of five seconds immediately after their 2-1 defeat to Sint-Truidense.

A furious reaction from the centre-back after the final whistle saw him confront the referee in the middle of the pitch.

Teammate Matija Frigan was also shown a yellow card for his protests along with Vuskovic.

However, the Croatia Under-21 international reacted to the caution by getting closer to the referee and screaming in his face.

He then turned his back and walked away furiously whilst the official pulled out his red card.

Vuskovic could be seen throwing his hands in the air as his teammates continued to speak to the referee.

The youngster's first senior red card means he will miss next weekend's trip to Antwerp for Westerlo.

Spurs agreed a deal to sign the promising centre-back in September 2023 from Croatian outfit Hajduk Split.

Vuskovic has penned a five-year deal with the club through to 2030, but will not arrive in North London until this summer.

Instead, he is currently on loan in Belgium this term, where he has scored six goals and provided an assist in 21 appearances.

Those strikes include a stunning bicycle kick against Club Brugge on Boxing Day.

The Croatian had been highly sought after across Europe before agreeing to join Spurs.

He made his professional debut for Hajduk in 2023 just five days after turning 16.

Meanwhile, he has represented his country at under-16, under-17 and under-21 level already in his career.

One Tamworth player turned into prime Zinedine Zidane to leave TWO Tottenham players with egg on their faces.

Haydn Hollis, who plays for the National League side, pulled off a brilliant roulette in their FA Cup third round clash with Spurs.

It was a match which they eventually lost 3-0 after extra time.

However, a stunning spirited display saw moments of class from the minnows.

Picking up the ball, Hollis pulled off the outrageous trick to leave both Timo Werner and Pape Matar Sarr scratching their heads at what had happened.

The 32-year-old played for Notts County, Forest Green Rovers and Chesterfield in his career before moving to Tamworth last summer.

And he even earned himself Player of the Match.

Joking about the moment with ITV, he added: "Their manager said, ‘that’s good enough to get you through the door here’ and I said ‘I’ve never done it before!’

“But it’s not my game, you’ll never see that again.”

Tamworth welcomed Ange Postecoglou's side to The Lamb Stadium and looked like good value to cause a major FA Cup upset as they took Spurs to extra-time with the scores level at 0-0.

While Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson grabbed extra-time goals to earn the victory, there's no doubt that Tamworth's performance will go down in FA Cup history due to how close they came to an upset.

Reflecting on the defeat, Hollis added: "It’s just so disappointing the manner in which we gave the first goal away and as soon as they score it’s always going to be a long afternoon.

“Listen, we’ve done ourselves proud. We’ve taken them to extra-time which is an unbelievable achievement.

“Now that the run has come to an end we can focus on staying in the league.”

Asked how they kept the game level for so long, he added: “I don’t know. The pitch and the fans were a leveller for us but everyone gave everything.

“Maybe we just died towards the end of extra-time – maybe we just gave everything and fell a little bit short.

“We make it difficult for everyone who comes here but it’s just one of those things.”

Tamworth were playing in the National League North just last season before earning promotion to the fifth tier of English football.

This term, the Lambs are currently sitting in 16th position in the National League as they aim to consolidate their place in the league.

Tamworth's next match is a Birmingham Senior Cup match against Boldmere St. Michael's on Tuesday, the day before Spurs face Arsenal in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur travel north to face non-league Tamworth in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. This is a typical banana-skin style match. Will Spurs slip up on Sunday?

Tamworth vs Tottenham best bets

Spurs -2 to win on the European handicap - 6/5 with Betfred

Brennan Johnson to score anytime - 6/4 with SBK

Lucas Bergvall to score or assist - 9/5 with Casumo

Tamworth vs Tottenham odds

Find the latest match odds for Tamworth vs Tottenham. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

Tamworth vs Tottenham predictions

Tamworth sit 16th in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. On Sunday, they take on Spurs at the Lamb Ground in the biggest match in the non-league club’s history.

Managed by Andy Peaks, Tamworth has already defeated Macclesfield, Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion to reach this stage. The cup run is rumoured to have netted the club up to a quarter of a million pounds.

A win over Premier League giants Spurs would see that number dwarfed. It would also see the Tamworth players immortalised, with their exploits repeated year after year in the build-up to the FA Cup 3rd Round weekend.

And they have the perfect setting for a giant killing. Their home ground has a capacity of less than 5,000, with just over 500 seated. It is an old-school football ground, the sort few Premier League players will have experienced before in their careers.

The Lambs also face a Spurs team that can be very Jekyll and Hyde. So they do have to go into this fixture truly believing they have a chance. Because if the wrong version of Spurs turns up, Tamworth may cause the upset of the century.

After all the glitz and glamour of the FA Cup is over, Tamworth will return to reality with a Birmingham Senior Cup fixture against Boldmere St. Michaels on Tuesday night.

As for Spurs, could something good happen for the inconsistent Lilywhites and Ange Postecoglou?

Surely, it's only the team’s run in the Carabao Cup that has kept Big Ange in a job in recent weeks, as things have gone from bad to worse in the Premier League.

But after defeating Liverpool 1-0 on Wednesday night in the 1st leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, Spurs can sniff Wembley. And in the FA Cup, they have drawn the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, giving them a great chance to get through to the 4th Round.

The cups could give Spurs a confidence boost. They seem to be having a lot of luck in the Carabao Cup. The sort of which could make fans believe their name is on the trophy.

Spurs used a get-out-of-jail card in the 2-1 win over Coventry City in the 3rd Round. They then rode their luck in the 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Round of 16 and also had a go at throwing away a three-goal lead over Man Utd in the quarter-final.

And then just when it looked like the Lilywhites had run out of good fortune, they got lucky against Liverpool with their match winner, Lucas Bergvall lucky to still be on the pitch when he fired home the 86th-minute winner against the runaway Premier League leaders.

Spurs are struggling in the league. They sit 12th on 24 points from 20 matches. But the cups are offering their long-suffering fans some hope and a genuine chance of silverware.

It would be typical for Spurs to beat Liverpool and then lose to Tamworth. But surely even they can’t manage that.

Tamworth vs Tottenham betting tips

Tottenham are 2/13 to win the match and just 1/20 to go through to the 4th Round.

The Lambs are 7/1 to make it to the 4th Round. But the fifth-tier team is in a run of poor league form, with just one win in their last five.

They shouldn’t be a problem for Spurs, who look set to pick a team with a mix of experience and some of their young squad players. More Tamworth v Tottenham betting tips can be found below:

Spurs -2 to win on the European handicap

If things go according to plan, this should be a comfortable afternoon for Spurs.

There is no value in backing Spurs to win in the match result market. And there is little value backing them at 1/2 to win from -1 on the European handicap.

⚽ Back Spurs -2 to win on the European handicap at 6/5 with Betfred ⚽

Brennan Johnson to score

Brennan Johnson seems to enjoy playing away from home. He is the club’s highest scorer in away matches in all competitions this season.

The former Nottingham Forest forward scored in the 2-1 win at Coventry City in the Carabao Cup 3rd Round, one on the road in the Europa League, and three of his seven Premier League goals have also come away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Not a certain first team starter in the league, Johnson could be one of the more senior players asked to do a job at Tamworth. At odds of 6/4, Johnson looks worth a wager to get another goal on the road.

⚽ Brennan Johnson to score anytime at 6/4 with SBK ⚽

Lucas Bergvall to score or assist

Football must seem like an easy game for 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall.

Referees seem reluctant to send him off, and they even ask the opposition to go down to 10 men to allow the young Swede to score.

In all seriousness, Bergvall rode his luck against Liverpool. And after such an impressive display, including a well-taken goal, no matter what the circumstances, it is highly likely that Bergvall will get a run out against Tamworth.

It is tempting to back him to be booked or even sent off after he dodged a certain red against Liverpool.

Instead, we are backing him to continue making a name for himself in a positive manner and either score or assist against Tamworth.

⚽ Back Lucas Bergvall to score or assist at 9/5 with Casumo ⚽

📺 How to watch Tamworth vs Tottenham

Location: The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England.

Date and time: Sunday 12th January, 12.30pm GMT.

How to watch: ITV1 and ITVX.

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Tottenham Hotspur have posted a job opening for a new head of its medical department as the club grapples with an ongoing injury crisis.

Ange Postecoglou's squad is currently missing eight first-team players, with several key figures facing extended periods on the sidelines.

Defensive duo Micky van de Ven and Christian Romero both returned to action for the club’s match against Chelsea last month but were forced off during the 4-3 defeat.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has been out since November with an ankle injury, with Fraser Forster stepping in between the sticks until new signing Antonin Kinsky kept a clean sheet in his debut against Liverpool.

Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Richarlison are also unavailable.

These ongoing setbacks reportedly prompted the club to review its medical team last month, with the manager expressing frustration over players suffering recurring injuries.

Following the review, Tottenham advertised the position of head of the men's medical department on LinkedIn, although the salary range for the role was not disclosed.

‘Injury prevention’ and ‘rehabilitation’ were listed as key responsibilities within the job.

To land the role you must have a physiotherapy degree with the Health and Care Professionals Council, a Masters degree in a relevant area and an 'extensive knowledge in injury prevention methods and recovery'.

Tottenham want the ideal candidate to have a 'pro-active and engaging style' that encourages ‘a culture of high performance’.

This is the second medical operation review, following Postecoglou’s first season, which resulted in the departure of the club’s head of medicine and sports science, Geoff Scott.

Former Brighton employee Adam Brett was then appointed as director of performance services alongside ex-Wales and West Ham staff member Nick Davies as head of sports science.

To have hope of possibly fighting for European football this problem must be solved quickly because Spurs sit 12th in the Premier League, only winning just one of their last eight league games.

Ahead of a Europa League match against Rangers last month, Postecoglou confirmed the club was investigating the recurring injury issue.

He said: “I never think it's just bad luck. Some of it. I've never lost a goalkeeper for this period of time.

“Some of the other issues that we've had, but some of it is recurring, particularly this year in terms of guys coming back and re-injuring. It's something we're looking at.

“We're always trying to explore whether we can do things better. Last year was different to this year. Last year it hit us across the board. This year it's more guys that are coming back who are affected.

“Knock on wood, we've got a core group who are playing a lot and are getting through it ok. But it is something we are trying to address.”

A Tottenham mascot who went viral on social media has revealed Virgil van Dijk's reaction to his cheeky plea.

Ahead of Spurs' 1-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first leg win against Liverpool, the match mascots met the players in the tunnel.

They were buzzing with excitement when Van Dijk walked back to the Liverpool dressing room, with one in particular making a request now that the transfer window is open.

"Van Dijk, come to Tottenham! We haven't got any good defenders at the moment!" he said amid Spurs' various injury issues at the back.

The clip quickly went viral online and the witty mascot, Rocco, spoke to talkSPORT after the match after his Dad called in.

"He's in the back of the car and he's got his tail between his legs," Charlie told Jamie O'Hara and Jason Cundy on The Sports Bar.

"He was convinced that he did enough to get Van Dijk to sign for us.

"But about 60 minutes into the game he realised he made a big mistake and he knew that we only need [Radu] Dragusin and Archie Gray to see us through, what a performance."

O'Hara asked if Rocco realised he went viral, and Charlie replied: "He didn't until his phone started popping off after it went on talkSPORT.

"He didn't watch the last ten minutes of the game, he was too busy looking at social media, but he's in the back of the car now."

Rocco then recalled his interaction with Van Dijk but after watching Spurs beat Liverpool, he paid tribute to his side's defenders.

"Right, what's up? So, I just wanted to apologise for what I said earlier," he said.

"I'm sorry for my actions because we've got Archie Gray and Radu Dragusin!"

Rocco was then asked about what Van Dijk said back, but hilariously replied: "I don't really know, but he didn't seem very happy."

Spurs won a hard-fought battle against Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but there were worrying scenes early on.

Rodrigo Bentancur received treatment on the pitch for around eight minutes after he fell awkwardly inside the penalty area after a corner.

He was stretchered off and taken to hospital, then took to social media after to say: "All good, guys! Thank you for the messages!!! Congratulations for the victory boys!!!"

Lucas Bergvall scored the winner for Spurs on 86 minutes with a low finish but Liverpool were left fuming with the goal.

The midfielder escaped a second yellow card for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas and then netted his goal just moments later.

Antonin Kinsky was visibly emotional following his dream Tottenham debut.

The Czech goalkeeper made his first appearance for his new club against Liverpool on Wednesday night.

Kinsky marked the occasion by keeping a clean sheet as his side won their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

The 21-year-old impressed in goal for Ange Postecoglou's side just three days after arriving in North London.

Spurs completed the signing of Kinsky from Slavia Prague on Sunday.

Kinsky made six saves on his debut as he kept out a Reds attack which featured Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota.

Meanwhile, he also showed his ability on the ball, completing 45 passes during the match.

Following the full-time whistle, the young keeper could be seen rushing over to the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Cameras spotted Kinsky embracing his sister in the stands during an emotional moment for the stopper.

Speaking after the match, he told Sky Sports: "Yeah definitely [the best night of my life].

"I'm a big dreamer. I make my own vision of the future. This dream, I had never dreamt this one.

"I'm so happy, I came three days ago and everyone is so nice."

Kinsky added: "[I was hugging]my sister. Yesterday, I got to know that there was a possibility I was going to be playing.

"I called and they came, my sister, her boyfriend and my parents.

"It was so nice to have them here for this. I hope my dad is proud."

His performance between the sticks helped seal a first leg advantage for Spurs.

They will take a 1-0 lead to Anfield next month thanks to Lucas Bergvall's late winner.

The Swedish midfielder broke the deadlock with his first Spurs goal just four minutes from the 90.

Meanwhile, Kinsky's debut clean sheet was a significant one for his new club this season.

He has now kept as many home clean sheets in domestic competitions as Fraser Forster and Guglielmo Vicario combined.

Kinsky is also only the second goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet against Liverpool under Arne Slot after Nottingham Forest's Matz Sels.

Dominic Solanke was full of praise for his new team-mate at full-time, explaining: "He looked like a natural out there, like he's been playing and training with us for years.

"Especially at his age, to come in and have the impact he did so soon, it's a big credit to him.

"To have him at the club now is great for us. We're going to need him, we have a lot of big games coming up."

Spurs' January signing has penned a six-and-a-half year deal with the club through to 2031.

The Czech international could now establish himself as the side's first-choice in the position due to Vicario's injury absence.

Vicario is not expected to return from an ankle injury until the end of February at the earliest.

The second leg at Anfield takes place on February 6.

Liverpool wanted a yellow card, but the one they got wasn’t what they were looking for.

The Reds lost the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final 1-0 away against Tottenham Hotspur, which was just their second defeat under new head coach Arne Slot.

However, the goal that won it, a terrific strike from Lucas Bergvall in the 86th minute left Slot’s bench fuming.

The Swedish 18-year-old had a busy match and in the 68th minute was booked for a foul on Luis Diaz.

Just 18 minutes later he was back at it as he caught Kostas Tsimikas, leaving the Greek left-back rolling on the floor in pain right in front of both managers.

Referee Stuart Attwell wasn’t interested in a second yellow and a sending off, and that decision proved crucial moments later.

Dominic Solanke, who’d just had a goal ruled out for offside, was back in the box, and set up the crucial Bergvall winner.

Slot and his team were fuming, and so angry was assistant Sipke Hulshoff that he received the yellow card he thought Bergvall deserved.

The Dutch coaches continued to plead their case to no avail, and at full-time they were joined by another countryman.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was just as annoyed as he confronted the officials after full time, but he’ll have to wait until the second leg at Anfield on February 6 to redress the balance.

Explaining his anger post-match, Van Dijk said: "I think it was quite obvious that it was going to be a second yellow.

"It was pretty clear and of course a minute later he scores the winner. It is what it is, the referee made a mistake and he thinks he didn't.

"Everyone on the sideline knows that it should've been a yellow… the fact is he should've been off.

"There's a linesman there, a fourth official there, there's VAR, and he doesn't get a second yellow.

"It's not the reason we lost but that was a big moment in the game."

Explaining why Bergvall may have been lucky not to see a second yellow, talkSPORT host Jason Cundy said: "It's a second yellow there's no doubt about it.

"Attwell waves play on, and that's a good decision because it was a foul and it is a second yellow and it was right to wave play on.

"But I can't think of a single occasion when a referee has waved play on and the player who's on a second yellow card hasn't got away with it.

"If it's a first yellow the referee will go back and book them, we see that every weekend.

"It should be consistent and Bergvall is a lucky boy to stay on the pitch.

"It's a guaranteed yellow card but sometimes you get away with them and have to ride your luck."

It wasn't the only big moment of the game for Attwell, who became the first referee to be mic'd up in a stadium for a professional game in English football.

In a trial brought in for the Carabao Cup, the 42-year-old used his headset to explain why Solanke's earlier effort had been ruled out.

"After review, Dominic Solanke was in an offside position in the build up to the goal, therefore the decision is offside," he said in a first.

Liverpool also experienced a first, with the defeat being their only one away from home under Slot.

The Dutchman lost just a single game in 2024 with Liverpool and Feyenoord, against Nottingham Forest at Anfield on September 14.

Forest are their next opponents in the Premier League on January 11, and Ange Postecoglou and Spurs will be hoping for a big dent in confidence ahead of their rematch and shot at a first trophy since 2008.