This Is Anfield

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou insists he has moved on from his “boyhood crush” on Liverpool as he targets being a party pooper at Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool can clinch the title with a point at home to Spurs, who could equal their tally of most defeats in a Premier League season if they lose for a 19th time in the division this weekend.

Postecoglou’s primary focus is on next week’s Europa League semi-final first leg tie with Bodo/Glimt but the Australian was asked about his previous affinity to the Merseyside club ahead of a potentially pivotal day for Arne Slot‘s team.

“No mate, I’m an almost 60-year-old adult, I’ve gone past my boyhood crushes, so it’s got no impact whatsoever,” Postecoglou said.

“I have great admiration for the football club. Yes, I supported it when I was younger, but that was 50-odd years ago, so we’ve well and truly moved on since then.

“You want to go there and compete against obviously a very good side and compete well.

“And it’s not just about getting through unscathed, you want to get through having played well against the top team. I think irrespective of what’s on the horizon, that’s the primary importance.”

Spurs remain without Son Heung-min due to a foot injury, which means Cristian Romero could be captain again.

Romero made headlines earlier this week with comments in an interview with Argentinian journalists Esteban and Gaston Edul where he revealed he would be open to a future move to LaLiga.

The Spurs centre-back also acknowledged the need to “take one day at a time” and expressed his desire to win the Europa League, which Postecoglou referenced when quizzed on Romero’s future following heightened speculation over his own position in recent months.

Postecoglou: “I haven’t read the report too closely but I mean it’s like me, if you get asked a question, you have got to answer it.

“I am sure there is a lot or if you ask me a lot of questions about my future, you’d probably get some great headlines out of that as well, but it doesn’t change [anything].

“Do you know what’s important right now?

“It is not Cristian Romero’s future or anyone else’s future, it is that we have an unbelievable opportunity to do something special at this football club and for me and everyone involved internally, that is what we’re concentrating on.

“Let’s put our heads down and make sure, because I think for our supporters that is what’s the most important thing to them, right now all they care about is that we’re in the last four of a European competition and we want to do something special.

“That is where our focus is.”

Liverpool are one point away from being crowned Premier League champions – an ailing Tottenham side can’t spoil the party, can they?

The Reds know that a draw at home to Spurs on Sunday will clinch the title in front of their own fans at Anfield, with the visitors having one eye on the Europa League.

Ahead of a huge day for Liverpool, we spoke to Spurs fan Sam Hawkey (@samhawkey) to get the lowdown on their season, their European hopes, the Reds and more.

What has gone wrong for Tottenham this season?

I think it has been a continual compounding of negatives.

We got hit very hard with injuries, which led to a bad run of results, then Ange Postecoglou made some errors with the press and fans, and we got knocked out of both domestic cups.

It has ended in a spiral that we don’t seem to be able to pull out of.

Before the Nottingham Forest game, I actually checked whether it was still possible for us to get relegated!

Is it time for Postecoglou to leave?

I so want to say I would give Postecoglou more time. Three seasons would be enough time to make a proper impact.

But I don’t see a belief and connection in the group, which is the biggest worry.

How confident are you about winning the Europa League?

Not at all.

We are too easy to beat and have not looked remotely convincing in the last couple of rounds.

If we play Man United in the final, I think that’s our best chance.

Who has shone and struggled most for Spurs this season?

That’s a tough question.

Best Player? Probably Dejan Kulusevski. He was excellent for the first two-thirds of the season.

The same applies to Brennan Johnson, while Micky van de Ven was good before his injuries, but has tailed off.

Pedro Porro has been pretty consistent, so I will say him, too.

When that list doesn’t have Son Heung-min, James Maddison, Pape Sarr, Dominic Solanke or Yves Bissouma in it, you can see why we are where we are.

That group has gone missing most of the season.

How do you assess Liverpool’s season? Worthy champions?

Yes, worthy champions. Liverpool have lost only two games and scored the most goals.

Winning the league is always huge, but I do think you got a little ‘lucky’ with the huge dropoff from Man City and Arsenal.

I also think you can improve this Liverpool side quite a bit.

There are four or five players they could upgrade, and with Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah re-signing, there is a great foundation to do even more next season.

If you could take one Liverpool player at Spurs, who would it be?

It’s got to be Van Dijk.

Everything comes from him, and having played a bit of football growing up, he is the type of player who makes you feel so confident.

Or Salah, obviously.

Looking ahead to Sunday, where are the key battles?

We need to stop Salah at all costs and not let Alexis Mac Allister get comfortable.

We are struggling in the middle of the park, while Salah up against anyone makes for a long 90 minutes.

Calling them battles would be generous!

Finally, what’s your prediction for Sunday? Can Spurs crash the party?

In a word… no!

Liverpool booked their trip to Anfield South with a remarkably comfortable 4-0 win over Tottenham, reaching the Carabao Cup final with a 4-1 aggregate victory.

Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham (4-1 agg)

Carabao Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg | Anfield

February 6, 2024

Goals

Gakpo 34′ (assist – Salah)

Salah pen 51′ (assist – Nunez)

Szoboszlai 75′ (assist – Bradley)

Van Dijk 80′ (assist – Mac Allister)

As the belief swells among the fans that this could be a special season, a raucous atmosphere welcomed Liverpool and Tottenham onto the pitch at Anfield and did not let up.

Dominik Szoboszlai marked the half-hour by sliding the ball beyond Antonin Kinsky and in following a smart run to meet Mohamed Salah‘s pass, but the No. 8 went slightly too early and the goal was rightly chalked off.

That was the precursor to Liverpool’s opener, with Salah this time earning the assist as his trivela cross eluded both Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones but fell at the feet of Cody Gakpo for an instinctive finish to cancel out the first-leg result.

As Richarlison – who feigned injury earlier in the game – was forced to ground off the ball with a fitness issue, the Reds went up the other end and almost made it 2-0 as Kinsky denied Salah’s bouncing volley.

‘Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio’ sang the Liverpool fans as the ex-Everton striker trudged straight down the tunnel after 15 touches in 45 minutes.

HT: Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham

The erratic Kinsky denied Gakpo a second after a flicked-on corner but then handed Liverpool a penalty soon after, flying out to bring Nunez down having been sent through by Salah – who then blasted the spot-kick into the top corner for 2-0.

That gave the Reds the lead in the tie and in truth they were totally in control, with Spurs needing the chase the game having spent the most part of an hour sitting back and offering little.

Liverpool barely gave them time to breathe, marked by the relentless pressing of Jones and in particular Nunez, knowing a goal could push the tie to extra time which, with another game on Sunday, would have been less than ideal.

Before long, Liverpool were 3-0 up, with an outstanding goal for Szoboszlai seeing substitute Alexis Mac Allister find a brilliant run from Conor Bradley who, without breaking his stride, fed the Hungarian to finish.

And then it was four and finally one from a corner after many set-pieces wasted, with Virgil van Dijk nodding in Mac Allister’s delivery as Wembley awaits on March 16.

Van Dijk, substituted late on, was awarded a standing ovation by 60,000-odd packed into Anfield, the captain helping polish off a comfortable victory which moves him within one game of lifting another trophy.

TIA Man of the Match: Virgil van Dijk

Referee: Craig Pawson

Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk (Quansah 86′), Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones (Mac Allister 72′); Salah (Diaz 82′), Gakpo (Elliott 82′), Nunez (Jota 72′)

Subs not used: Jaros, Tsimikas, Endo, Chiesa

Tottenham: Kinsky; Gray, Danso, Davies (Moore 82′), Spence; Bissouma (Porro 57′), Bentancur, Sarr (Bergvall 57′); Kulusevski, Son, Richarlison (Tel 45+1′)

Subs not used: Austin, Cassanova, Olusesi, Reguilon, Ajayi

Liverpool host Tottenham in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie this evening, as the Reds look to make it to Wembley again. We’re live to bring you the latest.

Kickoff at Anfield is 8pm (UK), the referee is Craig Pawson.

Watch Liverpool vs. Tottenham – Live Online Streams

Today’s blog is run by Henry Jackson, get involved by tweeting @thisisanfield, @HenryJackson87 & in the comments below.

Teams

Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez

Subs: Jaros, Quansah, Tsimikas, Endo, Mac Allister, Elliott, Diaz, Chiesa, Jota

Tottenham: Kinsky; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur, Sarr; Kulusevski, Son, Richarlison

Subs: Austin, Porro, Cassanova, Olusesi, Bergvall, Reguilon, Moore, Ajayi, Tel

Our coverage updates automatically below:

Liverpool host Tottenham in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, as Arne Slot‘s side seek to overturn the 1-0 defeat sustained almost a month ago.

Liverpool (0) vs. (1) Tottenham

Carabao Cup (semi-final second leg) | Anfield

February 6, 2025 | 8pm (GMT)

While Liverpool have their eyes on bigger prizes in the coming months, you need only to look back at last season to see why the Reds will be placing such importance on this match.

Jurgen Klopp‘s team were in a similar position last year but ended the campaign with the Carabao Cup their only piece of silverware to show for a memorable season.

It has become somewhat of a cliche, but it really can only be a good thing for managers to kick off their careers in England with a League Cup triumph.

For Slot to even have a chance of silverware on March 16, Liverpool must overturn a one-goal deficit at Anfield.

If you cast your minds back to January 8, the Reds lost the first leg 1-0 due to an 86th-minute strike from young Lucas Bergvall who was lucky to still be on the pitch.

Liverpool need just one goal to take the tie to extra time and penalties if needed. Tottenham will be dangerous on the break but the Reds know, if they are on their game, they have more than enough quality to get through in normal time.

Arsenal or Newcastle await the winners of the tie; you may already know which of the two by the time you read this.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is Liverpool’s only injury absentee, with Slot confirming on Wednesday morning that “he is going to miss the game” despite Monday’s positive scan results on his thigh.

His availability for Sunday’s FA Cup match against Plymouth is also in doubt after the coach said: “We have to see if he is able to play.”

He added: “He’s already on the pitch, not with the team but with the rehab coach.”

Due to Alexander-Arnold’s absence, Conor Bradley is set to start his eighth game of the season at right-back.

• READ HERE: LFC options vs. Tottenham – 1 change confirmed & 4 key decisions

With Liverpool’s squad in such a strong position, Slot has been dealt several positive selection headaches.

Thankfully, the Reds play Championship strugglers Plymouth on Sunday which provides a good opportunity for rotation, so we should see Liverpool’s strongest side against Tottenham.

One position Slot could change, though, is in goal. On Wednesday, he remained coy when asked whether Alisson or Caoimhin Kelleher would start.

There also remains debate about the left-back and attacking midfield positions, while Diogo Jota is also in contention to play up as well.

Predicted LFC XI: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo

Picking up just 27 points in 24 Premier League matches has left Ange Postecoglou’s team in 14th place, but their form in the Carabao Cup has been something of a relief for the team.

To reach the semi-finals, they have had to beat Coventry, Man City and Man United, but pressure remains on the manager after his comment in September, “I always win things in my second year.”

They did, though, manage a surprise 2-0 win over Brentford at the weekend and have just signed an exciting, young forward from Bayern Munich, Mathys Tel, on loan for the rest of the season.

One of the main reasons for Spurs’ struggles has been their endless string of injuries, but those problems are beginning to ease.

Defender Radu Dragusin has recently been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with an ACL injury, but that blow has been offset slightly by the return of fellow centre-back Micky van de Ven.

He may not be able to play, though, against Liverpool, with Postecoglou revealing on Wednesday that the Dutchman doesn’t “think he feels he’s ready for that step up to the Premier League, the intensity of it. The same with [Cristian] Romero.”

Predicted Tottenham XI: Kinsky; Porro, Gray, Davies, Spence; Bergvall, Bissouma, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son

The first leg was reserved for paying subscribers to Sky Sports only, but this game will be shown on ITV 1 as part of a new agreement between the EFL and the broadcasters.

This is due to a new contract, running until the end of the 2026/27 season, that will see one tie from each of the first four rounds, an additional tie from either the third or fourth round, two quarter-final ties, one semi-final tie and the final shown on ITV.

If you prefer the paid-for coverage, Thursday’s match will also be available on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

Just make sure you have that TV license for both!

Craig Pawson takes charge of this one and it is actually his first time refereeing Liverpool this season. The last time he officiated Tottenham was on Boxing Day, when they lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest and Djed Spence was sent off.

At Anfield, his assistants will be Simon Bennett and Daniel Robathan, while Darren Bond takes on fourth official duties.

In the VAR booth, Michael Salisbury takes the lead with assistance from James Mainwaring.

Despite the Londoners’ lack of silverware in recent years, only Liverpool (20) have reached more League Cup semi-finals in their history than Tottenham (18).

Their recent history at this stage hasn’t been too successful as, in the last 11 seasons including this one, Spurs have reached the semi-finals five times, progressing to the final twice.

They also have a poor record at Anfield of late. In fact, Tottenham haven’t won any of their last 14 away games against Liverpool, losing 10 and drawing four. Seven of those 10 defeats were by a one-goal margin.

Like in the first leg, the referee will make announcements about VAR decisions should it be required. Slot isn’t a big fan of the idea but admitted it could work for fans.

“For me, it’s not necessary because I see when the referee makes a decision and take two steps backwards to see the live coverage,” the coach explained.

“But that is probably not available for every fan in the stadium, so if the fans like it and it is something nice for them, then let’s do this…

“I wonder if it’s a good thing because he’s already under a lot of pressure in every game from the home fans.”

Liverpool vs. Tottenham is live on ITV 1 and Sky Sports Football with kickoff at 8pm (GMT).

TIA’s matchday live blog will be up and running from 7.15pm, with Henry Jackson tasked with keeping you entertained and up-to-date.

Come on you Reds!

Tottenham brought in two new signings late in the transfer window but have been rocked by another new serious injury ahead of their trip to Liverpool.

Liverpool host Tottenham in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Thursday night knowing they must overturn a 1-0 deficit from the opener.

Arne Slot‘s side go into that clash with only one known injury, and early indications are that Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s layoff is not likely to be a long one.

Conversely, Tottenham could be without as many as nine players as they bid for Wembley, including new long-term absentee Radu Dragusin.

Dragusin was confirmed on Tuesday morning to have suffered an ACL injury which is expected to rule the centre-back out for the remainder of the campaign.

He joins fellow centre-back Cristian Romero (thigh) on the sidelines, with Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies both fit but only having recently returned from layoffs of their own.

Ange Postecoglou is also set to be without Dominic Solanke (knee), James Maddison (muscle), Timo Werner (thigh), Brennan Johnson (muscle), Wilson Odobert (thigh), Destiny Udogie (thigh) and Guglielmo Vicario (ankle).

While those injuries have left Tottenham light in both defence and attack in recent weeks, they did move to address that at the end of the transfer window.

Loan-to-buy deals were struck for Lens centre-back Kevin Danso and Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel, and both are expected to receive clearance to feature in the semi-final.

Tottenham were, however, frustrated in their efforts to sign another centre-back, with a £70 million bid for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi rejected on deadline day.

They were also rejected by Fikayo Tomori and Axel Disasi despite agreeing terms with both AC Milan and Chelsea – the latter instead choosing to join Aston Villa on loan.

It means Danso could make his return to English football against Liverpool, having previously made 10 appearances on loan at Southampton in 2019/20.

Van de Ven is a likely starter alongside either Davies or Archie Gray at centre-back, though Postecoglou could immediately turn to Danso given his relative fitness.

Meanwhile, Tel should join Son Heung-min and Richarlison in attack with few other options beyond 17-year-old Mikey Moore and Dejan Kulusevski, who is instead required in midfield.

Liverpool arranged a scan for Alexander-Arnold’s upper-leg injury on Monday, with the results likely to be communicated to the media on Tuesday ahead of a full update from Arne Slot at 9am on Wednesday.

The right-back will almost certainly miss out against Tottenham with Conor Bradley poised to start.

Liverpool have sanctioned a transfer for academy defender Luca Furnell-Gill, who leaves after a short but eventful spell on Merseyside to join Tottenham.

Furnell-Gill was one of three new signings confirmed by Tottenham‘s academy on Tuesday, making the switch to north London on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

The 18-year-old centre-back joined Liverpool as an U15s player in 2022, and went on to debut for the U18s the following year and later the U21s in 2024.

But having struggled for opportunities in the academy – behind the likes of Lucas Pitt and Louis Enahoro-Marcus at U18s level – Furnell-Gill opted to leave.

This comes before he had signed a professional contract at Liverpool, meaning the terms of the transfer were more straightforward.

The teenager’s time in the academy was headlined by a run-in with Man United striker Ethan Wheatley during a 4-3 loss for the U18s in January of last year, throwing a punch and swinging an elbow at his opponent.

Furnell-Gill was not sent off but with footage of the incidents emerging he was referred to the FA and subsequently banned for five games.

He only started three more times after that, though there is no indication that it had any direct bearing on the club’s plans for his integration.

While this deal comes on the eve of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final with Tottenham, transfers at academy level – particularly those on scholarships – will be considered detached from first-team operations.

Furnell-Gill is the third player to depart the Reds’ youth ranks on a permanent basis this winter, following exits for Marcelo Pitaluga (Fluminense) and Tom Hill (Harrogate).

Liverpool recently signed centre-back Lucas Clarke, 16, from Man City, while Amara Nallo, a month older than Furnell-Gill, made his first-team debut in the Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven.

Nallo leads the pecking order in the academy, with Carter Pinnington, 17, and Wellity Lucky, 19, among those to have also trained with the senior squad.

Tottenham‘s injury crisis continued over the weekend as they fell to their third successive Premier League defeat, leaving plenty in doubt for the Carabao Cup decider.

It remains a mystery how Liverpool succumbed to the first-leg defeat at Tottenham earlier this month, with Ange Postecoglou’s side having lost to Arsenal, Everton, and Leicester since then.

The Spurs boss is under increasing pressure as his side sit just eight points above the relegation zone in 15th, though he has had an extensive injury list to navigate.

Guglielmo Vicario, Djed Spence, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke all missed Sunday’s 2-1 loss.

Pape Sarr and Richarlison were then withdrawn in the aftermath of Leicester‘s quick-fire double and Postecoglou said post-match that the former “shouldn’t have played” as “he obviously wasn’t fit.”

As for the Brazilian, Postecoglou explained that “he was feeling his groin, he should have come off at halftime but he wanted to give another 10 minutes. I could see he wasn’t running well so that is why I took him off.”

Liverpool meet Tottenham at Anfield for a place in the Carabao Cup final on February 6, enough time to potentially welcome a few players back into the fold from the injury list.

Maddison will be expected to be in contention against the Reds, while defenders Romero and Van de Ven have returned to training after long-term injuries but are no guarantees to feature.

Arne Slot, however, will know he can draw a line through Vicario, Udogie, Odobert, Werner, Johnson and Solanke for the Anfield tie as they all have more serious injury issues.

It is a stark contrast to Liverpool’s injury list which currently includes Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, with an update on their progress possible in Tuesday’s pre-PSV press conference (6.45pm GMT).

The Reds have a 1-0 deficit to overturn at Anfield next week if they are to contend their first cup final under Slot on March 16 against either Newcastle or Arsenal.

Since the two teams last met, Spurs have won two and lost three with an aggregate scoreline of 10-9 in their favour – which sums up their season – while the Reds have won four and drawn one.

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.

Another costly refereeing decision led to a controversial winner as Liverpool lost 1-0 to Tottenham in the first of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool

Carabao Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

January 7, 2025

Goal: Bergvall 86′

Against a Liverpool side with only four changes from the weekend, Spurs began with the early momentum, but this was thwarted by a lengthy delay for a worrying head injury for midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

Liverpool’s first real effort of the game came in the 23rd minute – a statistic offset by that lengthy delay – with Mohamed Salah unable to hit the target with a low shot having been set up by Cody Gakpo.

It was soon time for the Reds’ own first-half injury, with Jarell Quansah forced out after a nervy start, with Arne Slot sending on Wataru Endo as he manages Ibrahima Konate‘s game time.

Neither side enjoyed many real chances, though a moment of quality and persistence from Diogo Jota saw Liverpool drive up the pitch in a move that resulted in a dangerous Kostas Tsimikas cross cleared away.

The half ended with Spurs just hanging on, the control shifting decidedly towards the visitors, aided by the composure of Endo at centre-back and the thrust of Conor Bradley at right-back.

HT: Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool

Neither manager opted for any further changes at the break and the landscape of the tie remained the same, though overconfidence from Alisson almost led to a goal for Spurs from Pedro Porro.

Three, likely pre-planned, substitutions came on the hour for Liverpool, with Bradley, Gakpo and Jota coming off and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez sent on.

They gave new energy, particularly Nunez off the ball, and the Reds almost took the lead with a stunning Alexander-Arnold strike blocked on the line by Radu Dragusin.

Liverpool were cut open by a brilliant run from Dominic Solanke, latching onto a through ball and finishing well, but after a lengthy review from VAR Paul Tierney he was adjudged to have been just offside.

Cowardly referee Stuart Attwell then should have sent off midfielder Lucas Bergvall with a second yellow for a clear foul on Tsimikas – but having aoided a decision and, with the left-back off the pitch, the Swede promptly scored the winner.

TIA Man of the Match: Virgil van Dijk

Referee: Stuart Attwell

Tottenham: Kinsky; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur (Johnson 15′), Bergvall; Kulusevski, Son (Werner 73′), Solanke

Subs not used: Austin, Dorrington, Reguilon, Olusesi, Moore, Min-Hyeok, Lankshear

Liverpool: Alisson; Bradley (Alexander-Arnold 60′), Quansah (Endo 30′), Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister (Konate 80′); Salah, Gakpo (Diaz 60′), Jota (Nunez 60′)

Subs not used: Kelleher, Robertson, Elliott, Chiesa