TOTTENHAM 1-0 LIVERPOOL : Lucas Bergvall scored a remarkable late goal to take his side with a slight advantage into the second leg of this Carabao Cup semi-final, although he played with fire after narrowly escaping a second card YELLOW.
What a difference a fortnight can make. Just 17 days ago, Tottenham suffered an incredible 6-3 defeat against Liverpool, a match that will be remembered for a long time as it was chaotic. But as the final whistle blew in this gripping encounter, Spurs fans celebrated with chants echoing their aspirations for a trip to Wembley.
The transformation has been nothing short of astonishing. Ange Postecoglou, under increasing scrutiny, could well be on track to fulfill his bold promise of winning a trophy in his second season. Yet it was not without a dose of drama; Bergvall found the net in the 86th minute, much to the dismay of the Liverpool contingent who thought he should have seen red before scoring.
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Bergvall’s luck was hard to ignore; Having already received a warning, he flagrantly fouled Kostas Tsimikas but escaped punishment, only to get his name on the scoresheet, sending his teammates and fans into ecstasy.
On the other hand, frustration was palpable on the Liverpool bench as Arne Slot’s side showed a rare lack of advantage. Reckless defensive errors and a failure to convert chances saw Liverpool falter on a night where every inch counted. Perhaps Slot should take a cue from Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and place some of the blame on the controversial Puma ball used tonight.
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-Even Mohamed Salah, who has been in fine form with 21 goals to his name this season, failed to find his feet, while Liverpool struggled to create clear-cut chances. Still, Spurs deserve plenty of praise for their performance – they showed resilience and determination, qualities that have been lacking in recent weeks.
Their eyes were clearly on Wembley and a potential first trophy since 2008, with Radu Dragusin holding strong in defence, even managing to eliminate a late threat on the line against Trent Alexander-Arnold. New recruit Antonin Kinsky, who arrived from Slavia Prague for £12 million, also shone with a reassuring performance in front of goal, showcasing his composure and reliability.
However, the evening was overshadowed by worrying moments when Rodrigo Bentancur collapsed in the first half, leaving everyone in the stadium holding their breath in anxious silence. Fortunately, he was taken conscious to hospital, although details of the incident remain unclear.
For Liverpool, a somewhat unusual defense featured Conor Bradley, Tsimikas and Jarell Quansah, with Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench after a disappointing outing against Manchester United amid transfer rumors regarding a possible move to Real Madrid. The disruption continued when Quansah left the field injured, forcing Endo Wataru to defend, creating a sense of instability. Even Alisson wasn’t as dominant as usual, leaving many wondering about their defensive setup.
Despite Liverpool’s attempts, including a missed opportunity from Salah and a header from Alexis Mac Allister falling straight into Kinsky’s hands, a goal was disallowed by VAR, a moment which ignited the stadium and cleverly engaged the fans in the progress of the match.
As Liverpool stepped up their efforts to equalize, even substitutes like Darwin Nunez failed to wake the team up. Just when the match looked like it would end in a goalless draw, Dominic Solanke controlled the ball on the edge of the box, before passing it to Bergvall – who slipped it into the back of the net for the decisive goal , giving Spurs a glimmer of hope. they are looking towards the second leg.
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