Liverpool vs Tottenham LIVE: Carabao Cup semi-final result and reaction as Reds run riot to secure place at Wembley
Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham: The Reds overturned a one-goal deficit versus Spurs to cruise into league cup final
Liverpool came from behind to thrash Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-finals as they defeated Ange Postecoglou’s side 4-0 at Anfield to book their place at Wembley.
Tottenham were on the back foot from the get-go as Liverpool suffocated the visitors forcing them deep into their own half and making it difficult to play out. Mistakes in midfield allowed the Reds to turn the ball over and find Mohamed Salah on the right wing. His cross found Cody Gakpo whose first-time shot put Liverpool ahead in the game, level in the tie.
The second goal came after the break. Salah feeding Darwin Nunez into the box and the forward getting brought down by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. Salah converted from the spot and Liverpool’s dominance became assurance.
Dominik Szoboszlai added a third and Virgil van Dijk headed in the fourth to secure Liverpool’s spot at Wembley. They were too good for Tottenham on the night and set up a meeting with Newcastle next month.
Relive the action from Anfield with our live blog below:
Slot's motivation to win Carabao Cup semi-final
Arne Slot explained why he wants to win tonight’s tie so much and what it would mean to reach the league cup final.
“It cannot be underestimated,” he said. “Maybe some of these players are already used to Wembley, but it would be my first time to go to Wembley.
“If you go to England people are talking about Wembley as an iconic stadium, especially if it's a final.
“So you can be sure that we as a team want to win that game to go to Wembley.”
Arne Slot reveals unique reason why he wants Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup
Arne Slot revealed he has a particular motivation to win the Carabao Cup – because he has never been to Wembley.
Liverpool enter the second leg of their semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 down after Lucas Bergvall’s goal in London but with Slot having a personal reason to want a comeback.
While Liverpool have won the competition in two of the last three seasons and are the defending champions after Jurgen Klopp’s triumph over Chelsea last season, new head coach Slot has never gone to England’s national stadium, either as a manager or a fan. And that is driving him on.
Arne Slot reveals unique reason why he wants Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup
Will history repeat itself again for Liverpool?
Liverpool have progressed to the final on two of the last three occasions they've lost the first leg of a League Cup semi-final, doing so against Crystal Palace in 2000-01 and Sheffield United in 2002-03.
How will Spurs cope?
Tottenham bring a one goal advantage into the match tonight and that could factor into the way they go about getting through the tie.
Ange Postecoglou was asked if his players will focus on the game at hand or the fact they’re already in front in the tie.
He replied: "You've got to do both. It is a big occasion for us, the club and the fans. It's a semi-final.
“Irrespective, I don't think Liverpool will be any less anxious than us for a semi-final, a second leg. It is tight and a big game for both clubs.
“You recognise that, embrace that, but ultimately if you want to be successful then these are the games you want to be involved in.
“There is no point in having trepidation about it because the alternative is you will be watching two other teams on the TV and you would be sitting on the couch wishing you were there.
“We are going to be there, we've got a chance and we will go for it."
Postecoglou on Mathys Tel's future
Asked ahead of Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Liverpool if Mathys Tel will be a Spurs player next season, Ange Postecoglou declared: “He’ll be a Tottenham player, mate.
“He’ll be a Tottenham player. I think he’ll show everyone he’s going to be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn’t bring him here for six months.
“I think he is very, very exciting. When you meet him, you realise he’s got that bit about him as a person who has enormous self-belief and confidence in what he can do and what he wants to do.
“Even though he’s young, physically he’s already in a place where he can take on the enormous challenges of being an attacking player in the Bundesliga and I think he can handle the Premier League.
“He’s a goalscorer, he can take people on, he’s got speed. He is exciting. I’d be very surprised if there was a club that wouldn’t be interested in somebody like him.
“Irrespective of the situation we’re in, us being able to get him in and the circumstances behind it, is fantastic for the football club.”
Ange Postecoglou confirms Tottenham's Mathys Tel stance: 'I didn’t bring him here for six months’
Ange Postecoglou has insisted Mathys Tel will be a Tottenham player next season.
Spurs pulled off an eye-catching deadline day move when they brought in Bayern Munich forward Tel on a six-month loan.
The deal includes the option for Tottenham to make the move permanent for a fee of 55million euros (45.8m) plus 5m euros (£4.1m) in add-ons and, while Tel has a say in that clause, the PA news agency understands he has already agreed a six-year contract which highlights his willingness to stay long-term.
Postecoglou confirms Tottenham's Tel stance: 'I didn’t bring him here for six months’
Is preparing for a semi-final a different process?
“I don't think I have to prepare them differently than in any other game,” when asked if he has prepared his players differently for this semi-final.
Slot added: “Because from now until the end of the season, it's been already the whole season, and I think as long as Liverpool exists, if you play in this shirt, you need to win the game.
“That's for tomorrow, that's for Sunday, that's for Wednesday afterwards and the game after that. Even if we go 1-0 down in the league or whatever tournament we are in, we try and want to win the game.
“That's also what we tried in the away game against Tottenham – I think we were quite close to getting a result over there until the last few seconds, we were down to 10 and conceded a goal.
“Nothing changes for this game compared to others. If you wear this shirt, if you go out at Anfield, there is only one thing that is expected of you – and that's winning the game. “
Slot on the long gap between legs
The first leg of this semi-final tie was played a month ago and Arne Slot spoke about how playing the second leg immediately afterwards would have been more beneficial to his team.
He said: "Not that it matters a lot, but if you play one week later you face exactly the same team and with all the injuries Tottenham had last time it would have been a bit more in our advantage - although we lost against the ones that were fit that time.
"If you reach the semi-final against Tottenham you know it is going to be a difficult one - but I think we will be better than the last time."
Slot on the transfer window
The Liverpool boss said: “I've said it many times, we have a very good squad and if you look at the league table I think the players have shown that the trust we have in them was correct and – apart from Trent [Alexander-Arnold] now maybe for a few days – we don't have many injuries, not long-term injuries, in moments that the window is open.
“So, we did have some injury problems with Alisson [Becker], with [Diogo] Jota and with some others. But at the moment I think – apart from Trent – they are all available again today, so there's not a reason to add something to the team unless you have a chance in the market.
“That's something we saw last time with the goalkeeper we brought in, [who] is not here but we did bring him in because we saw that as a chance in the market. But for now we are happy with the team we have.”
Liverpool’s transfer patience is smart but one key position requires attention soon
Many a manager has been heard saying he needs more players. There is a case for saying Arne Slot already has too many. He had to omit Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa from his matchday squad for Saturday’s win at Bournemouth, leaving him lamenting the fact he is only allowed to name nine substitutes for domestic games and calling for an increase to 12.
Liverpool are the instant, eloquent rebuttal to suggestions that clubs forever need to buy. Slot has a simple explanation for their inactivity in January and their quiet summer last year. “Maybe there are not many managers who have such a good squad as I have,” he smiled.
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