Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou admits he has “seen so much growth” in his side despite recent results after Spurs beat Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Teenager Lucas Bergvall scored his first goal for the club four minutes from time to end Liverpool’s 24-game unbeaten run and give Tottenham a slim lead going into the second leg at Anfield in a month’s time.
The win was Spurs’ first since defeating Manchester United in the round of 16 as Postecoglou’s side look to rebuild their season.
Victory in the first game! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ktX5W2OTjA
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 8, 2025
The contest, however, was marred by what appeared to be a very serious first-half injury to Rodrigo Bentancur, which resulted in the midfielder being taken to hospital.
Postecoglou said Bentancur was now conscious but admitted he did not have “all the information”.
Speaking about his team’s performance, the Spurs boss was quick to praise the players.
“I thought we deserved it tonight,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports.
“The boys did their best and I am very pleased that the players are getting awards.
“We constantly face adversity. It’s amazing when you think we have a couple of 18-year-olds out there. I’ve seen so much growth, it’s just been masked by our poor form.
“But it’s only half time and it’s not easy to go to Liverpool.”
One of the key talking points after the game was whether match-winner Bergvall should have been on the pitch and scored his goal.
Ange Postecoglou passionately defends the decision to keep Lucas Bergvall on the pitch 👀 pic.twitter.com/doOpVc0BEE
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 8, 2025
Moments before hitting the net, the Swede, who had already received a yellow card, fouled Konstantinos Tsimikas, but referee Stuart Attwell did not yellow him.
Asked if his player was lucky to be on the field, the Spurs boss defended the decision: “We are screaming for those months, it happened to us all the time.
“If it is played for advantage, if it is not a cynical rally, the yellow is not played. It was pretty clear to me.”
Next up for Spurs is a visit to National League side Tamworth in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
