Match report and talking points as Spurs take advantage in the second leg at Anfield

Tottenham will take a 1-0 lead in next month’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with Liverpool thanks to Lucas Bergvall’s second-half winner.

There will be plenty of debate over whether the young Swede should have had the chance to capitalize on the winning moment, but Spurs were good value for their first win of the game on Wednesday night.

For the second game in a row, Liverpool were worse off, but they are a long way from equalizing with an enthralling second leg at Anfield next month.

How the match unfolded

Arne Slot may have surprised some by being close to full strength on Wednesday night given the lack of rest his team has had over the past month. The Breathers are due to arrive this weekend against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup before the league leaders travel to Nottingham Forest.

Despite this, the Dutchman made four changes to the side that won 6-3 in the N17 before Christmas, with most of the changes coming in defence.

Ange Postecoglou was as strong as he could be given the circumstances, and this was immediately followed by the debut of newcomer Antonin Kinski between the sticks. South Korean Yang Min-hyeok was named to the bench.

Radu Dragusin forced a smart save from Alisson in the opening innings, but their early momentum was halted by a nasty head/neck injury to Rodrigo Bentancur. The Uruguayan was taken out on a stretcher after a long break in the game and, fortunately, was later reported to be conscious.

The predicted chaos never arrived in the opening period, and the contest suffered from interruptions. Tottenham, perhaps looking to avenge their defeat in December, contested hard and were the superior team for much of the first half, but the Reds came into contention after a sluggish and sloppy start, eventually forcing the hosts into “clingy” mode before half-time. The novice Kinsky, however, was rarely tested.

There was no change in momentum after the restart, although the contest should have been ignited by Spurs’ first goal. After Bergvall worked tirelessly to eventually dispossess the on-and-off Alisson, Pedro Porro inexplicably spurned two great chances – the first of which was superbly blocked by Virgil van Dijk.

Slot opted for a triple change in a bid to light the fuse, with Liverpool intent on taking advantage of them at Anfield next month. One of the participants, Trent Alexander-Arnold, came close with a sumptuous half-volley, but the Englishman was expertly blocked by Dragušin on the line.

The hosts then thought they had taken a valuable lead when Dominic Solanke finished past Alisson after latching on to Porro’s divine pass, but VAR was on hand to dampen the Lilywhites’ spirits with Stuart Attwell, via speech (!), confirming that Solanke was offside.

But the Tottenham striker played a key role in the opener and the eventual winner. Solanke led Bergvall, who finished coolly, after holding off Ibrahima Konate and dispossessing the onrushing Swede.

With Liverpool unable to get through the gears after that, Spurs held on and will take a valuable lead at Anfield in February.

Check out the player ratings for Tottenham vs Liverpool here.

Sloto’s team selection reflected respect for the hosts, but could also suggest that the Dutchman wanted to finish this semi-final away from home.

However, after escaping with a point against Manchester United on SundayLiverpool struggled through Wednesday’s first leg just weeks after wiping out the Lilywhites.

There were archetypal surges, but the Reds were generally slow and cautious in N17. Tottenham stifled their build-up early on and it took some time for their powerful forward line to get involved in the contest. Passes went astray as Slott’s side produced an unfamiliar display of incoherence, with their inability to create chances not only a result of their sloppy work without the ball, but also the hosts’ persistent efforts out of possession.

A 1-0 deficit is far from insurmountable, especially with the second leg coming at a ground where superior Tottenham teams have died quickly in the past. However, Slot has something to think about.

Much was made of Postecoglou’s decision to withdraw Lucas Bergvall in the second half of Spurs’ defeat at Newcastle on Saturday, but the suspensions of James Maddison and Pape Sarr meant the Swede’s freshness was needed against the Reds.

It initially appeared that Bergvall would be given the chance to flourish in a free-flowing midfield role, but Bentancur’s forced withdrawal forced Ange to change tactics. With Dejan Kulusevski moving into the field, the young midfielder had to be placed closer to Yves Bissouma, but Bergvall was not prevented, as was the case on Saturday, from playing a more disciplined role.

Bergvall, along with the similarly impressive Archie Gray and Grandpa Spence, are showing the grit and fearlessness their manager encourages them to play with. As Gray advanced imperiously, Spence unconcerned that Mohamed Salah was nearest, Bergvall’s effort without the ball was outstanding.

He may have been lucky to stay on the field, but the 18-year-old is a deserved match winner on Wednesday night.

Tottenham have plenty of work to do in the January transfer window and Johan Lange has been secretly working to land their first job this month. 98% of fans had not heard of 21-year-old Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinski before links emerged regarding his imminent arrival.

However, he would win plenty on debut.

The short sleeves are an aesthetic question mark, but Kinsky otherwise looks the part. His work on the ball was brilliant throughout as he showed the ability to pass skilfully through pressing and flick long balls in behind. Most of the time he waited until the last minute to let go just to ensure a few hearts among the Tottenham faithful stopped.

Most of Liverpool’s attempts required routine stops, but Kinsky produced an excellent attacking save to keep out Darwin Nunez in the second half before smartly tipping the Uruguayan’s innovative effort around the post in stoppage time.

Are you watching, Guglielmo?

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