It was a rare Liverpool loss in controversial circumstances but there’s chance to recover at Anfield in a month after Tottenham struck late for a 1-0 win.
Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool
Carabao Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
January 7, 2025
Goal: Bergvall 86′
1. Lucky Lucas, unlucky Liverpool
There’s a lot of talk about luck at the top level of English football at the moment: Arsenal‘s xG one week, another team’s injuries the next, there are no end of excuses as to why other teams haven’t been as good as Liverpool so far this season.
On this occasion, however, Liverpool will feel they were the unlucky ones as a player who perhaps shouldn’t have been on the pitch scored the only goal of the game to give Spurs the advantage from the first leg.
A foul from Lucas Bergvall on Kostas Tsimikas looked like the most obvious yellow card you’ll see, but the referee Stuart Attwell didn’t give it.
Only then you remember Bergvall was already on a yellow, and should have been sent off.
Bergvall went on to score after some great play from former Red Dominic Solanke up against a still rusty Ibrahima Konate, and thoughts immediately turned to the yellow card that wasn’t and also the fact Tsimikas was still off the pitch.
The commentators mentioned it, and Arne Slot‘s assistant was booked for his protests on the touchline.
If Spurs have been unlucky this season, especially with the number of injuries they’ve suffered, they certainly got some luck here, and it’s now all to play for in the second leg at Anfield.
2. Van Dijk world class even in defeat
It wasn’t one of the most high-profile or memorable games, but Van Dijk was once again quietly excellent not just in the heart of defence, but in the heart of the Liverpool team.
From winning headers to organising the back line with multiple personnel changes around him, he’s one of the best defenders and captains the club have had.
Spurs would have scored immediately after an error for Alisson were it not for a vital block from the Dutchman.
Though he can look slower at times, when he does go into sprint mode he can still keep up with some of the quickest players, showing as much in one moment up against Brennan Johnson in the second half.
Before the game, one of the Spurs mascots shouted to Van Dijk, “Come to Tottenham, we haven’t got any good defenders at the moment,” no doubt echoing the thoughts of many who simply appreciate a world-class defender.
3. Subs liven things up
Slot’s slight rotation meant he had a number of potentially game-changing options on the bench.
Darwin Nunez had a couple of good chances from a nice ball played through from Salah but the angle was against him.
Trent Alexander-Arnold nearly scored from a typically technical strike, but the ball was cleared off the line by Radu Dragusin.
Slot said recently that he is happy with his squad and games like this show why he says that. The defeat wasn’t down to any lack of quality players on the pitch.
Unless someone is sold, there is no urgent need for reinforcements, though if there is a chance to improve the squad the club should always take it.
4. Endo back at the back
As is tradition, Liverpool have a defensive midfielder who doubles up as a centre-back in an emergency.
Slot has repeatedly said he doesn’t want Konate to play more minutes in a week having played the full game against Man United shortly after his return from injury.
So when Jarell Quansah picked up an injury midway through the first half, it was Wataru Endo who came off the bench to play alongside Van Dijk rather than Konate.
Endo is deceptively good at centre-back – perhaps no surprise given he played the position regularly during his time in Japan.
Reminder Wataru Endo has played more games at centre-back than he has in midfield during his career so far. Image: Transfermarkt.
— James Nalton (@jdnalton.bsky.social) 2025-01-08T20:50:30.031Z
He’s better in the air than his slightly sub-six-foot height would suggest, and naturally good at reading the game.
Endo might have been disappointed not to start this cup game in midfield, but he showed his value to the team, making some good interventions and offering a good outlet in the build-up.
An ideal fifth-choice centre-back.
5. Second leg some way off
The next cup game comes in just three days’ time, but that one is against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round.
The second leg of this semi-final is some way off – almost a month away – so there might have to be some reminders of the score from this forgettable game come February.
The Accrington game will give Slot a chance to rotate again and get all of his squad match-sharp before the return of Premier League games.
There’s a difficult trip to Nottingham Forest on the cards when the league returns next week, and they are the only team to have defeated Slot in the league so far.
Everything from this match, through Saturday and next week, will have half an eye on that trip to the City Ground in less than a week’s time.
Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool
