Bergvall Strikes As Spurs Snatch League Cup Semi-Final Lead Over Liverpool

With a late goal in the League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday, Lucas Bergvall’s late strike earned Tottenham a contented 1-0 victory. It was Liverpool’s second defeat this season.

With only four minutes left in North London, Bergvall scored his first goal for Tottenham, but Liverpool boss Arne Slot was furious that the Swede was still on the pitch.

Already on a yellow card, the 18-year-old had escaped a second booking moments earlier after tripping Kostas Tsimikas.

When Bergvall scored from an attack that started on the left flank, which the Liverpool defender had left open, Tsimikas was out of position following the tackle.

Tottenham’s victory was a welcome tonic for Rodrigo Bentancur, who was taken to hospital after suffering a worrying injury.

In the seventh minute, Bentancur stooped to head a corner and continued to play unchallenged football.

As Bentancur received nine minutes of medical attention, his team-mates expressed concern right away, and play was immediately ended.

As a result of the hush falling on the capacity crowd, the 27-year-old received oxygen through a mask during the treatment.

At half-time, Tottenham moved to ease fears over Uruguay star Bentancur, who only recently returned from a seven-game ban for using a racial slur about team-mate Son Heung-min.

“We can confirm Rodrigo is conscious, talking and will go to hospital for further checks”, the club said in a statement on X during the half-time interval.

Ange Postecoglou, the manager of Tottenham, earlier this year, claimed that he always won a trophy in his second season in response to criticism of his spluttering form and his attacking tactics.

The under-fire Australian could do with backing up that boast given Tottenham’s poor form in the Premier League.

Tottenham’s last silverware triumph came in 2008 when they won the League Cup, and the competition may provide a chance to end that drought.

In what proved to be Jurgen Klopp’s final trophy, Liverpool won the League Cup last year.

Since Klopp’s replacement, Slot has led Liverpool to the top of both the Premier League and Champions League, making this a rare Reds failure.

Read more about Bentancur’s recovery from a head injury in the Liverpool match.

Slot frustrated&nbsp,

On January 8, 2025, during the English League Cup semi-final first-leg football game between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Dutch manager Arne Slot yells instructions to the players from the touchline. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP).

It was Liverpool’s first defeat in 24 games in all competitions since a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the league in September.

Slot’s only other defeat of the season came against lowly Manchester United, and that was his only other defeat. Now that Sunday’s parabled 2-2 draw is in his pre-holiday cuplu on Merseyside, he will have to put up with the first blow to his protracted honeymoon.

Who will advance to the final will be determined on February 6 at Anfield during the second leg.

Newcastle won 2-0 at Arsenal in the first leg of the other semi-final on Tuesday.

Antonin Kinsky, who had signed from Slavia Prague for £12 million ($14 million) at the weekend in the wake of Guglielmo Vicario and Fraser Forster’s injury duo, made his debut for Postecoglou.

With Liverpool well below their best, the 21-year-old Czech wasn’t forced into action until late in the first half when he held on to Alexis Mac Allister’s header.

Slot grew frustrated with Liverpool’s miscues, gesticulating at his backroom staff after Cody Gakpo’s shot was saved by Kinsky.

When keeper Alisson Becker made an ambitious turn inside his own area, allowing Bergvall to start an offensive that ended with Pedro Porro chipping just wide, Slot felt more anxious.

Trent Alexander-Arnold almost had an instant impact when a shot was sent on him by Slot, which Radu Dragusin deflected off the line.

Darwin Nunez, another of Slot’s substitutes, was denied by a fine save from Kinsky.

In the 86th minute, Bergvall grabbed his priceless winner after escaping a red card.

Ibrahima Konate slammed into the path of Bergvall, who slammed low past Alisson, with impressive strength and determination from Dominic Solanke.

Kinsky made a superb stop to repel Nunez’s agile back-flick in stoppage-time as Postecoglou finally enjoyed a night to savour.