Defending champions Liverpool secured their spot in the League Cup final at Wembley against 4-0 Newcastle United after a dominant win, resulting in a 4-1 aggregate triumph, over a lackluster Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Thursday.
The clear favourites took control to reverse a 1-0 first-leg disadvantage against the visitor team, struggling with injuries, when Cody Gakpo found the net with a right-foot shot in the 34th minute, assisted by a cross from Mohamed Salah.
Salah registered his name on the scoresheet, firing a shot into the top of the net from the penalty spot in the 51st minute after Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky brought down Darwin Nunez. Dominik Szoboszlai tucked away the third goal, while Virgil van Dijk capped off the victory with a header.
Newcastle defeated Arsenal, Tottenham’s north London rivals, with a score of 2-0, resulting in a 4-0 aggregate victory on Wednesday, thus booking their place in the final for the second time in three years on March 16.
Post-Match Reactions
“I believe the stadium played a significant role. We understood that we needed to make a comeback,” Gakpo shared with Sky Sports.
“We ventured out and aimed to create as many opportunities as possible. Given our quality, we are confident we will have chances. It was a fantastic victory.”
Managerial Insights and Season Prospects
Liverpool Dutch manager Arne Slot, who took over from Juergen Klopp at the end of the previous season, will be attending the League Cup final for the 15th time, but it will be his first time in English football.
Additionally, it maintained record 10-time League Cup winners Liverpool’s chances of winning four trophies this season.
They led the table into the Champions League last 16 and are still in the FA Cup, and they lead Arsenal by six points at the top of the Premier League with one game remaining.
Tottenham Struggles and Manager Comments
For Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, who has emphasised his track record of winning something in his second season at a club, the loss was a bitter pill. At this point, his only goals are the FA Cup and the Europa League.
Richarlison’s injury concerns got worst when he was substituted out in stoppage time in the first half, giving Mathys Tel, a new signing, his club debut.
Tottenham failed to muster a single shot on goal, making it a baptism of fire for the Bayern Munich loanee.
“A difficult evening. We couldn’t compete with Liverpool tonight; they were simply too good. “With or without the ball, we never really grasped the game, just let them take control pretty early,” Postecoglou said on ITV television.
“Today, we didn’t really play to our strengths and abilities. We simply avoided the challenge a little bit,” he continued.
We were far too passive at the beginning of the game, which let Liverpool establish a rhythm. And they are difficult to stop when they do that, particularly at home.
Additional Match Analysis and Historical Background
Even with a full roster, Tottenham would have had difficulty against a team whose depth was shown by the quality of Diogo Jota and Alexis Mac Allister, who came off the bench in the second half.
With Ryan Gravenberch hitting the post in the second half and a Gakpo shot deflected onto the upright by Kinsky, the scoreline even flattered Tottenham.
Since their victory over Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final, Tottenham has not taken home any trophies.
In their last 27 games at Anfield since 1999, they had only won once over Liverpool.
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