Tottenham feared it was going to be a narrative a couple of recent tackle VAR ache. There have been 77 minutes on the clock, this Carabao Cup semi-final had lastly began to bubble and Dominic Solanke thought he had put Spurs in entrance. It was not solely a high quality end from Pedro Porro’s looking out through-ball however a objective of wealthy narrative chance. This was a striker, bear in mind, who had not loved himself at Liverpool earlier in his profession.
Enter the referee, Stuart Attwell, to elucidate, reside and miked up, that Solanke had been offside. Attwell even blew his whistle into his microphone, which was a bit jarring. And but there could be a twist. A wonderful one in Spurs’s eyes, one to fireside the dream of a primary trophy since 2008. And one to have Liverpool raging. Lucas Bergvall, the precociously proficient Spurs midfielder, must have been despatched off for cleansing out Kostas Tsimikas. He was already on a yellow card.
However now there Bergvall was, time nearly up, striding onto a cut-back from Solanke to lash previous Alisson. The stadium descended into bedlam. For Liverpool, there have been recriminations, a uncommon bump within the highway underneath Arne Slot.
Ange Postecoglou will not be precisely spoilt for choice decisions at current; how he should envy Slot, whose robust beginning XI was completely by design. He had left a bunch of key gamers again on Merseyside for the quarter-final win at Southampton. Not right here. Even his bench felt like a press release.
It was simple to really feel the ghosts of Liverpool’s earlier go to; the 6-3 league win earlier than Christmas, a scoreline that flattered Spurs. Postecoglou will not be one for compromise however there have been a couple of tweaks these days; the full-backs not bombing on a lot, the midfield barely extra strong.
Postecoglou had began with Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma in entrance of the again 4 however he was compelled to vary within the early working. It was not instantly clear what had occurred to Bentancur after Son Heung-min returned a Spurs nook into the hazard space and Radu Dragusin drew a wise save out of Alisson.
Bentancur had thrown himself right into a stooping header from the preliminary supply and he merely didn’t transfer from the bottom, gamers from each groups waving the medics on immediately. Bentancur was handled for roughly eight minutes earlier than he was taken away on a stretcher. The shortage of any TV replays of the incident when it occurred bolstered the severity of it; the concern ranges. Spurs would report at half-time that Bentancur was acutely aware, speaking and sure for a hospital check-up.
Postecoglou launched Brennan Johnson on the precise wing, moved Dejan Kulusevski inside and it was extra like 4-3-3 with Bergvall staying excessive more often than not in central midfield. The duty on Bissouma was enormous and he performed it quick and unfastened, selecting up a first-half reserving after discovering himself on the mistaken facet of Diogo Jota.
Liverpool began slowly; there have been errors from them on the ball – a excessive variety of them. Some required double-takes. What, actually? Slot’s group needed to reshuffle themselves when Jarell Quansah felt one thing and went off simply earlier than the half-hour. On got here Wataru Endo; he had performed in central defence at Southampton.
Liverpool grew as a primary half that featured 11 further minutes wore on. Conor Bradley, who began forward of Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, was a bodily, driving presence. The guests threatened to get in with overlaps up the left.
Probabilities have been at a premium earlier than the break. Son crossed for Solanke on 22 minutes however the centre-forward couldn’t get the backheel to work. Solanke might need been offside.
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Liverpool’s finest second got here when Tsimikas teed up Alexis Mac Allister with a cross. It was on a plate however Mac Allister headed straight at Antonin Kinsky, who had been thrust straight into the group after his arrival from Slavia Prague on Sunday. There was nearly a horror second for Kinsky when he slipped when addressing a routine shot from Cody Gakpo earlier than recovering simply in time.
Kinsky had the gumption to make the ‘settle down’ gesture; it was all underneath management. What a baptism it was for the 21-year-old, who had taken half in solely two coaching periods together with his new teammates. He has performed within the Europa League this season. This was one other stage.
The tensions simmered. Postecoglou was animated in his technical space, which looks like an more and more common sight. He was on his knees in anguish simply earlier than the hour when Spurs blew a golden probability for the opening objective.
Alisson nearly bought away with a drag-back underneath stress from Bergvall however not when he dithered and was robbed by the younger Swede. The ball broke for Porro, whose shot was blocked by Virgil van Dijk with Alisson away from his objective. One other break, a Bergvall go and there was Porro, gloriously positioned. His chipped end lacked conviction and drifted vast.
Slot flexed his muscular tissues, introducing Alexander-Arnold, Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez in a single swoop. His group pushed. Salah flickered. He would launch Núñez up the within proper; Kinsky made an enormous block. There was additionally the second when Alexander-Arnold unloaded a first-time shot from an angle of venomous energy which flew previous Kinsky. Dragusin would make a superb clearance off the road behind him.
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