Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur. Carabao Cup Semi-Final.
AnfieldAttendance60,395.
Liverpool 4
- C Gakpo (34th minute)
- M Salah (51st minute pen)
- D Szoboszlai (75th minute)
- V van Dijk (80th minute)
Tottenham Hotspur 0
4-1
Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham (agg: 4-1): Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah among goalscorers as Arne Slot books first cup final appearance as Reds boss
Report and free match highlights as holders Liverpool cruised into the Carabao Cup final by overturning a first-leg deficit; the Reds ran riot at Anfield, scoring four brilliant goals; Arne Slot will feature in his first domestic cup final since taking over from Jurgen Klopp last summer
Friday 7 February 2025 10:24, UK
Carabao Cup holders Liverpool overturned a one-goal deficit to book their place in the competition's showpiece final at Wembley with a thrilling 4-1 aggregate win over toothless Tottenham.
Goals from Cody Gakpo - his tenth in 10 home appearances - Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk cancelled out Lucas Bergvall's strike from the first leg, condemning Spurs to their joint heaviest defeat of Ange Postecoglou's charge.
Liverpool made their visitors pay for sloppiness in the first period when Yves Bissouma's simple giveaway presented the chance for Salah to feed Gakpo, but the remainder was a procession, as the Egyptian scored from the penalty spot after Antonin Kinsky's error, Szoboszlai stroked home a third and Van Dijk nodded Alexis Mac Allister's corner beyond the sorry goalkeeper.
A patched-up Spurs looked like they did not know how to handle the occasion, with their one-goal advantage forcing a passiveness that rarely works at Anfield. Jamie Redknapp branded the display "horrendous" and "shocking".
Arne Slot's relentless Reds will meet Newcastle - who beat Arsenal 4-0 over their respective two legs - at Wembley on March 16 for the chance to lift a record-extending 11th League Cup trophy.
Postecoglou's promise of second-season silverware, meanwhile, feels more distant than ever, with his side unable to even muster a shot on target during a lifeless 90 minutes. Tottenham's 17-year wait for a trophy goes on.
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Redknapp hits out at Spurs' fight
Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp:
"I cannot remember a team in my lifetime going down with less of a fight with what Spurs did today. Not having one shot on target in the semi-final of a second leg when you're trying to change the course of your history?
"I feel sorry for those players. I've never seen anything like it. You have young players, you're meant to protect them.
"Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, they're young men and trying their best. But I'm looking at the experienced players today to lead and try and set the tempo. They didn't do that one bit.
"There's been some lows - Palace, Ipswich and Everton this season. But when you look at that today, the scoreline, just horrendous."
Analysis: Tottenham chaotic and confused
Sky Sports' Laura Hunter:
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Tottenham barely participated in that semi-final. The body language of players read something close to 'put me out of my misery' by the end.
Liverpool were impressive, very slick, but Tottenham had nothing to offer, not even belief. They completed just 88 passes in the first period, their fewest in a half of football under Postecoglou and the second 45 minutes only got worse. The scoreline actually flattered them - 0.18 worth of generated xG just as pitiful.
What will disappoint the manager most is the contrast from a first leg of such promise. There was precious little to be proud of from any individual. Where Postecoglou himself will have to concede, though, is over a clear lack of game plan. What were Spurs set up to do? They offered nothing that resembled coherence at either end of the pitch.
Jamie Redknapp said he was 'baffled' by Postecoglou's tactics. The players appeared equally confused, making it impossible to gain a foothold, and played directly into Liverpool's obliging hands.
Carragher: Spurs never shock in big games
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher:
"It was never in doubt before the game. It's Tottenham! When do Tottenham ever win a big game? When do Tottenham ever go and surprise, win against the odds?
"The odds were massively in favour for Liverpool - they're at Anfield, they're the best team in the country, possibly the best team in Europe right now.
"But it's not just this Spurs team. They never shock you, never do something out of the ordinary.
Postecoglou deems outside opinion 'irrelevant'
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou:
"It's fair to say we didn't get to the level we needed tonight. For us to give ourselves an opportunity we had to be a lot more aggressive with and without the ball - we weren't. We allowed them to control and dictate. They were too good for us."
Responding to Redknapp's claim that Spurs went down without a fight, Postecoglou said: "I know people get excited about things like that, people on TV give opinions, that's what they are there to do.
"My job is to manage this football club. Whatever people think or don't think is irrelevant, it doesn't really matter. I don't put any emphasis on it, or who we are. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion and express it. My view is I don't need to respond to that or be affected by it. I don't care, it doesn't worry me."
Slot: The most special evening
Liverpool boss Arne Slot:
"I think we had some big nights here already but yeah to reach a final should also be special, and that is what it is. So yeah in that perspective it has been the most special evening.
"In Holland we only have one cup competition and that final is played at the end of the season so it is new experience but a nice one to have.
"[Wembley] is a special stadium for English people but also for Dutch people because we know the history of the stadium and a final as well."
