Liverpool made impressively light work of Tottenham having gone into their semi-final second leg 1-0 down, winning 4-1 on aggregate to reach the Carabao Cup final.
Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham (4-1 agg)
Carabao Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg | AnfieldFebruary 6, 2024
Goals: Gakpo 34′, Salah pen 51′, Szoboszlai 75′, Van Dijk 80′
A first final for Slot
Wembley, Wembley!
The pre-match nerves were there of course, but deep down yet another trip to Anfield South was inevitable given the class this Liverpool squad has.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the ease with which he has settled in, Arne Slot will take Liverpool to a final at his first possible attempt.
He has consistently balanced rotation and quality throughout this competition, navigating four rounds of Premier League opposition with relative ease, ensuring Liverpool reach the Carabao Cup final for the third time in four years.
They will meet a Newcastle side that brushed aside Arsenal with ease in the semi-finals, but have failed to win at Wembley since 1955.
Liverpool meanwhile have a stellar record at the stadium in recent years.
In their last five visits to Wembley the Reds have won four, last losing in the Community Shield final at the beginning of the 2020/21 season.
Free-flowing football
When Liverpool play such free-flowing football it is tempting to suggest it is reminiscent of Klopp’s early years.
But this is Slot’s side now and he has them playing beautifully.
Cody Gakpo’s clinical finish put the Reds ahead following Mo Salah’s direct run, before the Egyptian’s penalty doubled the advantage after his own inch-perfect pass found Darwin Nunez, who was brought down.
Spurs had to go for the jugular but gaps were shown and gaps were taken advantage of. It took Liverpool just four touches to move the ball from the edge of the halfway line to the Kop end net thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s lovely finish.
Virgil van Dijk’s thumping header was less aesthetic than the other goals but throughout the game Liverpool were smooth in attack, without ever looking like they had to click into second gear.
Nunez was his usual energetic self, channelling his aggression into a strong performance full of focused pressing.
Salah did what Salah does, whilst Szoboszlai showed again why in the latter weeks he is becoming irreplaceable, in an all-action performance.
Gakpo on fire…again
Cody Gakpo loves Anfield and Anfield loves Cody Gakpo.
Alongside his compatriot Ryan Gravenberch, Gakpo has perhaps been the surprise of the season, not only through his improved finishing but in his all-round play.
His first-half strike moved him to the top of the Carabao Cup goalscoring charts, with five.
It’s a competition that Gakpo has loved in recent years – last season saw him score four on the way to Wembley. However, the narrative surrounding the Dutchman at that time was whether Gakpo would be a long-term success at Anfield.
Those discussions have been well and truly quashed this season, with Gakpo scoring 10 goals in his last 10 Anfield games.
With Nunez’s inconsistency, Diogo Jota‘s injury issues and Luis Diaz‘s poor league form, Gakpo has stepped up magnificently in recent months.
While Salah could practically score and assist his way to Liverpool’s aid single-handedly, having a second forward who is consistently hitting the mark has been crucial, and will continue to be so in the pursuit of silverware this season.
A fully fit squad and it shows
Arguably four members of Liverpool’s strongest XI were not included in the starting lineup, for a mix of reasons, but other than a slightly scrappy first 15 minutes, there was no sign of this hampering Liverpool.
Injuries have been and gone and, with Trent Alexander-Arnold nearing his return, Slot will have a fully fit squad to choose from, with every player doing their best to show him why they deserve a spot.
Conor Bradley is unlucky that he has the best right-back in the world starting ahead of him, otherwise he would be a shoo-in.
The midfield looked balanced even without the brilliance of Alexis Mac Allister, with Curtis Jones stepping in capably.
Alongside Harvey Elliott, Jones has shown flashes again this season, and it is merely down to the quality of our other midfielders that he has seen fewer starts than he would like.
In comparison to last season’s Carabao Cup heroics, the substitutes were senior players with volumes of experience, and this is a luxury Slot must be delighted with.
Momentum at just the right time
Less than a month ago Liverpool had drawn to Man United, lost to Spurs in the first leg of this tie and, after a comfortable win over Accrington Stanley, drawn to Nottingham Forest.
These were by no means poor results when context was applied, but there were some murmurings from fans and non-fans alike that maybe the Slot machine was beginning to stutter.
Since then resilience has been shown against Brentford, Lille and Ipswich were brushed aside and the Bournemouth challenge was scoffed at.
Now Spurs have been emphatically beaten. Those murmurings, questionable to begin with, are well and truly gone.
Despite Spurs’ struggles, this was a performance that showed the momentum is well and truly in Liverpool’s favour as they head into yet another vital period.
After Plymouth in the FA Cup, the Reds face Everton, Wolves, Aston Villa, Man City and Newcastle in a tough five-game run.
Yet it is a run that Liverpool look primed to conquer, with a squad that is purring and some.
Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham (4-1 agg)
