One other expensive refereeing determination led to a controversial winner as Liverpool misplaced 1-0 to Tottenham within the first of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool
Carabao Cup Semi-Remaining 1st Leg | Tottenham Hotspur StadiumJanuary 7, 2025
Objective: Bergvall 86′
In opposition to a Liverpool facet with solely 4 modifications from the weekend, Spurs started with the early momentum, however this was thwarted by a prolonged delay for a worrying head damage for midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.
Liverpool’s first actual effort of the sport got here within the twenty third minute – a statistic offset by that prolonged delay – with Mohamed Salah unable to hit the goal with a low shot having been arrange by Cody Gakpo.
It was quickly time for the Reds’ personal first-half damage, with Jarell Quansah compelled out after a nervy begin, with Arne Slot sending on Wataru Endo as he manages Ibrahima Konate‘s sport time.
Neither facet loved many actual probabilities, although a second of high quality and persistence from Diogo Jota noticed Liverpool drive up the pitch in a transfer that resulted in a harmful Kostas Tsimikas cross cleared away.
The half ended with Spurs simply hanging on, the management shifting decidedly in direction of the guests, aided by the composure of Endo at centre-back and the thrust of Conor Bradley at right-back.
HT: Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Neither supervisor opted for any additional modifications on the break and the panorama of the tie remained the identical, although overconfidence from Alisson virtually led to a aim for Spurs from Pedro Porro.
Three, seemingly pre-planned, substitutions got here on the hour for Liverpool, with Bradley, Gakpo and Jota coming off and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez despatched on.
They gave new power, significantly Nunez off the ball, and the Reds virtually took the lead with a shocking Alexander-Arnold strike blocked on the road by Radu Dragusin.
Liverpool have been minimize open by a superb run from Dominic Solanke, latching onto a by means of ball and ending properly, however after a prolonged evaluate from VAR Paul Tierney he was adjudged to have been simply offside.
Cowardly referee Stuart Attwell then ought to have despatched off midfielder Lucas Bergvall with a second yellow for a transparent foul on Tsimikas – however having aoided a call and, with the left-back off the pitch, the Swede promptly scored the winner.
TIA Man of the Match: Virgil van Dijk
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Tottenham: Kinsky; Porro, Dragusin, Grey, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur (Johnson 15′), Bergvall; Kulusevski, Son (Werner 73′), Solanke
Subs not used: Austin, Dorrington, Reguilon, Olusesi, Moore, Min-Hyeok, Lankshear
Liverpool: Alisson; Bradley, Quansah (Endo 30′), Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister (Konate 80′); Salah, Gakpo, Jota
Subs not used: Kelleher, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Elliott, Chiesa, Diaz, Nunez
Subsequent match: Accrington Stanley (H) – FA Cup third Spherical – Saturday, January 11, 12.15pm (GMT)