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Liverpool booked their spot Carabao Cup final spot in emphatic fashion following an emphatic 4-0 win over Tottenham. Spurs had headed to Anfield with a narrow 1-0 lead after Lucas Bergvall's controversial winning goal in north London last month. The defeat was just one of three Liverpool have endured across all competitions under Arne Slot this season. However, the Reds secured their revenge in style from minute one, with the visitors failing to even have a single shot on target. Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Virgil van Dijk set up a Wembley final against Newcastle. THE REDS WILL FACE NEWCASTLE AT WEMBLEY! Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Virgil van Dijk have ensured Liverpool have returned to the final. Zero shots on target for sorry Spurs, as they surrender their latest opportunity to end their lengthy trophy drought. It's a first final in English football for Arne Slot but where oh where does this leave Ange Postecoglou? 89' - Since the start of 2018 Virgil van Dijk has scored more goals than any other Premier League defender (26). He shares a laugh with Cody Gakpo as he takes up a spot on the Reds bench to watch the final few minutes. 86' - Virgil van Dijk is afforded the adulation of the Anfield crowd with a standing ovation as his number goes up. Jarell Quansah is on for the final exchanges. 84' - Arne Slot has the luxury to withdraw his star men - Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo are off for Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott. Spurs take off Gray for Moore. 80' - SPURS ARE FALLING APART! !! It was a header from a corner that Van Dijk scored the winner in last year's Carabao Cup final. He's now just put the gloss on a match which ensures his side will be at Wembley once again next month. It's so poor defensively from the visitors as a simple delivery to the six-yard box leaves Kinsky stranded. Van Dijk bullies new boy Danso to reach the ball and find the back of the net. Liverpool have now scored 10 goals against Tottenham in all competitions this season, following the 6-3 win in December. That is the most goals an English side have netted versus Spurs in a season since Manchester City in 2013-14 (11). 78' - SON RATTLES THE CROSSBAR! A rare sign of life from the Spurs captain as he drills a powerful effort from a tight angle that smacks the frame of the goal. It seems too little too late but perhaps that might have given the visitors something to cling onto for the final knocking. As it is, the momentum has been sucked out for the visitors! 75' - DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI FINISHES IT! Alexis Mac Allister on as a substitute is the architect from deep as darts through the lines. But it's made by Conor Bradley who leaves Archie Gray having to stay wide to cover Mohamed Salah with a run in between the lines. Bradley collects from Mac Allister and squares it for the arriving Szoboszlai, who takes one touch and slots home a third. 74' - RYAN GRAVENBERCH HITS THE POST! Another warning sign for Spurs as the Dutchman takes a fizzing shot from the edge of the box that bends away from Kinsky. It was always curling away from the goal however and duly rattles the outside of the woodwork before trickling away. 72' - Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones are the two players withdrawn by Arne Slot as Alexis Mac Allister and Diogo Jota enter the action. Jota's comeback means just Trent Alexander-Arnold is in the treatment room for Liverpool, with Alisson Becker rested tonight. In contrast, Spurs have been utterly decimated by injuries - what would this second leg have looked like had they had all their options? 69' - Djed Spence flashes a rare shot wide for Spurs but the home side quickly respond by winning another corner down the other end. This time Ibrahima Konate connects with the delivery but under pressure from Rodrigo Bentancur can't keep it down. Meanwhile, Arne Slot is readying a double change - Alexis Mac Allister and Diogo Jota are both waiting to come on. 66' - How big could this moment be? Although, more pressingly, Tottenham are still yet to have a shot from inside the box or a shot on target in this match… 63' - CODY GAKPO HITS THE POST! The Dutchman is slipped through on the left side of the six-yard area and Darwin Nunez has a tap-in if the ball is played square. Gakpo goes alone in search of his second of the evening but his powerful effort goes across Kinsky and smacks the outside of the post. Kinsky got something on it but it's not spotted by the officials as the ball trickles out of play. 61' - So close to three! First, Curtis Jones feeds Cody Gakpo down the left and the latter's cross is met by Dominik Szoboszlai unmarked in the box. However, the Hungarian's header is straight at Kinsky. Liverpool quickly win it back from the restart and attack from the opposite flank as Mohamed Salah slips a pass inside. Conor Bradley runs onto it towards the byline and fires a cutback that Darwin Nunez reacts first-time but can only find the side netting. 58' - Ange Postecoglou turns to his bench for the first time, as he desperately seeks a way to stop this game going away from him. Lucas Bergvall and Pedro Porro replace Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma. Poor Archie Gray is shifted from right-back to left-back, and is still waiting for a chance to play in his proper midfield position. 55' - First sight of Mathys Tel as he hits a shot from a tight angle after running onto Dejan Kulusevski's pass. He gees up the travelling Spurs faithful behind the goal as his effort is deflected behind for a corner which comes to nothing. 53' - Liverpool have won more penalties than any other Premier League side in all competitions this season (10). Mohamed Salah has now scored more goals in 34 appearances this season (26) than across 44 outings last season (25). Salah has only scored more goals for Liverpool against Manchester United (16) than Tottenham Hotspur (13 - level with West Ham). 51' - MOHAMED SALAH BURIES IT! No fuss from the Reds' Egyptian king as does his trademark jinking run-up and sends Antonín Kinsky the wrong way. He brilliantly finds the far top corner with a postage-stamp effort. Liverpool double their lead on the night, but crucially, are now winning on aggregate! 50' - DARWIN NUNEZ FOULED BY ANTONIN KINSKY! ! It's disastrous for Spurs as Mohamed Salah splits the backline with a deft through-ball for Nunez to run onto. The latter's speed sees him comfortably beat the onrushing goalkeeper to the ball and he pinches it wide before being brought down. Stonewall and now Salah steps up. .. 48' - OFF THE LINE! The Reds buoyed by that first-half come racing out of the block and Mohamed Salah almost squeezes in a shot at the near post. It's seen behind for a corner and Andy Robertson's delivery is into the near post and Dominik Szoboszlai rises highest. His flick is almost turned home from yards out by Cody Gakpo but he's denied by an almost equally fast stop by Antonín Kinsky. Spurs then hook clear before the follow-up can be turned home. 46' - WE ARE BACK UNDERWAY! Nine of Liverpool's 10 starting outfielders completed more passes than Kevin Danso in the opening half, who completed the most of any Spurs player (13). Tottenham completed just 87 passes in the opening 45 minutes, their fewest in the first half of a game under Ange Postecoglou. What do these two sides have in store in the second-half? Cody Gakpo has joined an illustrious group of Liverpool players to score in seven or more straight appearances at Anfield. If ever a Reds fan needed confirmation that Mohamed Salah barely features in the Carabao Cup then here it is. His assist tonight was his first in the League Cup since October 2014, when he assisted Didier Drogba for Chelsea away at Shrewsbury Town. Since joining Liverpool, the Egyptian superstar is regularly rested in the early rounds of this competition. Salah did play in the 2022 League Cup final win at Wembley against his former side, but that match went the distance after a goalless 120 minutes. He was then injured for Liverpool's most recent triumph in the national stadium when Virgil van Dijk's header saw off Chelsea again. Complete and utter domination for the home side thus far, with Spurs failing to muster anything from an attacking sense. A wild Dejan Kulusevski shot that sailed harmlessly wide has been their only half-sight of goal during the rare times they left their half. The visitors' best opportunities have all been restricted to poorly taken and easily cleared corners. However, crucially, any goal drastically changes the picture of the tie, and Mayths Tel can make himself an instant hero. The Bayern Munich loanee barely had a kick of the ball after being introduced late on for Richarlison in that first-half. The whistle goes to signal the end of an entertaining 45 minutes. The home side are ahead on the night and deservedly level on aggregate following another goal for Cody Gakpo. Ange Postecoglou will be frustrated by the manner in which his side conceded, having invited danger by losing the ball in midfield. The visitors' mounting injury issues also show little sign of abating, with Richarlison forced off before the break. 45' - Into seven minutes added time and no one needs it more right now than Antonín Kinsky. The Spurs goalkeeper punches the ball out for a Liverpool corner under no pressure to invite further pressure. His teammates bail him out by dealing with the resulting set-piece, but the visitors are hanging on here. © 2025 talk SPORT Limited

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