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Tottenham Hotspur snagged a hard-fought 1-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final, setting up an exciting second leg at Anfield. Ange Postecoglou’s squad, dealing with injuries and suspensions, showed some serious grit to grab just their second clean sheet in 12 matches and get closer to their first major trophy in 17 years.
Postecoglou’s makeshift lineup featured a debut for new goalkeeper Antonin Kinský, making him Spurs’ second debutant in as many games. Tottenham started strong, with Radu Drăgușin nearly redirecting a Son Heung-min shot on target. But then, Rodrigo Bentancur had to leave on a stretcher after a collision, which threw off their momentum.
Liverpool faced their own injury troubles, losing Jarell Quansah in the first half, leaving both teams with thin defenses. Despite some quality moments, like a missed chance from Mohamed Salah, the first half ended goalless, with neither team able to score.
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The game’s turning point came early in the second half thanks to Lucas Bergvall. He capitalized on a rare mistake from Liverpool’s usually solid Alisson Becker, putting pressure that led to a botched clearance. Pedro Porro almost took advantage of the chaos with a delicate chip, but it went wide.
Liverpool’s boss Arne Slot brought on Darwin Núñez, Luis Díaz, and Trent Alexander-Arnold to spark a comeback. Alexander-Arnold came closest, with his angled shot cleared off the line by Drăgușin. Dominic Solanke thought he had scored late on, but VAR ruled his effort offside.
In the final moments, Bergvall stole the show. He latched onto Solanke’s layoff and kept his cool to score the winner, giving Spurs their first-ever home win against Liverpool in this competition.
This win snapped Liverpool’s nine-match unbeaten streak in the EFL Cup and gave Tottenham a slim edge heading to Anfield. Spurs can now afford a draw in the second leg to reach the final, a spot they haven’t seen since 2015.
For Liverpool, who last lost an away match in April, this setback means they need a strong response to keep their hopes of retaining the trophy alive. With Anfield’s famous atmosphere behind them, the Reds will be looking to turn things around and deny Spurs a chance to end their trophy drought.
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