LONDON —
Tottenham Hotspur took a significant step toward ending their 15-year trophy
drought with a gritty 1-0 victory over defending champions Liverpool in the
first leg of the League Cup semifinal on Wednesday.
Lucas Bergvall, the 18-year-old Swedish sensation, emerged
as the hero, netting his maiden goal for Spurs in the dying moments of the
match to snap Liverpool’s 24-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool came into the game as favourites,
having secured a dominant 6-3 Premier League victory over Tottenham just weeks
earlier. However, the League Cup clash was a far cry from that free-scoring
affair, with Tottenham battling through injuries and Liverpool struggling to
find their usual rhythm.
Spurs, plagued by absences, gave a debut to goalkeeper
Antonin Kinsky and were forced to make an early substitution when midfielder
Rodrigo Bentancur was stretchered off after a nasty fall. Despite these
setbacks, Tottenham showed resilience and discipline, supported by the raucous
home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham began the match brightly, creating the better
chances in a scrappy first half. Radu Dragusin tested Liverpool keeper Alisson
with an early shot, while Dominic Solanke came close after bundling a Son
Heung-min cross just wide of the target.
Liverpool, unusually subdued, relied on moments of
individual brilliance from their talisman Mohamed Salah, but the Egyptian was
largely neutralized by Spurs' disciplined defense. Cody Gakpo’s speculative
effort nearly caught out debutant keeper Kinsky, but the ball squirmed wide.
The first half was marred by a lengthy stoppage for
Bentancur’s injury, which seemed to deflate Spurs momentarily. Yet, the home
side remained dangerous, buoyed by their youthful energy and high pressing.
The second half saw Tottenham push for an opener, with
Alisson almost gifting them the lead. Dallying on the ball, the Brazilian
goalkeeper was dispossessed by Bergvall, who set up Pedro Porro. However,
Porro’s initial shot was blocked heroically by Virgil van Dijk, and his
follow-up rolled agonizingly wide.
Liverpool, too, had their chances. Substitute Trent
Alexander-Arnold nearly broke the deadlock with a fierce strike, only for Radu
Dragusin to make a goal-line clearance that epitomized Tottenham’s
determination.
Drama unfolded when Solanke thought he had scored the
opening goal, only for VAR to intervene. Referee Stuart Attwell became the
first official in English football to announce a VAR decision directly to the
crowd, confirming the offside call and keeping the match scoreless.
As the clock ticked toward the 90th minute, Spurs finally
found their breakthrough. Solanke, who had been tireless throughout the match,
battled past two defenders before laying the ball off to Lucas Bergvall. The
teenager displayed composure beyond his years, rifling a stunning shot past
Alisson to ignite wild celebrations among the home fans.
For Liverpool, the loss marked only their second defeat of
the season.
