Key events
65 min By the way I think Kinsky did get something on the ball before bringing down Nunez for the penalty. But it’s usually the case in the modern game that a very slight touch isn’t enough to invalidate the trip that follows. Whether that’s just, I haven’t a clue.
63 min: Gakpo hits the post! Liverpool take control again. The ball is worked from right to left towards Gakpo, who smashes a left-foot shot from a very tight angle. Kinsky gets enough on it to push it onto the outside of the far post and awya.
61 min Bradley nutmegs Bentancur and hammers a cutback that is poked into the side netting by Nunez. Again, a tough chance.
61 min Gakpo’s chipped cross is headed straight at Kinsky by Szoboszlai, 12 yards out. A tough chance.
59 min Spurs are having more of the ball now, partly with Liverpool’s consent. Bentancur shoots high and wide from distance.
58 min In fact Gray has gone to left-back, with Spence moving to right wing and Kulusevski to No10. Big Ange isn’t going to die wondering.
57 min: Double substitution for Spurs Lucas Bergvall and Pedro Porro replace Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr. I guess Archie Gray will move into midfield.
56 min “Go Kuroda taking Machida Zelvia to their first-ever promotion to the J1 League in his debut season two years ago with some robust long ball in-the-mixer stuff,” says Paul Griffin. “They call him the Japanese John Beck, according to sources in my head. Absolutely fuming that you missed this.”
It’s even more impressive because he took over from the actual John Beck.
55 min Tel makes a good run down the inside-right channel and smashes a cross that deflects behind off Konate. Kulusevski’s inswinger doesn’t beat Nunez at the near post.
54 min “Shout out to Dave Mackay winning the title at Derby in 1974-75 after taking over from Mr Clough?” says Tom Hopkins. “Another insider in a sense, but taking over in rather more chaotic circumstances.”
53 min Spurs know they have to play now, but it will be hard to find any attacking rhythm after defending solidly for almost an hour.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham (Salah 51 pen)
Mo Salah scores emphatically, curling the ball into the top-left corner. “I think that’s what you call unstoppable!!” says Alan Smith on Sky. Kinsky went the wrong way but it didn’t matter; that was almost the perfect penalty.
49 min: Penalty to Liverpool! Salah plays a dangerous pass into the area for Nunez, who gets to the ball a split-second before Kinsky and is taken out. I’d like to see that again as Kinsky might have got a slight touch on the ball, though possibly not strong enough to invalidate his follow through on Nunez.
48 min “Not entirely sure what the criteria is,” says Dylan Kenny, “but if we’re talking about new managers coming in and turning already successful teams into (arguably) an even better side, you’d do worse than consider Rafa Benitez, who took twice-in-a-row Champions League runners up Valencia to their first league title in 31 years during his first season. Then he repeated the trick two years later – and won the Uefa Cup as well. Not too shabby for someone who had no previous connection to the club.”
47 min Robertson’s near-post corner is headed towards goal by Szoboszlai and pushed away by Kinsky on the line. Either side and he might have struggled to save that.
Moments later Gakpo has a shot blocked by Danso on the six-yard line.
46 min Liverpool begin the second half and almost score after 30 seconds when Salah’s deflected shot hits the side netting. On reflection Kinsky had it covered.
Half-time reading
Half time: Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham (agg: 1-1)
Attack and defence, invasion and repulsion. It’s been a one-sided first half at Anfield, albeit without Liverpool creating that many clear chances. Cody Gakpo’s quietly emphatic finish brought them level in the tie, and across the half they had 73 per cent of the possession. Spurs are fighting hard but need to do better in possession. At Anfield, on a night like this, that’s easier said than done.
45+6 min “This one maybe doesn’t quite fit but Ancelotti took over at Real Madrid in June 2021 from Zidane,” says Gene Salorio. “SEcondnd time for both of them in the job. Ancelotti then won a League & CL double. I think winning three CLs in a row counts for Zidane as legendary manager, even though they were in his first spell as Madrid manager.”
I suppose the key point with Arne Slot is that, unlike Capello, Fagan, Ancelotti etc, he had no experience of the club at all. That makes it even more impressive, especially when you consider the lack of new signings and the complete lack of melodrama.
45+4 min Spence (I think) does superbly to get in front of Jones and head Bradley’s cross behind for a corner. For a split-second it looked like Jones was goalside and would have a relatively simple headed chance.
45+3 min “It’s a shame Archie Gray is at right-back rather than Pedro Porro,” writes Rob Knap. “If Porro was on, that would mean, I think, 11 different nationalities in the Spurs team. (Actually, Archie Gray announcing he wants to play for Scotland at half-time would also do the trick.) I know this has happened before, but I don’t think it happens that often…”
45+2 min Kinsky punches nervously behind for a corner with nobody near him. Nothing comes of it so it’s all fine.
45+1 min: Spurs substitution Mathys Tel, 19, comes on for his Spurs debut. There will be seven minutes of added time because of the various injuries. Richarlison is limping heavily and getting precisely no sympathy from the home fans.
45 min Richarlison’s race is run; Mathys Tel is getting ready to replace him.
44 min: Excellent save by Kinsky! Gakpo’s deep cross is volleyed into the ground and towards goal by Salah. It kicks up really awkwardly and is fingertipped onto the top of the bar by Kinsky. That’s a fine save because he would have expected Salah to make a cleaner contact.
44 min Tottenham haven’t kept the ball well enough. Easy to say from here, obviously, but they look like a team waiting to go 2-0 down before they start to really play.
Richarlison goes down off the ball and slaps the ground angrily.
43 min “Ivan Golac won the Scottish Cup with Dundee United (the first such win in the club’s history) in his first season after replacing the legendary Jim McLean, who had lost six finals in the previous twenty years,” says Simon McMahon. “We were relegated the following season, mind, and he was sacked. So enjoy it while it lasts, Liverpool fans.”
42 min Kulusevski cuts inside from the right, just outside the area, only to slash a rising drive high and wide.
40 min Szoboszlai’s corner is headed away. Spurs are under fairly relentless pressure now.
37 min Salah’s up and under is claimed with more authority by Kinsky. Spurs just need to get to half-time and reassess because Liverpool could finish the tie in the next 10 minutes.
36 min “Ștefan Kovács took over from Rinus Michels, who’d revolutionised the game and taken Ajax to their first European Cup,” says Kári Tulinius. “Kovács added two European Cups to the Ajax trophy cabinet.”
That’s a great shout. I can feel a Knowledge question coming on.
What a fine finish that is from Cody Gakpo. Salah, fed by Bradley, cut inside from the right and flicked an insouciant ball across the area with the outside of the foot. It was missed by everyone in the middle and bounced slightly awkwardly towards Gakpo beyond the far post. He adjusted his feet in a trice and slammed it past Kinsky at the near post. He is so damn hot right now.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Spurs (agg: 1-1; Gakpo 34)
Cody Gakpo is now the leading scorer in this season’s Carabao Cup!
33 min Spurs have done pretty well so far. Liverpool have been the dominant side, of course they have, but Antonin Kinsky hasn’t had any difficult saves to make. Yet.
(NB: clip contains adult language.)
32 min Jones takes a quick corner on the left. The ball is worked back to Robertson, who curls a teasing ball towards Salah beyond the far post. The angle is very tight and he volleys over with his right foot.
30 min: Szoboszlai has a goal disallowed. It was a neat finish, clipped first-time across Kinsky from Salah’s superb angled pass, but he was a yard offside.
29 min Gakpo stands up a cross that is headed straight at Kinsky by the backpedalling Nunez. It was a really tricky chance – ten yards out, no pace on the ball and he was jumping backwards.
29 min Spurs look most vulnerable when they attack, such is Liverpool’s threat on the counter-attack. It hasn’t been an exciting game in terms of chances but it is an intriguing one. And the chances will come. No way this ends 0-0. Nope.
26 min Salah’s pass across the area takes a big deflection off Bissouma and goes a few yards wide of the far post with Kinsky scrambling a bit. Liverpool take the corner short, to the distaste of the crowd. Eventually Gakpo and Nunez both have snapshots blocked by Danso and Gray respectively.
25 min Spurs win another corner on the left. They’re not attacking much but Richarlison is fighting tooth and nail to hold the ball up every time it’s dumped in his general direction.
The corner is cleared and Liverpool break ominously until the ball hits Szoboszlai on the back, allowing Spurs to counter the counter. Sarr’s pass is cut out.
24 min Just thought of another all-time-great debut season when taking over from an iconic manager: Fabio Capello with AC Milan in 1991-92. Again, though, he’d been at the club for years.
23 min Liverpool have had 74 per cent of the possession. Spurs are not playing with a high line tonight.
