Liverpool overturned a 1-0 deficit from the semi-final first leg as they put four past Tottenham at Anfield to book their place in the Carabao Cup final.
Tottenham Hotspur exit the Carabao Cup
It was a woeful evening for the 6,000 travelling fans and the millions watching worldwide, who had to witness Tottenham crash out of the Carabao Cup in humiliating fashion. Despite carrying a lead into this second leg, the odds, stats, and pundits all favoured Liverpool—and they were proven right. Spurs had everything to fight for, but nothing went their way.
Ange Postecoglou had decisions to make in his lineup, and while some found his selections sensible, others were left frustrated by the lack of creativity in midfield and the absence of new signing Mathys Tel and Lucas Bergvall from the starting XI.
On the other hand, Arne Slot fielded a strong Liverpool side, albeit without Trent Alexander-Arnold. That might have given Spurs fans some hope, but his replacement, Conor Bradley, produced a masterclass.
Spurs had options on the bench for the first time in a while, but the quality gap compared to Liverpool’s was undeniable. And once the game started, it was clear which side had turned up to fight for a place at Wembley.
First half: Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs looked like they had made up their minds long before kick-off: sit deep and hold on. But Liverpool weren’t having any of it. From the first whistle, they pressed relentlessly, man-marking every Spurs player and forcing them out of possession repeatedly.
Virgil van Dijk arguably should have been booked early for an elbow on Richarlison, but referee Craig Pawson opted for a quiet word instead. By the half-hour mark, Antonin Kinsky had the most touches of any Spurs player—that pretty much summed it up.
Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah had early sights on goal but lacked the cutting edge. But Spurs were always playing with fire, and it finally burned them in the 34th minute.
A sloppy pass from Yves Bissouma was intercepted by Salah, who quickly played it across to Cody Gakpo, and he made no mistake in slotting it home for 1-0, leaving Spurs with a mountain to climb.
Richarlison limped off just before half-time with a calf issue, forcing Mathys Tel into an early debut.
By half-time, Spurs had registered just one shot, while Liverpool had more of the ball (73%) and their xG (0.75 compared to Spurs’ 0.06) looked like they could cut through at will.
Second half: Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur
With the tie level on aggregate, you’d expect Spurs to come out swinging in the second half. Instead, they continued to sit back.
Just 38 seconds after the restart, Salah tested Kinsky with a shot on target. And six minutes later, Liverpool took the lead on aggregate in predictable fashion.
Ben Davies lost possession, and Liverpool launched a swift counter. A clumsy challenge from Kinsky on Nunez resulted in a penalty, and Salah stepped up to thunder the ball into the top corner—no goalkeeper was saving that.
Ange responded with sweeping changes: Bergvall and Porro replaced Sarr and Bissouma, while Djed Spence moved to right-wing, Kulusevski dropped into midfield, and Archie Gray slotted in at left-back.
Liverpool continued to dominate, hitting the post twice before adding a third. Conor Bradley, storming through Spurs’ non-existent midfield, laid the ball off to Dominik Szoboszlai, who curled it into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
Son Heung-min almost pulled one back with a thunderous strike that rattled the post, but Liverpool weren’t done yet.
With five minutes left, Van Dijk shrugged off Davies like he wasn’t there, outjumped Danso, and powered a header past Kinsky from a corner.
4-0. Game over.
Takeaways from Tottenham’s Carabao Cup exit
There was hardly any fight from Spurs. They had zero shots on target, managed just eight touches in the Liverpool box compared to the home side’s 54, and didn’t pick up a single yellow card. That last stat says everything about the lack of fight.
Spurs’ midfield was lacklustre, to say the least. Bissouma had an absolute shocker. The only notable thing he did all game was pull Richarlison away from a clash with Van Dijk. Alasdair Gold summed it up perfectly, “On his day, the Mali international is a skilful, tackling machine. On others, he’s an aimless passenger.” Sadly, this was the latter.
Pape Matar Sarr was equally poor, frequently misplacing passes and lacking awareness. Bentancur wasn’t the worst, but he was hesitant and lacked movement around him.
About the debutants, Kevin Danso looked assured, physically strong, and composed in possession. He even made a crucial block in the first half that prevented an almost certain goal. Those long passes through the side and his first touch may remind you of Toby Alderweireld.
Mathys Tel, meanwhile, barely saw the ball, managing just 18 touches. He showed glimpses of pace but struggled against Liverpool’s towering defenders. It’s unfair to judge him too harshly on a night like this.
The standout player for Spurs? Djed Spence. He played in multiple positions—left-back, right-back, right-wing—and was the only one who looked like he wanted to change things. He completed the most dribbles in the game (4) and should now be a regular starter.
Kulusevski, usually a fighter, was uncharacteristically poor. He failed to get past his marker in four out of five dribble attempts, and his movement was restricted.
As for the injuries? Just add another name to the growing list. It never ends.
Conclusion – Tottenham got it wrong
Liverpool are arguably the best team in Europe right now, but the least Spurs could have done was put up some resistance. Instead, they looked like they never wanted to be there.
Ange Postecoglou attempted to replicate Mourinho’s 2010 Inter Milan masterclass against Barcelona but it fell flat. The problem? This was never going to work. The quality gap between the two squads was simply too vast.
This one is on the players. Another trophy opportunity gone, and now Spurs must pin their silverware hopes on the FA Cup and Europa League.
Next up? An FA Cup clash against Aston Villa. Spurs fans will be hoping for a response—because after this horror show, they deserve one.