LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 08: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool reacts after Lucas Bergvall of Tottenham Hotspur (not pictured) scores his sides first goal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 08, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Liverpool started the Carabao Cup semi-finals first-leg on a losing note after going down 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening.
Carabao Cup
Result: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Liverpool
Date: 08 January 2025
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
The Reds were without Trend Alexander-Arnold, who was replaced by Conor Bradley, with Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo leading the attack.
Tottenham had a bright start as Son Heung-Min had an early chance with a strike on the edge of the box that was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Alisson.
It was end to end stuff midway into the first stanza as Salah had an almost similar chance for Liverpool but guided his shot just wide.
Alexis Mac Allister had a chance to break the deadlock for Arne Slot’s charges ten minutes before the interval with a header from a free kick that went straight into goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
The Reds stayed in attack and Gakpo also had two quick chances on the stroke of half-time but was not clinical enough as the sides went to the break deadlocked.
After a slow start in the second stanza Slot reacted on the hour-mark with changes as Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz both came on for Jota and Gakpo.
The Reds came to life with 20 minutes to go as Alexander-Arnold had a shot cleared off the line.
As the game opened up, Spurs thought they were ahead 16 minutes before time after Dominic Solanke found the back of the net but his goal was disallowed for a marginal offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
There was controversy in the dying minutes as Lucas Bergvall, who could have been sent off a moment earlier, scored the winner for The Lilywhites whites with a tap-in from a square pass by Solanke.
The second-leg is set for 6 February at Anfield.
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