Liverpool booked their trip to Anfield South with a remarkably comfortable 4-0 win over Tottenham, reaching the Carabao Cup final with a 4-1 aggregate victory.
Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham (4-1 agg)
Carabao Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg | Anfield
February 6, 2024
Goals
Gakpo 34′ (assist – Salah)
Salah pen 51′ (assist – Nunez)
Szoboszlai 75′ (assist – Bradley)
Van Dijk 80′ (assist – Mac Allister)
As the belief swells among the fans that this could be a special season, a raucous atmosphere welcomed Liverpool and Tottenham onto the pitch at Anfield and did not let up.
Dominik Szoboszlai marked the half-hour by sliding the ball beyond Antonin Kinsky and in following a smart run to meet Mohamed Salah‘s pass, but the No. 8 went slightly too early and the goal was rightly chalked off.
That was the precursor to Liverpool’s opener, with Salah this time earning the assist as his trivela cross eluded both Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones but fell at the feet of Cody Gakpo for an instinctive finish to cancel out the first-leg result.
As Richarlison – who feigned injury earlier in the game – was forced to ground off the ball with a fitness issue, the Reds went up the other end and almost made it 2-0 as Kinsky denied Salah’s bouncing volley.
‘Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio’ sang the Liverpool fans as the ex-Everton striker trudged straight down the tunnel after 15 touches in 45 minutes.
HT: Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham
The erratic Kinsky denied Gakpo a second after a flicked-on corner but then handed Liverpool a penalty soon after, flying out to bring Nunez down having been sent through by Salah – who then blasted the spot-kick into the top corner for 2-0.
That gave the Reds the lead in the tie and in truth they were totally in control, with Spurs needing the chase the game having spent the most part of an hour sitting back and offering little.
Liverpool barely gave them time to breathe, marked by the relentless pressing of Jones and in particular Nunez, knowing a goal could push the tie to extra time which, with another game on Sunday, would have been less than ideal.
Before long, Liverpool were 3-0 up, with an outstanding goal for Szoboszlai seeing substitute Alexis Mac Allister find a brilliant run from Conor Bradley who, without breaking his stride, fed the Hungarian to finish.
And then it was four and finally one from a corner after many set-pieces wasted, with Virgil van Dijk nodding in Mac Allister’s delivery as Wembley awaits on March 16.
Van Dijk, substituted late on, was awarded a standing ovation by 60,000-odd packed into Anfield, the captain helping polish off a comfortable victory which moves him within one game of lifting another trophy.
TIA Man of the Match: Virgil van Dijk
Referee: Craig Pawson
Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk (Quansah 86′), Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones (Mac Allister 72′); Salah (Diaz 82′), Gakpo (Elliott 82′), Nunez (Jota 72′)
Subs not used: Jaros, Tsimikas, Endo, Chiesa
Tottenham: Kinsky; Gray, Danso, Davies (Moore 82′), Spence; Bissouma (Porro 57′), Bentancur, Sarr (Bergvall 57′); Kulusevski, Son, Richarlison (Tel 45+1′)
Subs not used: Austin, Cassanova, Olusesi, Reguilon, Ajayi
Next match: Plymouth (A) – FA Cup 4th Round – Sunday, February 9, 3pm (GMT)
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