It’s a bit untimely to say this was an evening when Tottenham’s younger crew got here of age, however this 1-0 victory over Liverpool was a powerful present of maturity after they most wanted it.
An 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall appropriately settled it, crowning the effective work of fellow teenager Archie Grey. Ange Postecoglou couldn’t be extra effusive afterwards, and that’s comprehensible. It’d effectively save Tottenham’s season, simply as Liverpool’s has a slight sense of lag. The Premier League leaders have been nonetheless very energised in regards to the controversial Bergvall aim that gained this Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, with complaints that the goalscorer ought to have had a second reserving, finally seeing Arne Slot unusually lose his cool.
It was symbolic of a show the place his Liverpool have been nowhere close to the smoothness of the opening months of the marketing campaign. Duly, this was the primary time this season they went two video games with no win, after Sunday’s 2-2 draw towards Manchester United.
The evening appeared prefer it might be overshadowed by a regarding second the place Rodrigo Bentancur appeared like he misplaced consciousness for an eight-minute stoppage, however Spurs reported he was awake and talking and was going to hospital for additional checks.
Bentancur’s teammates went and gained the match for him, all of the extra spectacular given lots of them misplaced 6-3 to the identical opposition simply weeks in the past.
Such outcomes did foster what Postecoglou admitted was “an emotional time”.
“I don’t really feel that nice that individuals who work at this membership, our supporters, that they don’t have that feeling of victory,” he mentioned. “It weighs closely on me.”
Postecoglou and everybody else now has an actual raise, in addition to the hope of Wembley and perhaps a trophy. The Australian’s feedback have been made in response to a query about his agitated current media statements, and got here after an impassioned dialogue of VAR and the way he feels it’s ruining the sport. That was to type one thing of a theme of the evening.
Postecoglou himself would say it must be about Spurs’ victory. Make no mistake: this growing crew performed for him, and that at a membership the place there was a current historical past of troubled managers instantly bottoming out. Spurs might as a substitute be getting ready to one in every of their finest moments in years.
The tie is, in fact, removed from over given they should play at Anfield in a month, but it surely did really feel one thing of a recharge for Postecoglou’s crew. He so badly wanted this, whilst nobody exterior of Spurs would have anticipated it.
They’ve had so many accidents, to the purpose emergency goalkeeping signing Antonin Kinsky, 21, needed to instantly make his debut. They’ve had worse type, with all the great feeling from Postecoglou’s early reign dissipating to the drudgery of so many defeats, amid debates in regards to the supervisor’s model.
You wouldn’t have guessed any of that had you simply watched this sport by itself phrases. It was not simply one in every of Spurs’ tightest shows of the season, but additionally one in every of their sharpest. They gave little away, whereas inflicting Liverpool repeated issues, actually within the second half.
Postecoglou joked that his “midfield set-up was a bit extra conservative” with the punchline that he “solely had three midfielders to select from”.
So lots of his youthful gamers stepped up, particularly Bergvall and Grey. The latter was so measured, one thing that was all of the extra spectacular on condition that he was going through in-form attackers Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah. They might do little, very like their crew.
It was really a continuation of Liverpool’s efficiency towards Manchester United, which can increase a slight concern for Slot.
There have been adjustments, in fact, but it surely was nonetheless a robust crew. Even Wataru Endo, on as a centre-half sub for Jarell Quansah, has a minimum of performed in that place earlier than.
Slot nonetheless insisted they have been the stronger crew, if not on the ranges of the 6-3, however that was doubtful.
A scarcity of synchronicity was seen in Salah needlessly taking the ball off Alexis Mac Allister’s foot when a shot was there to be hit, earlier than powering it over the bar. There have been in any other case lengthy intervals after they didn’t bother Kinsky, a minimum of by way of efforts on aim.
On one event the spectacular debutant was crushed by a perfectly speared Trent Alexander-Arnold volley, however Radu Dragusin was there to clear the ball off the road.
Kinsky did have one second of slight hesitation when he was pressed with the ball at his toes within the first half, but it surely was nothing like what the far more skilled goalkeeper Alisson endured within the second.
The Brazilian tried one in every of his Cruyff turns within the field towards Bergvall, just for the midfielder to stand up and instantly embarrass Alisson by clipping the ball away from him. Pedro Porro then chipped it over Alisson with impudence… but additionally a bit an excessive amount of width. The ball curved simply vast.
There was a rising sense of Liverpool asking for a bit extra bother than they often do, and Spurs more and more fancying it. They appeared like they’d it on 80 minutes, Dominic Solanke appeared to lastly get the higher of their excessive line, surging in on aim to slip the ball previous Alisson.
It was simply offside, as Stuart Atwell finally introduced to the group in a historic new audio enhancement. When requested in regards to the new “innovation”, Slot quipped: “It could be extra fascinating for everybody if he defined why there wasn’t a second yellow card.”
The supply of his criticism shortly adopted the Solanke second, as Bergvall acquired a deserved winner, for him and Spurs. Liverpool would insist they have been the higher aspect and that shouldn’t have counted in any case. Bergvall had gone in on Kostas Tsimikas in what appeared a second yellow.
Atwell didn’t warning him, although, and he was free to profit from some slack defending. Somebody who was virtually as spectacular, Porro, initially performed the looking ball that went proper via Liverpool. That noticed Solanke acquire after bodily getting the higher of Ibrahima Konate. The ball was performed again to Bergvall, who slotted within the neatest of finishes. Alisson had no probability. Liverpool nonetheless had some grievances, with Slot’s assistant in the end getting booked for remonstrating.
Slot, who had by then calmed down, spoke philosophically about how Postecoglou had been complaining about selections on Saturday and right here was one the place he was fortunate and Liverpool have been unfortunate. The Dutch coach really had a sympathetic ear in Postecoglou who spoke at size about how stunned he’s that English soccer tradition – “the house of the sport” – has allowed itself to be so impacted by VAR, with solely “an Aussie from the opposite aspect of the world” talking out.
On the brand new in-game VAR announcement, Postecoglou requested: “Did everybody actually benefit from the announcement, did it provide you with a buzz?”
Postecoglou has mentioned this type of factor earlier than, however this went additional, and he in all probability felt a second of victory was a greater time to do it. It additionally goes down effectively, revitalising his man-of-the-people picture.
He will definitely have gotten a buzz from victory, and what it meant. Spurs have a toe within the last, though with a frightening leg at Anfield to come back.
It might outline their season. Liverpool want a slight recharge in theirs.
