Ange Postecoglou gets exciting glimpse into Tottenham future as youngsters shine in Liverpool win | OneFootball

Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Antonin Kinsky show the future can be very bright for Spurs despite recent struggles

It is with good reason that the opening credits to Sky Sports’ coverage of the Carabao Cup run to the tune of ‘Shine a Light’ by Banners.

A competition that increasingly feels in danger of being squeezed out of the football calendar has become a chance for youngsters to take centre stage.

This was a night that certainly did shine a light on Tottenham’s next generation, as Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray (both 18) and new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky (21) were outstanding in Wednesday’s 1-0 win against Liverpool.

New goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky and Archie Gray helped give Spurs the advantage going into the second leg at Anfield

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After a grim run of four games without a win, this was a cathartic night and exactly what Spurs have needed. They have one foot in the final, though Liverpool’s Arne Slot says he cannot wait for the “second act” of this semi-final.

There was controversy over Bergvall’s winner - his first Spurs goal - which came just two minutes after he could easily have been shown a second yellow card for a cynical foul on Kostas Tsimikas.

To Tottenham’s delight, he escaped a red and was able to stroke home the winner to round off a courageous individual performance in which he had been their key anchor in midfield, rotating play on the ball and biting at the heels of the Liverpool players off it.

Dominic Solanke, who married strength with composure to assist Bergvall, said afterwards that the 18-year-old has “matured a lot” since first joining up with the squad in July.

“Lucas was brilliant,” Postecoglou said of a player who came of age on the night. “He is just growing all the time. He’s got that ability as a footballer to create space for himself. He’s got the quality, but he works awfully hard for the team as well.”

In defence, 22-year-old Radu Dragusin produced a heroic block on the line to deny Liverpool and Trent Alexander-Arnold an opener, but it was his centre-back partner Gray whose marauding runs out from the back relieved pressure on his team-mates and caught the eye in north London.

And those two days over the festive period which Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange spent locked in negotiations in the Czech capital with Slavia Prague paid off as new goalkeeper Kinsky popped the ball round and through Liverpool with crisp distribution.

His assured showing came after just two days of training and also brought key saves, including an elastic reach to push wide Darwin Nunez’s late flick.

Guglielmo Vicario, Fraser Forster and Brandon Austin have one home clean sheet between them this season. Kinsky, 21, levelled with them on a single night. His debut performance was “brilliant, fantastic”, according to his new manager.

I just pray I’m the beneficiary of their talent

Ange Postecoglou on Tottenham's promising youngsters

“I got the sense when I spoke to him before we signed him that he had a bit about him in terms of assuredness that probably belied his years,” Postecoglou said. “I threw him a mammoth task today to play against the best team arguably in the world at the moment, in a big game, a semi-final. He just handled it awfully well. He's an outstanding footballer.”

Extraordinary circumstances have seen Tottenham plummet to 12th in the Premier League and forced Postecoglou to start players who he previously hadn’t thought were ready every three days. Yet it has fast-tracked these fringe youngsters into dependable players.

“We’ve been dealing with some adversity for sure, but we’ve had some growth in that,” he said. “That’s been masked by poor results and poor form for sure. I’ve got no doubt that when we get our players back, the foundations are really strong, with a group of players we can really grow with.

“Name me another Premier League team that’s got two 18-year-olds playing consistently. I’m so happy they’re at our football club. In two or three years’ time, I just pray I’m the beneficiary of their talent, because if somebody else is getting it, I won’t be happy.”