Bergvall hands Spurs semi-final advantage: Five things we learned from Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool | OneFootball

Lucas Bergvall’s late goal was enough for Tottenham to beat Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Bergvall’s 85th minute winner, which came after Dominic Solanke thought he had put Spurs put in front seven minutes prior, hands Ange Postecoglou’s men the advantage heading into the second leg of the tie.

For Liverpool, defeat means the Reds have lost on the road for the first time this season under Arne Slot.

Here are five things our man James St Denis learnt in a cagey semi-final first leg…

Replacement left back needed for Liverpool

Liverpool have been imperious this season. Arne Slot did not inherit the biggest squad to manage, and the lack of signings in the summer would have been of some concern, but the Reds’ season so far has put any fears to bed. One issue that needs to be addressed is the left back position, with Andy Robertson having a difficult season and Kostas Tsimikas not of the quality of title challenging side, and the Greek struggled against Spurs’ pacy right side.

Tottenham’s injury hoodoo continues

With an ongoing injury crisis along with creative force James Maddison suspended for the match, the last thing Ange Postecoglou would have wanted was another injury to a key player. Only six minutes into this match and Rodrigo Bentancur collapsed to the floor during a Spurs corner, with much concern for the Uruguayan. The club have since confirmed the midfielder is conscious, talking and heading to hospital

Kinsky promising on debut

After Guglielmo Vicario’s fractured ankle injury in November and Fraser Forster one of the many Spurs players effected by the recent illness bug going around the squad, the north London club moved quickly to sign Czechia goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. The 21-year-old was thrusted straight into the starting eleven and instantly impressed, looking composed on the ball and even attempted an outrageous flick over Diogo Jota which he subsequently caught.

Spence excels against Salah

Playing on your weaker side is a daunting task for any footballer, but playing against Mohamed Salah and Conor Bradley in a Carabao Cup semi-final adds an extra bit of spice. However Djed Spence performed admirably against the Liverpool duo, winning five of his seven duels in the first half as well as not conceding a single foul. The second half was of similar vein, and credit to Spence, who has been really impressive on his return to the team.

VAR announces itself – literally

The moment everyone waited for, well just the Liverpool fans. After Dominic Solanke had tucked away a brilliant Tottenham move, the wait for the inevitable VAR check began with the Spurs striker in a potentially offside position. With VAR confirming the England international was offside, Stuart Attwell became to the first referee to announce the decision to the stadium. 50,000 angry Tottenham fans were not best pleased with the subsequent decision.