League Cup: Bergvall fires Tottenham to first-leg semis victory over Liverpool

0
6
League Cup: Bergvall fires Tottenham to first-leg semis victory over Liverpool
Advetisment

London, Jan 9 (IANS) Tottenham Hotspur took a significant step toward ending their 15-year trophy drought with a gritty 1-0 victory over defending champions Liverpool in the first leg of the League Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

Lucas Bergvall, the 18-year-old Swedish sensation, emerged as the hero, netting his maiden goal for Spurs in the dying moments of the match to snap Liverpool’s 24-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool came into the game as favourites, having secured a dominant 6-3 Premier League victory over Tottenham just weeks earlier. However, the League Cup clash was a far cry from that free-scoring affair, with Tottenham battling through injuries and Liverpool struggling to find their usual rhythm.

Spurs, plagued by absences, gave a debut to goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky and were forced to make an early substitution when midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was stretchered off after a nasty fall. Despite these setbacks, Tottenham showed resilience and discipline, supported by the raucous home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham began the match brightly, creating the better chances in a scrappy first half. Radu Dragusin tested Liverpool keeper Alisson with an early shot, while Dominic Solanke came close after bundling a Son Heung-min cross just wide of the target.

Liverpool, unusually subdued, relied on moments of individual brilliance from their talisman Mohamed Salah, but the Egyptian was largely neutralized by Spurs’ disciplined defense. Cody Gakpo’s speculative effort nearly caught out debutant keeper Kinsky, but the ball squirmed wide.

The first half was marred by a lengthy stoppage for Bentancur’s injury, which seemed to deflate Spurs momentarily. Yet, the home side remained dangerous, buoyed by their youthful energy and high pressing.

The second half saw Tottenham push for an opener, with Alisson almost gifting them the lead. Dallying on the ball, the Brazilian goalkeeper was dispossessed by Bergvall, who set up Pedro Porro. However, Porro’s initial shot was blocked heroically by Virgil van Dijk, and his follow-up rolled agonizingly wide.

Liverpool, too, had their chances. Substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold nearly broke the deadlock with a fierce strike, only for Radu Dragusin to make a goal-line clearance that epitomized Tottenham’s determination.

Drama unfolded when Solanke thought he had scored the opening goal, only for VAR to intervene. Referee Stuart Attwell became the first official in English football to announce a VAR decision directly to the crowd, confirming the offside call and keeping the match scoreless.

As the clock ticked toward the 90th minute, Spurs finally found their breakthrough. Solanke, who had been tireless throughout the match, battled past two defenders before laying the ball off to Lucas Bergvall. The teenager displayed composure beyond his years, rifling a stunning shot past Alisson to ignite wild celebrations among the home fans.

For Liverpool, the loss marked only their second defeat of the season.

–IANS

hs/

Go to Source

Disclaimer

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.

Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.

Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.

For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.

Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.

If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.

Advertisment