Liverpool cruised into their 15th League Cup final with an authoritative 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield that overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in some style. The Reds will now set up a mouth watering meeting with Newcastle United at Wembley in March as they look to defend their crown.
Liverpool began ambitious, but Spurs’ backline, reinforced by debutant Kevin Danso, held firm for the most part.
Antonin Kinsky had already made routine saves from Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez and Dominik Szoboszlai had a strike ruled offside. But Liverpool broke the deadlock in the 34th minute when Salah’s wonderful ball picked out Cody Gakpo, who tucked it into the bottom corner.
The hosts cranked up the pressure after the break, and they took the initiative in the tie with Salah’s penalty after Kinsky had fouled Núñez. Salah coolly slotted into the top left to set the tone for Liverpool’s dominance. Bradley’s through-pass then allowed Szoboszlai to slot in a third before Virgil van Dijk completed the rout, heading in from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner.
Son Heung-min was the spurs’ only relevant chance that hit the crossbar. Scout’s honour: Now under the kosh, Ange Postecoglou has to rally his side to save its season in the FA Cup and Europa League.
