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Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur will meet again, this time at Anfield on Thursday night for the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final, with Spurs holding a slim 1-0 aggregate lead. Both teams will enter the clash brimming with confidence after securing crucial 2-0 victories on the road over the weekend, which had significant implications at both ends of the Premier League table.
Counting the days, It has been almost a month since Lucas Bergvall’s late winner gave Spurs a narrow advantage in the first leg, a match marred by controversy. Bergvall was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card just minutes before scoring the decisive goal, and Liverpool manager Arne Slot would acknowledge that his team underperformed throughout the evening in North London.
Despite trailing from the first leg, Liverpool are still favourites to advance to the final and extend their record number of appearances in the competition to 15 finale. Jurgen Klopp’s final honour at Liverpool was the EFL Cup last season against Chelsea, which gave the Reds’ their 10th win in the competition.
To progress, Liverpool require a two-goal victory, and since their loss to Nottingham Forest in September, they have been unbeaten in 15 home matches, scoring at least twice on each occasion and winning 13. Their recent 2-0 win at in-form Bournemouth was a vital victory in their pursuit of a second league title in 35 years.
Mohamed Salah’s double secured the win, maintaining Liverpool’s six-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Reds’ next three fixtures will be pivotal in their quest for an unprecedented quadruple, with a trip to Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup and a rearranged Merseyside derby against Everton on the horizon.
For Tottenham, this may be their best opportunity to end their trophy drought in some time. Leading into the second leg and potentially facing Newcastle in the final, rather than Manchester City, whom they lost to in the 2021 final, manager Ange Postecoglou may be able to deliver on his promise of winning a trophy within his first two seasons.
However, Spurs’ recent record in two-legged EFL Cup semi-finals is poor, having lost to Chelsea on both occasions, including in 2019 when they led 1-0 heading into the second leg. Anfield has also been an unhappy hunting ground for Spurs in recent years, with no wins at the venue since 2011.
Despite this, Postecoglou has had some positives to take from this week, with Spurs beating Brentford 2-0 in the league and sealing their place in the Europa League last 16. Tottenham have kept four clean sheets in eight games, including shutouts against Liverpool and Brentford.
TEAM NEWS:
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to miss the match due to a thigh injury sustained at Bournemouth, but the issue is not as severe as initially feared. Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones have recently returned from injury, leaving Joe Gomez as the only other absentee for the hosts.
Spurs have been dealt another injury blow with Radu Dragusin ruled out for the season with a knee injury. Micky van de Ven returned in the Europa League outing against Elfsborg and should be ready to start alongside Ben Davies in defence.
POSSIBLE STARTING LINEUPS:
Liverpool: Alisson, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo
Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Van de Ven, Davies, Gray; Bergvall, Bissouma, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son
OUR PREDICTION: Liverpool 4-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Given Postecoglou’s reluctance to change tactics and Liverpool’s need to score, another high-scoring encounter could be on the cards, but this time in Liverpool’s favour. Spurs may have ended their winless league run, but they have still been conceding goals against stronger opposition, and if Liverpool perform at their best, a repeat of their ruthless display in the league fixture in December is on course.
