Lucas Bergvall struck an 86th-minute winner to earn Tottenham a 1-0 victory over Liverpool and a slender advantage after a cagey Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
Spurs were without 10 players for this tie and had lost 6-3 to Arne Slot’s irresistible Premier League leaders last month, but turned the form table on its head – albeit with a touch of fortune.
Match-winner Bergvall was lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a late tackle on Kostas Tsimikas moments before he fired home his first goal for the club to earn Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou a much-needed win.
Postecoglou had faced external pressure after a nightmare run of form amid a horror injury crisis, which deepened with Rodrigo Bentancur forced off early amid worrying scenes, but his injury-hit team with debutant goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky managed to shut out Liverpool to head to Anfield next month with a narrow lead.
Liverpool put six past Spurs in the Premier League last month, but the hosts had a new goalkeeper this time after Postecoglou decided to hand Kinsky his debut three days on from his arrival.
Only six minutes were on the clock when a lengthy stoppage occurred due to a head injury for Bentancur.
The midfielder was taken off on a stretcher in the 15th minute after he appeared to head the floor from a corner – with Radu Dragusin denied by Alisson Becker moments later.
Spurs later confirmed Bentancur was conscious and talking and would go to hospital for further checks.
The stop-start nature of the tie continued with young Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah forced off not long after Mohamed Salah had curled wide from outside the penalty area.
Kinsky made his first save after 33 minutes but it was a routine stop from Alexis Mac Allister’s header before Liverpool upped the ante in first-half stoppage time.
Salah chipped over after a fine run by Cody Gakpo, who almost surprised Kinsky soon after with a long-range shot before the Dutch forward curled off target as it remained goalless at the break.
Clear-cut opportunities had been few and far between until the 56th minute when Spurs should have taken the lead.
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