Sports
Liverpool Crush Spurs 4-0 to Set Up League Cup Final Showdown with Newcastle
- Liverpool thrash Tottenham 4-0 to reach the League Cup final against Newcastle.
- Salah, Gakpo, Szoboszlai, and Van Dijk score as Spurs’ trophy hopes fade.
- Arne Slot’s Liverpool remain on course for a quadruple, with Spurs struggling in 14th.
Liverpool staged a commanding 4-0 victory on Thursday to overturn a first-leg deficit and secure their place in the League Cup final, increasing the pressure on Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou.
Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Virgil van Dijk all found the net for the Reds, who will face Newcastle at Wembley on March 16 in pursuit of the first silverware of the English season.
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The win keeps Liverpool’s quadruple hopes alive in what has been a dream debut season for manager Arne Slot. The team holds a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League, has progressed to the Champions League last 16, and will take on Championship strugglers Plymouth in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.
Tottenham’s trophy drought, meanwhile, extends into a 16th year. Spurs last won silverware in 2008, and Postecoglou now has one fewer opportunity to fulfill his promise of securing a trophy in his second season. Speculation is rising that the Australian could be under pressure if Spurs fail to perform against Aston Villa in the FA Cup this weekend, as they sit 14th in the Premier League.
Despite having other prestigious titles to target, Slot demonstrated his commitment to the League Cup by fielding his strongest available lineup, with only usual rotation in goal as Caoimhin Kelleher replaced Alisson Becker.
Tottenham, plagued by injuries, were forced to include new signing Kevin Danso in defence, while Mathys Tel made an early debut after Richarlison limped off.
Liverpool made light work of their 1-0 first-leg defeat in north London last month, replicating their 4-0 scoreline from the previous two encounters at Anfield. After a slow start, they found their rhythm, with Szoboszlai sweeping home Salah’s pass to open the scoring.
Gakpo extended Liverpool’s lead soon after with a clinical finish, increasing his tally to five goals in the competition. Salah then saw his chance delayed by a great save from Tottenham’s goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, but at the other end, Richarlison’s injury left Spurs further depleted.
Tottenham, already missing key players, never looked capable of mounting a serious threat, and their fate was sealed when Nunez was fouled by Kinsky early in the second half, allowing Salah to convert a penalty for his 26th goal of the season.
Liverpool continued to push forward, with Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch hitting the post, before Szoboszlai scored a third, set up by Connor Bradley, who shone in place of the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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Van Dijk sealed the victory with a header from a corner to make it 4-0, exposing Spurs’ struggles with defending set pieces.
Newcastle, aiming to end a 56-year trophy drought, will face Liverpool in the final after defeating Arsenal 4-0 on aggregate. However, they will have the tough task of trying to stop Slot’s unstoppable Liverpool side.
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