Tottenham will take a 1-0 lead into next month's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with Liverpool thanks to Lukas Bergvall's second-half goal.
Much will be made about whether the young Swede should get the chance to convert the match-winning moment, but Spurs were good value for their first-leg win on Wednesday night.
For the second game in a row, Liverpool were below par but they are far from out of the tie with an exciting second leg scheduled at Anfield next month.
How the game unfolded
Arne Slot may have surprised some when he was close to full strength on Wednesday night given how little rest his team has had over the past month. The Breathers are scheduled to arrive this weekend against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup before the league leaders travel to Nottingham Forest.
However, the Dutchman made four changes to the side that won 6-3 in N17 before Christmas, with the bulk of the substitutions coming to defence.
Ange Postecoglou did his best under the circumstances, and there was an immediate emergence from the sticks for new signing Antonin Kinski. South Korean Yang Min-hyuk was chosen on the bench.
Alisson's shot was brilliantly saved by Radu Dragosin in the opening kicks, but their early momentum was halted by Rodrigo Bentancur's head and neck injury. The Uruguayan left the field after a long break in play, and fortunately, he later became conscious.
We can confirm that Rodrigo is conscious and talking and will go to hospital for further tests.
– Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 8, 2025
The expected chaos never arrived in the opening period, as the contest suffered a stalemate. Tottenham, perhaps keen to avenge their December loss, competed fiercely and were the superior team for much of the first half, but the Reds grew in the contest after a slow and sloppy start, eventually forcing the hosts to 'hang on' before half-time. However, rookie Kinski was rarely tested.
There was no change in the dynamic after the restart, even though the contest was supposed to heat up with Spurs' opening goal. After Bergvall worked tirelessly to dispose of Alisson, Pedro Boro inexplicably wasted two dangerous chances – the first of which was brilliantly saved by Virgil van Dijk.
Slott opted to make a triple change in a bid to light the fuse, with Liverpool intent on capitalizing on them at Anfield next month. One of the participants, Trent Alexander-Arnold, went close with a brilliant shot, but it was brilliantly blocked by Dragosin on the goal line.
The hosts then thought they had taken a valuable lead when Dominic Solanke finished past Alisson after latching on to Boro's divine pass, but VAR was on hand to dampen Lillywhite's spirits with Stuart Attwell, by means of speech (!) being offside.
However, the Tottenham striker played a key role in the first and eventual goal. Solanke passed the ball to Bergvall, who finished calmly, having beaten Ibrahima Konate and picked up the ball from the onrushing Swede.
With Liverpool failing to act in the aftermath, Tottenham held on and will take a valuable lead at Anfield in February.
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Slott's team selection showed respect for the hosts, but perhaps also indicated that the Dutchman was keen to finish the semi-final away from home.
However, yet He was eliminated by one point against Manchester United on SundayLiverpool struggled during the first leg on Wednesday just a few weeks after mopping the floor with the Lilywhites.
There were the typical surges, but the Reds were generally slow and cautious in N17. The Spurs stifled their attack early and it took a while for their powerful attacking line to get involved in the game. Passing went awry as Slott's side produced an unusual display of incohesion, with their inability to create chances not only the result of their mediocre work off the ball but also the home side's tireless effort off the ball.
A 1-0 deficit is not that difficult to overcome, especially with the second leg coming to a ground where superior Spurs teams have died quickly in the past. However, there is a lot to think about.
Much has been made of Postecoglou's decision to withdraw Lukas Bergvall in the second half of Tottenham's defeat to Newcastle on Saturday, but the suspensions of James Maddison and Pape Sarr meant the Swede's freshness was needed against the Reds.
It initially looked as if Bergvall would get a chance to shine in a free-lancing midfield role, but Bentancur's forced withdrawal caused Ange to change his approach. With Dejan Kulusevski shifting up the pitch, the young midfielder had to position himself close to Yves Bissouma, but Bergvall was not deterred, as was the case on Saturday, by taking on a more disciplined role.
Bergvall, along with the impressive Archie Gray and Digid Spence, display the courage and bravery that their manager encourages them to play with. While Gray advanced strongly, Spence refused to care that Mohamed Salah was the closest in attendance, and Bergvall's effort without the ball was sublime.
He may have been lucky to stay on the pitch, but the 18-year-old deserved to win the game on Wednesday night.
Tottenham have a lot of work to do in the January transfer window, and Johan Lange has worked stealthily to secure his first signing of the month. 98% of the fanbase had never heard of 21-year-old Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinski before links emerged regarding his imminent arrival.
However, he would have won a lot on his debut.
Short sleeves are an aesthetic question mark, but Kinski otherwise looks the part. His work on the ball was superb throughout as he showed his ability to deliver high passes over pressure and hit long balls in behind. Most of the time, he waited until the last minute to release him just to make sure some hearts were stopped among Spurs fans.
Most of Liverpool's attempts required a routine stop, but Kinski made a fine save from Darwin Nunez in the second half before cleverly saving an inventive shot from the Uruguayan around the post in stoppage time.
Are you watching, Guglielmo?
