Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou admitted he has “seen a lot of growth” in his squad despite recent results after Tottenham beat Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Teenager Lukas Bergvall scored his first goal for the club four minutes from time to end Liverpool's 24-game unbeaten run and give Tottenham a slim advantage heading into the second leg at Anfield in a month's time.
This was Tottenham's first win since their quarter-final victory over Manchester United, as Postecoglou's team looks to revitalize their season.
Win the first leg! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ktX5W2OTjA
– Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 8, 2025
But the match was marred by what appeared to be a very serious injury to Rodrigo Bentancur in the first half, which resulted in the midfielder being taken to hospital.
Postecoglou said Bentancur was now conscious but admitted he did not have “all the information.”
Speaking about his team's performance, the Spurs coach was quick to praise the players.
“I think we deserved it that night,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports.
“The boys gave everything they could and I'm really happy that the players are getting the rewards.
“We have to deal with adversity all the time. It's unbelievable when you think we have a couple of 18-year-olds. I've seen a lot of growth, but that growth has been overshadowed by our poor form.
He added: “The first half has only ended, and going to Liverpool is not easy.”
One of the main talking points after the match was whether or not the match-winner Bergvall should have been on the pitch to score his goal.
Ange Postecoglou passionately defends the decision to keep Lukas Bergvall on the field 👀 pic.twitter.com/doOpVc0BEE
– Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 8, 2025
Moments before scoring, the Swede, who was already carrying a yellow card, committed a foul on Konstantinos Tsimikas but referee Stuart Attwell chose not to caution him.
Asked if his player was lucky to be on the field, the Tottenham manager defended the decision: “We have been screaming about it for months, it has happened to us constantly.
“If the advantage was taken, if it was not a cynical tackle, the yellow card would not be played. For me that was very clear.”
Next up for Spurs is a trip to National League side Tamworth in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
