Liverpool vs Tottenham – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Liverpool face Tottenham at Anfield tonight to determine who will progress into the final of the Carabao Cup.

In the first leg, Spurs edged out the Reds in a 1-0 victory in North London courtesy of a late Lucas Bergvall winner.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot announced that Trent Alexander-Arnold is unavailable with his inclusion for the weekend also in doubt. The full-back was forced off against Bournemouth and he joins Joe Gomez on the sidelines.

Spurs are one of only three teams to beat Liverpool in all competitions this campaign after their triumph in the first leg.

Ange Postecoglou confirmed that January signings Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel are in consideration for tonight’s line-up. Guglielmo Vicario was rumoured to be able to make a return but wasn’t mentioned in the Australian’s pre-match press conference.

Micky van de Ven has been ruled out with the club taking a cautious approach to his return from a hamstring injury. The Dutchman played 45 minutes last Thursday but hasn’t felt comfortable enough to feature since.

Tottenham are dealing with Cristian Romero’s absence with the same attitude as the 26-year-old also recovering from a muscular issue. Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Destiny Udogie are still out.

Liverpool vs Tottenham – Match preview and team news

Form

Liverpool: WWWLW

Liverpool remained top of the Premier League after an accomplished 2-0 win at Bournemouth. Mohamed Salah added two more goals in his pursuit of the Golden Boot as he took his tally to 21 goals in the league.

They are six points clear of second place Arsenal with a game in hand, which is due to be played next midweek away to local rivals Everton.

Another clean sheet for the Reds means they have the best defensive record in the division as well as the best offence. Aside from their away defeat to PSV Eindhoven in a Champions League tie where the result was immaterial, the last team to beat Liverpool was Tottenham.

The holders will have to produce a comeback if they are to retain the Carabao Cup trophy.

Tottenham: LWLWW

Spurs put an end to their seven-game winless run in the Premier League by beating Brentford 2-0 away from home.

It was a hard-fought performance from the Lilywhites as they forced a Vitaly Janelt own goal in the first period. After protecting their advantage. Pape Matar Sarr scored the winner in the closing stages to claim a vital three points.

After West Ham’s loss to Chelsea, Tottenham climbed back into 14th position in the top flight.

It is a huge week for the club. After their crucial second leg with Liverpool, they travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round. The fate of these two matches could prove decisive in Ange Postecoglou’s future.

Last Meeting: Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool, Carabao Cup, 8th January 2025

Tottenham take a slender lead into the second leg after a vital 1-0 win over Liverpool in early January.

The opening exchanges were overshadowed by an incident involving Rodrigo Bentancur. The Uruguayan required oxygen and was stretchered off the pitch after a lengthy stoppage.

As a result, the contest struggled to flow in the first period as other pauses contributed to a cagey affair.

The second half was much more open with the home crowd urging their team on to break the deadlock. Lucas Bergvall forced Alisson into an error that almost proved fatal.

The Brazilian stopper evaded the press with a feint before dawdling on the ball and allowing Bergvall to nick possession.

Pedro Porro’s resulting effort was blocked by Virgil van Dijk before the full-back sent a second effort wide. The Spaniard opted to chip the ball instead of connecting with power. That chance brought the encounter to life and Liverpool came close minutes later.

Darwin Nunez’s strike from a tight angle was firmly hit but debutant Antonin Kinsky was equal to it with a strong stop.

Trent Alexander-Arnold then came centimetres away from opening the scoring but his rasping drive was blocked on the line by Radu Dragusin.

The stadium erupted after Dominic Solanke slotted past Alisson but, after a brief VAR consultation, he was found to be offside.

Bergvall was then slightly fortunate to escape a second yellow card when a crunching tackle on Kostas Tsimikas went unpunished.

That decision altered the outcome of the game as the teenager ended up scoring the winner. Solanke dashed in behind to collect a raking Porro pass before teeing up Bergvall who made no mistake from 12 yards out. It was the Swede’s first goal for the club and earned his side something to protect in the second leg.

Predicted Lineups

Liverpool: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.

Tottenham: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence; Bentancur, Sarr, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son.

Who is the referee?

Craig Pawson will be the match official. Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan will assist him while Darren Bond will be the fourth official. The VAR will be Michael Salisbury and he will be assisted by James Mainwaring.

What TV channel is Liverpool vs Tottenham on?

The second leg of this Carabao Cup semi-final will be televised on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Ultra, Sky Go UK, NOW UK, ITV1 and ITVX.

What time is kick-off?

Kick-off at Anfield will be at 20:00 GMT on Thursday 6th February 2025.

Liverpool vs Tottenham Match Odds

Liverpool: 1/5

Draw: 13/2

Tottenham: 10/1

Read – Five free agents clubs could sign outside the transfer window

See more – Postecoglou says Spurs signings could debut against Liverpool

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