The Tottenham collapse, when it inevitably came, unfolded to Ange Postecoglou’s right. In his peripheral vision as he grimaced behind Liverpool’s second-half onslaught on the Kop goal was a coach who must ignite envy and admiration in every rival. How effortless Arne Slot makes this look. How serenely he has taken to English football, to succeeding a club legend, to reaching a Wembley cup final at the first attempt. How flawed others appear in comparison.
A Carabao Cup final appearance eight months into the job can be added to Slot’s extensive list of Anfield achievements after a comfortable semi-final second leg victory over Spurs.
Related: Liverpool sweep Tottenham aside to book Carabao Cup final with Newcastle
Postecoglou’s side arrived with a slender lead from the first leg but were bewildered at what to do with it. Protect at all costs with an injury-plagued, fragile defence? That appeared the intention as Spurs failed to register a single shot on target.
Only at 2-0 down and on the way out of the competition did the visitors show any attacking menace. Son Heung-min struck Caoimhín Kelleher’s crossbar, the only time Liverpool’s stand-in goalkeeper was seriously troubled all night, but otherwise Spurs fought a rearguard action without much fight. Or action. Liverpool, by contrast, followed the clear instructions that have taken them to the summit of the Premier League and Champions League to reach Wembley with a swagger.
In many ways Slot faced a more ominous challenge than Postecoglou at the start of this campaign, although the talent he inherited from Jürgen Klopp tipped the scales back in his favour. New to the Premier League and taking over a giant of a club in mourning for a legend’s shock departure, the Liverpool head coach had to convince a dressing room of world-class players – along with a nervous public – that he was the man to realise their ambitions. The continued pursuit of four trophies and 29 wins from 37 matches in all competitions presents a convincing argument. Of course the job and the victories are not easy. Slot just makes it look that way.
The opposite was true of his Tottenham counterpart at Anfield. Spurs have been ingrained with an attacking philosophy by Postecoglou but too much time on the back foot confused their instincts. The 48th minute offered a prime example. The semi-final was level on aggregate at the time. Spurs had every incentive to commit men forward and regain the initiative. They had had few opportunities to do so, when a rare lapse from Virgil van Dijk handed them possession deep inside Liverpool territory. Pape Matar Sarr seized on the loose ball but time stood still for Spurs.
Sarr surveyed his options. The attack was static so he squared to Djed Spence hugging the right touchline. Spence played the ball back to Sarr, who turned towards his own goal and sprayed a 60-yard pass to his goalkeeper. The move encapsulated the lack of intent by a visiting team with everything to play for.
Defensively, Spurs performed fairly for 34 minutes considering the number of absentees and calibre of the attack they faced. But it was expecting far too much for this team to preserve a 1-0 first leg advantage all night.
Kevin Danso, signed from Lens on loan on Sunday, was given an immediate debut in the centre of a defence missing Radu Dragusin, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Another game, another new backline for Postecoglou.
The 26-year-old Austria international made an encouraging start, making important blocks to deny Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch and taking responsibility to organise a defence that was under constant pressure. Beside him Archie Gray, belying his 18 years, was a composed presence as he took his tour of the Tottenham rearguard to right-back.
Spurs’ main problems lay in front of them, where the midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma struggled to retain possession or track Liverpool runs. It was Bissouma’s misplaced pass to Gravenberch that resulted in the breakthrough for Gakpo, who scored for the seventh home game in succession to take his League Cup tally for the season to five. Eventually, however, the faultlines cracked throughout Spurs’ lineup.
Liverpool had created few clearcut chances before Bissouma’s error but it was always a question of when, not if, the Premier League leaders would book their passage to Wembley. Conor Bradley would have bulldozed his way there single-handed if necessary. The 21-year-old was outstanding in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold, absent with a thigh injury, and embodied the fight, resilience and talent that Postecoglou desperately needed to witness in his team. He may be waiting a long time for that to appear at Tottenham.
One crunching Bradley challenge left Son in a heap before his follow-up won a corner at Spence’s expense. The noise levels inside Anfield cranked up instantly. The Northern Ireland international’s driving runs and composure on the ball were showcased all night, no more so than when playing in Dominik Szoboszlai for Liverpool’s third goal with a sumptuous first-time pass.
The options at Slot’s disposal, typified by the quality of Alexander-Arnold’s replacement, may also be the envy of his Premier League rivals. But it is Slot’s use and improvement of them that has elevated Liverpool this season. A Wembley debut awaits.
