Liverpool Sweep Tottenham aside to book the Carabao Cup final with Newcastle | Carabao Cup

Ange Postecoglou recently mouseed about Hope and the inherent uselessness of it with the way things have gone for Tottenham this season. Each time the manager had seen “light at the end of the tunnel,” he said, it would have “usually been a madly train”.

It was an appropriate way to describe Liverpool that didn’t so much roll into the Carabao Cup final, their first such showpiece under Arne Castle, as SteamRoll their way there. They refused to address any other result, and they flattened spores completely. Who can stop Liverpool this season? That’s the question of everyone’s lips when they look down from the top of the Premier League and Eye Glory in the Champions League and FA Cup.

Nobody really believed that Spurs would do this, probably not even Diehards, who took the trip north, and it was over, really when Mohamed Salah scored from penalties early in the second half to give them the overall lead.

Spurs offered nothing as an attacking strength except for a late shot from the captain, son Heung-Min, who crashed towards the bar. But then it was 3-0, Dominik Szoboszlai had added Cody Gakpos opened further, and there was still time for the imperial Virgil van Dijk to add the fourth. It will be up to Newcastle to refuse Liverpool in the final. Slots team starts like the heavy favorites.

It would have been easy to feel that Liverpool would have a few recent wrong against spurs from matches in London. There were Luis Díaz rejected goals Farrago, but more pertinently, perhaps, the first stage of this tie, as Spurs midfielder Lucas Bergvall should have been sent out instead of sticking to scoring the only goal.

The occasion did not need Niggle between Van Dijk and Richarlison at first to turn on any kind of touch paper, but it got the same. Richarlison accused Van Dijk of throwing an elbow on him; The Spurs striker is dramatically tumbling. “You know,” Richarlison would mouth against him. And when Van Dijk gave him a little later and offered him a hand up, it definitely looked like he pulled it back.

Postecoglou started with Archie Gray on right -back, surprisingly omitted Pedro Porro. It was another test for gray after all those in the central defense. Postecoglou’s idea was to be compact, careful even and for traveling fans massaged in the lower level of Anfield Road, there were unusual sights. When Dejan Kulusevksi and Richarlison broke just before half -hour, it was only those against seven red shirts.

Slowly but surely Liverpool turned up the heat. Their runners from the ball asked questions, especially up the channels. Their press became an increasing problem for spurs. They dominated possession. Liverpool came to camp in the spurs half, and they had the ball in the net for what they thought was 1-0 when Salah Fizzed one up the channel for Dominik Szoboszlai to sweep home, but the midfielder was offside.

The breakthrough had been announced and it came after a loose Yves Bissouma Pass. The error did not happen in a vacuum. This is what Slots Liverpool is doing against you. The ball was worked wide for Salah and when he crossed with the outside of his trunk, and Darwin Núñez brought a dose of chaos in the middle, it ran for Gakpo. His feet were planted, but he was able to summon the force. Should Antonin Kinsky have done more to keep the shot out? Possibly. The goalkeeper was a little erratic in the first 45 minutes.

Kinksy got his fingertips for a Salah Volley that jumped down and bred in 44 minutes, though he still needed the top of the bar to help him. At the other end, Richarlison had gone down with what looked like a muscle injury – another for spurs. Liverpool had played on. Richarlison struck the ground in frustration and it is probably worth reporting that sympathy was in short supply from Kop for the former Everton player.

Postecoglou introduced Mathy’s TLF, his new Outfield signing, after starting his second, the middle half Kevin Danso. Thanks the sky for DANSO. Spurs’ other three specialized central defenders were wounded, part of the selection crisis that had denied Postecoglou 10 players at Kick-off. It would always be part of the story. Slot’s only enforced absence was Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Kinsky was in the limelight at the start of the second half. Liverpool brought even more intensity and the goalkeeper made it good to reject a Szoboszlai header from a corner. And yet moments later, when Salah played a teasing ball in the area of ​​Núñez, it was possible to predict the disaster. The Uruguayan would always be too fast, Kinsky would never withdraw from the attempt to demand the ball. All he touched was Núñez. Salah chose a top corner from the place.

Spurs knew that a goal for them stood to change everything. They were still technical in it. And yet, it didn’t feel like Liverpool harassed them and refused to give a moment peace. Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch both hit a post. A third Liverpool goal would have been curtains. Szoboszlai pulled them closed. It was a lovely first -time assistance from Conor Bradley after good work by replacement Alexis Mac Allister. The finish was never in doubt.