Tottenham thought they had discovered a clever way to hurt their opponents where it mattered most, perfectly in keeping with their current form. There were 77 minutes on the clock, and this Carabao Cup semi-final first leg was finally warming up, with Dominic Solanke believing he had given them a crucial lead.
It wasn't just a sparkling finish from Pedro Porro's precise pass, but a goal full of significance. This was the forward, remember, who had struggled to produce the goods during a period at Liverpool early on in his career.
Enter the referee, Stuart Attwell, to explain, live and wearing a microphone - in an initiative aimed at greater transparency - that Solanke had been fractionally offside. No goal. Attwell looked nervous. He actually blew his whistle into his microphone before delivering the explanation, which was jarring.
It was a highly dramatic match, with the Spurs midfield player, Rodrigo Bentancur, sustaining an injury in the early stages of the game. He fell to the ground after attempting to win the ball during a corner, without being touched by an opponent. After lengthy medical treatment, he was carefully lifted onto a stretcher and removed from the field. The Spurs medical team informed the media at half-time that Bentancur was conscious, speaking and due to undergo further checks at a hospital.
Slavia Prague's goalkeeper showed character and made a lot of excellent saves at a crucial time.
It was all derailed at the end with a stunning twist, one laden with glory from Spurs' perspective, involving the emergence of a star – and shrouded in controversy from Liverpool's point of view.
Lucas Bergvall, who is only 18 years old, was quite fearless in the midfield, allowing his confidence to shine through. It's never been his nature to hold back from expressing himself. However, he found himself on a yellow card after tackling Liverpool substitute Luis Díaz towards the end, and was fortunate to avoid a second booking after a similar challenge on Kostas Tsimikas that was intended to thwart a counterattack. As Slot would later point out, the referee's decision was unusual and went unexplained to the crowd.
A short while later, with Tsimikas still receiving treatment, Spurs quickly countered, Porro finding Solanke who held off the incoming Liverpool substitute, Ibrahima Konaté, before playing the ball to Bergvall. What a moment to take advantage of a timely relief. Bergvall, who had previously never scored for Spurs, seized the chance to steer the ball past Alisson and Spurs' goal was suddenly revitalised.
There was still an opportunity for Kinsky to make a smart save from Darwin Núñez, who had also come off the bench and, as the full-time whistle sounded, Spurs could convince themselves they were in a strong position to reach the final. Perhaps, that was being a bit optimistic as the second leg at Anfield in early February would present a formidable challenge for the team.
In the Premier League before Christmas, Slot's quadruple-chasing side failed to play with the same fluidity and sharpness. But Tottenham had gone into the tie with 10 players out due to injury and suspension. They had only won three of their last 14 matches in all competitions. The pressure was mounting on Ange Postecoglou. This was a welcome respite for him.
The game had been coloured to a certain extent by what happened to Bentancur; a very distressing moment for everyone inside the stadium. Spurs had almost scored when Son Heung-min returned a corner into the danger area and Radu Dragusin blocked it from going in, thanks to Alisson.
But at first, Bentancur had thrown himself into a diving header and he simply didn't move from the ground, players from both teams motioning to the medics straight away. The lack of any replays of the incident on the stadium TVs only added to the sense of severity; the worry levels.
Liverpool got off to a sluggish start; they made a large number of mistakes in possession - some of them were so glaring that a second look was needed. Meanwhile, Slot's team was forced to regroup when Jarell Quansah felt a pain in his chest and was substituted just before the half-hour mark.
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Liverpool excelled in the first half, which consisted of 11 added minutes, as time went on. Conor Bradley, who started ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, made a strong physical impact and showed determination. The visitors had periodic opportunities to score, particularly with rapid overlapping runs along the left side.
Liverpool's best moment before the break arose when Tsimikas set up Alexis Mac Allister with a cross. It was almost too easy for Mac Allister but he headed the ball straight at Kinsky.
The atmosphere was charged. Postecoglou was animated on the touchline, a sight becoming more frequent. He sat on his knees in distress just before the 60th minute when Spurs missed a golden chance to score first, Bergvall preventing the dawdling Alisson and Porro shooting straight at Virgil van Dijk. On the subsequent attack, Porro chipped it wide off target when magnificently placed.
Liverpool pushed. Mohamed Salah gave only brief glimpses of his usual quality. He would deliver Núñez down the inside right, only for Kinsky to make a massive block. There was the moment when Alexander-Arnold, who came on as a substitute, unleashed a precise, first-time shot from a tight angle that somehow flew past Kinsky. Dragusin made an exceptional clearance off the line. Spurs managed to hold on. After the setback of the disallowed Solanke goal, they would muster a comeback.
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