Liverpool Crush Tottenham 4-0 to Reach EFL Cup Final
Reigning champions Liverpool will face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final after a commanding 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the second leg of the semifinals.
The Reds overturned a 0-1 first-leg deficit to book their 15th final appearance, where they will take on Newcastle, who defeated Arsenal 2-0 in their own semifinal after a 1-0 win in the first leg. The final is set for Wednesday, March 16, at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London.
Liverpool lifted last season’s trophy after a 1-0 extra-time win over Chelsea, while Newcastle fell to Manchester United 2-0 in the 2023 final.
Dutch forward Cody Gakpo (34’), Egyptian star Mohamed Salah (51’ – penalty), Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai (75’), and Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk (80’) were on target for Liverpool.
Tottenham’s Australian manager Ange Postecoglou handed a debut to Austrian defender Kevin Danso, who joined from Lens in the winter transfer window. Meanwhile, French forward Mathys Tel, signed from Bayern Munich, started on the bench but was introduced late in the first half after Richarlison suffered an injury.
More Records for Salah
Salah had the first big chance of the game, forcing a save from Spurs’ Czech goalkeeper Antonín Kinský in the 6th minute. He then set up Szoboszlai for a well-taken goal, but it was ruled offside (29’).
Liverpool broke the deadlock in the 34th minute when Salah delivered a brilliant outside-foot pass into the box, bypassing the entire defense and reaching Gakpo, who slotted it in the net. The Dutchman’s fifth goal of the tournament was also his 10th overall assisted by Salah—placing him third on the list of players who have benefited the most from the Egyptian’s creativity.
Leading the list is Senegal’s Sadio Mané, who received 17 assists from Salah, followed by Brazilian Roberto Firmino with 14.
Early in the second half, Darwin Núñez was brought down by Kinský inside the box, earning Liverpool a penalty. Salah stepped up and blasted it into the top-right corner (51’), netting his 26th goal in 34 appearances across all competitions this season.
This was also Salah’s eighth penalty goal of the season—the highest tally by any Liverpool player since Steven Gerrard scored 11 penalties in the 2013-14 campaign.
Additionally, Tottenham moved up to second place on Salah’s list of favorite victims, conceding 13 goals to him since his arrival at Anfield in 2017. Only Manchester United (16) have suffered more at his hands, while Spurs are now level with West Ham (13). Salah has directly contributed to 18 goals in 18 appearances against Tottenham, scoring 13 and assisting five.
Liverpool continued their dominance in the closing stages. Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch struck the post with a powerful shot from outside the box (74’), before Szoboszlai sealed the win with a well-placed finish (75’).
Captain Van Dijk put the icing on the cake with a towering header from a corner in the 80th minute, completing a memorable night for the Reds.
