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That’s all for tonight. Thanks for your company, emails and sequel-based swordplay. Goodnight!
It was quite obvious there was gonna be a second yellow. It was pretty clear, and then a minute later he scores the winner. Listen, it is what it is. [The referee] made a mistake in my opinion and I told him that. He thinks maybe he didn’t. It was quite obvious and everyone on the sideline knew it.
There’s a linesman there, there’s a fourth official, there’s VAR… and he doesn’t get a second yellow. I’m not saying this is the reason we lost, but
it effing well isit was a big moment in the game.
We played against an intense team with good attacking players who keep running and make it difficult. We created opportunities – not really clear-cut chances in my opinion – but enough that we could have scored.
At times we could have done better. That’s part of football. At times we played through them nicely, but they were able to defend much better than when we were here a couple of weeks ago.
It’s half-time now and I’m looking forward to the game back at home.
On Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp is highlighting the point that Stephen Cottrell made in the 95th minute – that Liverpool were almost punished twice for Bergvall’s foul on Kostas Tsimikas, because he wasn’t on the pitch when Solanke made the channel run that led to the goal.
The more you say it, the harder it is to understand why he wasn’t sent off. I still think the simplest solution is to allow VAR to be used for second yellow cards.
Here’s David Hytner’s report from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I’m already grieving for the interview podcast we’ll never get,” begins Kári Tulinius, “where a random celebrity watches Speed 2: Cruise Control with you, answering questions and helping you in your heroic struggle to maintain a grip on reality while watching the same terrible film every night, and obsessively trying to figure out the great mystery of the movie: who’s steering the boat.”
I had Jermain Defoe lined up as well.
As I type, Antonin Kinsky is embracing a lady in the crowd, presumably a family member or partner rather than a random Spurs fan who has had a season ticket since the days of Micky Hazard.
She is in tears; his back is to the camera but his body language suggests it might be raining on his face as well. That’s a lovely snapshot of the oft-forgotten human side of football.
Edit: it was his sister, and his parents were in the crowd as well.
The controversy over the goal is one of the reasons this is quite a hard game to assess. It felt like Liverpool were the better team, yet Spurs had more clear chances and also had a goal disallowed for a Spandex-tight offside.
Liverpool will still be favourites to reach the final when the semi-final resumes in 2029, but Spurs have given themselves a chance – and Antonin Kinsky has kept a clean sheet on his debut.
There were one or two frisky moments but for a 21-year-old keeper making his debut, for a team that has been haemorrhaging goals, having only arrived in the country a few days ago, he was ever so impressive. His personality and ability on the ball really stood out. (He made some saves as well.)
Antonin Kinsky clears the ball under pressure from Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Virgil van Dijk is straight over to the referee, asking why Bergvall wasn’t sent off. He probably has a point, and I still don’t really understand why VAR can’t used both to suggest or rescind second yellow cards.
Virgil van Dijk (right) shares his opinion with referee Stuart Attwell. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Peep peep!
90+8 min: VAR check for a Liverpool penalty! Now Jones goes down after a scramble just insied the area. Kulusevski dangled a lazy leg and may well have caught Jones, but the VAR team decide it’s Referee’s Call.
90+7 min One last corner for Liverpool, to be taken by Alexander-Arnold.
90+6 min Diaz goes over in the area after a little shove from behind by Porro. It was risky – he put two hands on Diaz I think – but not forceful enough for a penalty.
90+5 min “The bigger issue is that the injured player – who would have covered Solanke’s run – wasnt allowed back on the pitch,” says Stephen Cottrell. “So one team was down to 10 men.”
Ah, I missed that in all the excitement. I don’t have too much sympathy more generally. In this instance yes, because Tsimikas was fouled, but not with those who criticise the 30-second rule. It only came in because 99.94 per cent of players fake injury when it suits.
90+4 min: Excellent save by Kinsky! Diaz really hammers a cross just behind Nunez, who does quite brilliantly to manufacture a volley towards goal from about eight yards. Kinsky showed equally impressive reactions to tip it round the post. I’m not certain Nunez’s shot was on target but Kinsky couldn’t take a chance. It was a preposterously good effort from Nunez too.
Tottenham Hotspur’s keeper Antonin Kinsky earns his corn. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
90+2 min A typically wicked cross from Alexander-Arnold is headed behind really well by Porro, under all sorts of pressure from Diaz. A goalkick is given, which is a mistake, though it might have been a foul by Diaz on Porro.
90 min There will be seven minutes of added time. Also, if anyone wants 365 WMV files of Speed 2: Cruise Control, slide into my DMs.
88 min “While watching the match in the Netherlands, Sander Westerveld, erstwhile of Liverpool, Portsmouth and Everton in the PL, made Arteta’s case: hard to control and they should shoot more and watch it fly in zigzag to trouble the keepers,” writes Onno Giller. “Reminds me of the Jabulani discussions during the 2010 World Cup. I am an Arsenal fan and although Arteta may have a point that it is different to the Premier League, it is just an excuse for a bad performance.”
Though I get the point about sour grapes, I was surprised by the extent to which Arteta’s comments were dismissed. All footballs have different properties, as anyone whose schooldays regularly involved a Mitre Mouldmaster being slammed into their inner thigh on a sub-zero day will confirm.
87 min The Liverpool bench kicked off with the fourth official after the goal, and they probably have a point. But VAR can’t get involved for two yellow cards (which is a load of nonsense by the way) so Bergvall stayed on the field.
Some will say Bergvall’s actual yellow card was harsh because hd didn’t touch Diaz.
What isn’t in doubt is that Bergvall is a fine young midfield player with an admirable mentality. He’s had a really good game tonight.
Porro drove a long pass down the right that was retrieved by the tireless Solanke, under pressure from Konate. He turned and laid the ball off lovingly to the onrushing Bergvall, who swept a low shot past Alisson from 15 yards. That’s a lovely goal – the assist, the run and the calmness of the finish.
Lucas Bergvall, who might have been sent off a moment ago, has given Spurs the lead!
Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergvall slots the ball home. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Bergvall (right) wheels away as the Liverpool players look dejected. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Then celebrates with a knee slide in front of the joyous Tottenham fans. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
85 min After a patient move from Spurs, Kulusevski tries a shot on the turn from 15 yards but slips in the process. The ball runs through to Alisson.
Liverpool break and Gravenberch’s long-range shot is held by Kinsky. During that break Tsimikas was caught by the sliding Bergvall, who has been booked. He’s a bit fortunate to not see yellow and then red.
Kostas Tsimikas (right) reacts after being fouled by Lucas Bergvall who pleads innocence. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
80 min: Liverpool substitution Ibrahima Konate comes on for Alexis Mac Allister, which means Endo can move into midfield.
Big Ange’s love affair with VAR continues. In the quarter-final the goal would have counted; tonight, alas, VAR is in use and Solanke was fractionally offside.
Stuart Attwell announces the decision to the crowd. He’s not a natural, it’s fair to say, but then few of us would be.
Referee Stuart Attwell addresses the crowd. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
This is very tight for offside. I think Alexander-Arnold is just playing him on. Solanke ran behind Endo, onto a long pass from inside the Spurs half, and finished coolly past the outrushing Alisson.
It’ll be checked by VAR, but as things stand Dominic Solanke has scored against his old club for the third time in a month!
Tottenham Hotspur’s Dominic Solanke slots the ball home. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
74 min Football stopped being 11-a-side a long time ago, and the last 15 minutes are a reflection of the quaity of the two benches. Luis Diaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Darwin Nunez have really increased Liverpool’s intensity.
The Spurs sub, Werner, tries to do the same with a scurrying run from the halfway line into the area. That part was good, the ill-conceived shot into the side netting from a tight angle less so.
73 min: Spurs substitution Timo Werner replaces Son, who struggled to make a meaningful impact on the game.
71 min: Off the line by Dragusin! Liverpool are turning up the heat now. Tsimikas’s cross misses everyone in the middle and bounces towards Alexander-Arnold on the right edge of the area. The angle is really tight but he cuts across a stunning first-time strike that whooshes past Kinsky and is kicked off the line by Dragusin.
Mac Allister’s follow up from the edge of the area goes just wide. Wherever you stand in the Trent Wars, his ball-striking technique is a thing of wonder.
Trent Alexander Arnold of Liverpool fires off a shot. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
69 min: Fine save by Kinsky! Salah cuts inside and angles a neat pass behind Gray towards Nunez, who whacks a first-time shot from the angle. Kinsky, already well positioned at the near post, spreads himself to block. That’s his best save so far.
68 min Bergvall is booked for a lunge at Diaz. I don’t think he made contact but the intent is often sufficient in those situations.
I was going to say it looked like a dive by Diaz but a) he might have been anticipating contact and b) after the events of September 2023, I will never again question a decision involving Luis Diaz on this ground.
66 min Jones, on the right, hammers a really dangerous first-time cross that goes through Dragusin’s legs and reaches Diaz beyond the far post. He is eventually crowded out.
64 min Gray waves a beautiful outside-of-the-foot pass to release Kulusevski on the right. His low cross is cut out by Van Dijk, immaculately positioned at the near post, but it’s worth mentioning because of that pass from Gray. He is remarkably talented for an 18-year-old, and in the long run this difficult spell will surely be good for him.
63 min “Poorly made excuses aside, I’m always impressed how precisely pro athletes know their equipment,” writes Zach Neeley. “Years ago baseball pitchers complained the balls had been changed for the playoffs. League denied any change. They had a pitcher on the broadcast one night and dumped some balls from the playoffs and some from the regular season into a sack, he reached in and separated the two types blind.”
Oh that’s tremendous. I’d imagine Jimmy Anderson could do the same with cricket balls. And the late, utterly great Neil Kulkrani with crisps. Just texture, not taste.
62 min A decent header from Nunez, roughly 12 yards out, is straight at Kinsky. Liverpool are looking dangerous again.
61 min Van Dijk plants his studs into the back of Solanke’s leg as he tries to shield the ball. I doubt it was deliberate but it was high and didn’t look great. I’m surprised the commentators didn’t dwell on it. I suspect it looked far worse in slow motion and that there wasn’t much force. Either that or I have an unconscious bias against Liverpool that remains despite decades of therapy.
60 min: Triple substitution for Liverpool This feels like a pre-planned change, with the management of minutes in mind. Luis Diaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Darwin Nunez come on for Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley and Cody Gakpo.
59 min A lovely effort from Salah, who spots Kinsky off his line and goes for goal from very wide on the right. Kinsky backpedals smartly, pats the ball down from under the crossbar and grabs it when it bounces up. He dealt with it well but his heart would have been a drum-and-bass track for a few seconds.
Tottenham Hotspur’s keeper Antonin Kinsky claims the ball. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
56 min: What a chance for Spurs! Bergvall, a Jack Russell with lemon hair, presses Alisson not once but twice, winning the ball superbly the second time. It runs to Porro, whose shot from the edge of the area is crucially blocked by Van Dijk. Bergvall collects the loose ball and gives back to Porro, who lifts it over Alisson and wide of the far post!
That was a glorious chance for Porro. And I’m pretty sure Van Dijk’s block saved a goal because Alisson was out of the game at that stage.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro reacts after the ball went the wrong side of the upright. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
53 min A half-decent Spurs move ends with Spence’s cross zipping through to Alisson. One thing worth nothing is how quiet Son Heung-min has been. Whether that’s his form, Conor Bradley or both I don’t know, but it’s worth mentioning in the context of the ongoing Trent Wars.
51 min Salah’s inswinging cross is just too high for Gakpo, who timed his run well and was unmarked at the far post. That was better from Liverpool.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo can’t get his head to a cross. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters
50 min “Mikel Arteta has a point about the ball,” writes Peter Oh. “It’s not easy, making the round thing fit in a rectangular hole.”
49 min Liverpool haven’t quite picked up where they left off before half-time. In fact, they haven’t done so at all. Yet.
47 min “Spurs seem to be set up slightly differently from before, something like a 3-2–2-3, with five players principally tasked with defending, and five with attacking,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Ange may have reinvented the W M formation. Everything new is old again.”
Don’t they play that way anyway in certain phases? Can you tell I have no idea what I’m talking about?
46 min Liverpool begin the second half. No further substitutions.
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