Tottenham feared they’d discovered a novel technique to really feel a kick the place it most hurts, one thing solely in line with the second they’re in. There have been 77 minutes on the clock, this Carabao Cup semi-final first leg had lastly began to bubble and Dominic Solanke thought he had put them in entrance.

It was not solely a high-quality end from Pedro Porro’s looking through-ball however a objective of wealthy narrative strands. This was the striker, keep in mind, who couldn’t make it occur throughout a spell at Liverpool earlier in his profession.

Enter the referee, Stuart Attwell, to elucidate, stay and miked up – in an initiative geared toward better transparency – that Solanke had been fractionally offside. No objective. Attwell regarded nervous. He truly blew his whistle into his microphone earlier than delivering the soliloquy, which was jarring.

It was a tie that had loads of drama, starting early on when the Spurs midfielder, Rodrigo Bentancur, collapsed below no problem when looking the ball at a nook for his workforce. After prolonged therapy, he could be manoeuvred fastidiously on to a stretcher and brought from the sphere. Spurs reported through the half-time break that he was acutely aware, speaking and certain for a hospital check-up.

There was the not insignificant element of Antonin Kinsky excelling on his Spurs debut, having had simply two coaching periods along with his teammates after moving for £12.5m from Slavia Prague. The goalkeeper confirmed persona and made a clutch of high-quality saves.

However it was all gazumped in direction of the very finish with a shocking twist, one loaded with glory from a Spurs viewpoint, seeing the start of a star – and coated in controversy when considered by way of a Liverpool lens.

Lucas Bergvall, at 18 years younger, had strutted his stuff in midfield, taking part in with an absence of concern. It’s not in his make-up to duck expressing himself. But he was on a yellow card for a lunge on the Liverpool substitute, Luis Díaz, when he cleaned out Kostas Tsimikas to attempt to stop a counterattack. It was a transparent second reserving and Attwell selected to spare him. As Slot would later comment, there was no rationalization from the referee to the gang for that aberration.

Moments later, with Tsimikas nonetheless off the sphere having acquired therapy, Spurs sprang ahead, Porro discovering Solanke, who held off one other Liverpool alternative, Ibrahima Konaté, earlier than squaring for Bergvall. Discuss benefiting from a reprieve. Bergvall had by no means scored for Spurs. However he strode onto the possibility to steer it previous Alisson and Spurs had been in dreamland.

There would nonetheless be time for Kinsky to make a sensible save from Darwin Núñez, who had additionally entered as an alternative and, when the full-time whistle went, Spurs may inform themselves they’d one foot within the closing. Maybe, that was stretching it a little bit as a result of Liverpool at Anfield within the second leg in early February might be a distinct proposition.

Having hammered Spurs 6-3 within the Premier League earlier than Christmas, Slot’s quadruple-chasing workforce didn’t play with the identical fluency and incision. However Spurs had entered the tie with 10 gamers out by way of damage and suspension. They’d received solely three of their earlier 14 matches in all competitions. The stress was on Ange Postecoglou. This was a launch.

The sport had been framed to a sure extent by what occurred to Bentancur; a really distressing second for everyone inside the bottom. Spurs had virtually scored when Son Heung-min returned a nook into the hazard space and Radu Dragusin prolonged Alisson.

However within the preliminary part, Bentancur had thrown himself right into a stooping header and he merely didn’t transfer from the bottom, gamers from each groups waving the medics on right away. The shortage of any TV replays of the incident contained in the stadium solely strengthened the severity of it; the concern ranges.

Liverpool began slowly; there have been errors from them on the ball – a excessive variety of them. Some required double-takes. What, actually? Slot’s workforce needed to reshuffle themselves when Jarell Quansah felt one thing in his chest and went off simply earlier than the half-hour.

Liverpool grew as a primary half that featured 11 further minutes wore on. Conor Bradley, who began forward of Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, was a bodily, driving presence. The guests threatened to get in with overlaps up the left.

Liverpool’s finest second earlier than the interval got here when Tsimikas teed up Alexis Mac Allister with a cross. It was on a plate however Mac Allister headed straight at Kinsky.

The tensions simmered. Postecoglou was animated in his technical space, which seems like an more and more common sight. He was on his knees in anguish simply earlier than the hour when Spurs blew a golden likelihood for the opening objective, Bergvall robbing the dallying Alisson and Porro capturing straight at Virgil van Dijk. On the second part, Porro chipped astray when gloriously positioned.

Liverpool pushed. Mohamed Salah flickered. He would launch Núñez up the within proper just for Kinsky to make an enormous block. There was additionally the second when Alexander-Arnold, who got here off the bench, unloaded a venomous first-time shot from an angle that flew previous Kinsky. Dragusin would make a superb clearance off the road. Spurs survived. After the physique blow of the disallowed Solanke objective, they’d thrive.