Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool: Lucas Bergvall headline act as young Spurs show remarkable maturity
2025-01-09
Category: sports

Ange Postecoglou trusted to the exuberance and talent of youth to release the pressure on his position as Tottenham manager - and was rewarded with one of the most crucial wins of his reign.Postecoglou has been feeling the strain of poor results in recent weeks, but the smiles were back on the players' faces as Spurs secured a 1-0 advantage over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.As well as the win that keeps Postecoglou on course to keep his promise that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club, he was also able to tell three good news stories that vindicate his transfer strategy - often criticised - of acquiring promising young talents to build a bright future.Step forward 18-year-old Swedish match-winner Lucas Bergvall, 21-year-old debutant keeper Antonin Kinsky - barely through the door having signed from Slavia Prague in a Â£12.5m deal on Monday - and another teenager in Archie Grey.Bergvall's decisive contribution will be shrouded in controversy because Liverpool, with justification, will believe he should not have been on the pitch after referee Stuart Attwell allowed play to continue after a wild challenge on Kostas Tsimikas that could have brought a second yellow card moments before his 86th minute winner.He will be the headline act, but he must share that spotlight with Kinsky and Gray, who showed remarkable maturity in such high pressure situations against high quality opposition.Postecoglou was without 10 players through injury and illness, a number that quickly increased to 11 when Rodrigo Bentancur was taken off on a stretcher following 10 minutes of treatment after going down with a head injury at a corner.Happily, he was later reported to be conscious and talking to provide more good news for Postecoglou and Spurs.
Bergvall was the centre of attention with a confident, classy, feisty - Liverpool would suggest too feisty  performance in midfield.This was a landmark moment for the young Swede, creative and competitive as he made the most chances of Spurs' players - three from open play, as well as scoring the winner.Bergvall finished emphatically past Alisson with four minutes left, joining illustrious company as, at 18 years and 341 days, he is the club's youngest League Cup scorer since Gareth Bale, who was 18 years and 72 days when he scored against Middlesbrough in September 2007.The Â£8.5m paid to Djurgarden in February 2024 - before loaning him back to the Swedish club for the rest of the season - already looks a snip. On a performance like this, just his fourth start for the club, it is easy to see why Barcelona also wanted to sign him.Just as remarkable was the story of Kinsky, who only got his work permit on Monday after arriving from Slavia Prague but was thrown straight in by Postecoglou, who is without injured Guglielmo Vicario and Fraser Forster, choosing the youngster ahead of Brandon Austin.Kinsky showed remarkable confidence with the ball at his feet, completing one catch after a neat juggle early on, always willing to take the positive option - although he escaped in the first half when he slipped as he went to collect Cody Gakpo's routine shot.And he responded superbly when put to the test as Liverpool finally applied pressure late on, dashing from his goal to block Darwin Nunez's angled shot before making his best save of the night, reacting to dive away to his right to turn away the striker's header in the closing seconds.It was a dream introduction, admittedly a gamble by Postecoglou but one that worked, the keeper falling into the arms of sister Andrea for an emotional lengthy embrace at the final whistle as tears were shed, with his father, Antonin snr. - a former Czech international keeper - also watching on.
A little more under the radar but just as impressive was another 18-year-old, Archie Gray, who has shown commendable character and courage after being plunged into the unfamiliar role of central defender as players such as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were absent through injury.He will flourish in his recognised position in midfield as time goes by, but he is a real talent, as proved by his composure in one moment in the second half, ignoring the anxiety of the crowd to move smoothly out of defence before setting Spurs away on the attack.Gray was unruffled by Liverpool's potent charge, a genuine star of the future. The Â£40m paid to Leeds United could be another bargain buy.Postecoglou was delighted with his youngsters, saying: "It is incredible when you think we had a couple of 18-year-olds out there. I have seen so much growth. I have no doubt we will get through this period and get players back. What I've found in the meantime is that we have some real players to help us be the team we want to be."In such extreme circumstances, with so many players missing and a four-match winless streak that included a 6-3 thrashing at home to Liverpool, this was the sort of result and performance that should provide the perfect tonic for Postecoglou and his players.It was also another example of the wildly contradictory and inconsistent nature of Spurs, their last six wins coming containing two against Manchester City, a 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa, a 5-0 win at Southampton, a 4-3 triumph against Manchester City then this, only Liverpool's second loss under head coach Arne Slot.The Spurs lead may be slender as they go to Anfied, but the gap of a month between the semi-final first and second legs gives Postecoglou to have some of his most important players back fit for the test at Anfield, Romero and Van de Ven in particular.Spurs and Postecoglou have come under the critical microscope in recent times - this was a night when the manager and the young players he trusts implicitly could bask in a more flattering spotlight.