Lucas Bergvall’s debut goal for Tottenham secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Liverpool in the semifinals of the English League Cup on Wednesday evening. The first leg of this matchup was marked by a serious injury to Rodrigo Bentancur and the historic first usage of in-stadium announcements by a referee in English football.
The 18-year-old Bergvall found the net in the 86th minute, finishing off a well-placed pass from Dominic Solanke. Just 10 minutes prior, Solanke believed he had put Tottenham ahead, but his goal was disallowed after a VAR review indicated he was offside. Referee Stuart Attwell announced the decision to the crowd and viewers at home using a wireless microphone, a significant shift in communication standards for the sport.
In an unfortunate turn of events, Bentancur, the Uruguayan midfielder for Tottenham, suffered an injury early in the match. He fell awkwardly while attempting to head the ball from a corner kick and was unable to get up for several minutes. Medical staff attended to him, and after approximately 10 minutes of treatment, he was carried off on a stretcher amidst applause from the supporters. Postgame, Tottenham’s manager, Ange Postecoglou, reported that Bentancur was “conscious” and able to communicate.
The second leg of this semifinal will take place at Anfield on February 6. In the other semifinal, Newcastle holds a 2-0 lead over Arsenal after their first leg.
For Liverpool, the defending champions of the League Cup, this defeat ended their impressive 24-match unbeaten streak across all competitions. The match carried a hint of controversy as it was only Liverpool’s second loss this season. Visiting players and manager Arne Slot voiced their concerns regarding Bergvall’s presence on the field for what became the decisive goal. They felt he should have received a second yellow card for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas moments before scoring. Tsimikas was off the pitch receiving treatment when Bergvall seized the opportunity to score.
Slot expressed his dissatisfaction with a yellow card for his protests but was seen shaking Attwell’s hand after the match concluded. “The decision he made had a lot of impact on the result tonight,” Slot remarked.
Liverpool’s captain, Virgil van Dijk, echoed these sentiments, stating it was “quite obvious” that Bergvall should have been penalized. “And a minute later, he scores the winner,” van Dijk expressed. “He (Attwell) made a mistake, in my opinion. And I told him that.”
Attwell had a busy closing segment of the match. After a VAR review on Solanke’s strike in the 76th minute—leading to the announcement of the disallowed goal—he made the decision public using the stadium’s PA system, mimicking an NFL-style communication. This usage of public announcements in the League Cup semifinals is part of a pilot program hoping to adapt successful practices from other sports, as seen at events like the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.
Antonín Kinský made his debut for Tottenham just three days after signing from Sparta Prague. The young goalkeeper, 21 years of age, displayed impressive skills and kept a clean sheet despite several challenging shots from Liverpool, particularly denying efforts from substitute Darwin Nunez. Kinský was visibly emotional after the match, a moment made special with his family present in the crowd. “I have never dreamed this,” Kinský remarked.
Tottenham brought Kinský on board because their first-choice goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, is currently sidelined with an injury.
