A few years ago, Liverpool were mocked for adopting a slogan of “this means more”. In a match that surely meant more to Tottenham than them, Liverpool nevertheless won emphatically. It sums up the realities of the two clubs. Tottenham, desperate for a first trophy since 2008, abandoned the principles of Angeball to try and protect their first-leg lead and failed. Liverpool, with far greater priorities, nonetheless booked a final date with Newcastle as Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk struck. They ran riot without really needing to. “Reaching a final should always be special, even for this club,” said Arne Slot. Yet his initial, one-word reaction, rather summed it up. “Pleasant,” he smiled.
Slot’s first silverware in England could come in the Carabao Cup. Ange Postecoglou, the man who has been adamant that he always wins something in his second season, now has one route to glory closed off. If Tottenham’s season is to be saved, it must be in the FA Cup or the Europa League. “We had a great opportunity, but unfortunately we didn’t grab it,” lamented Postecoglou. Spurs’ fans had begun the night singing about going to Wembley: they will instead head to the homelier surroundings of Craven Cottage on 16 March.
