Tottenham Hotspur

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views after Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Tottenham and Liverpool.

Here are some of your comments:

Tottenham fans

Jack: Bergvall, Gray, Spence, Kinsky - wow! Liverpool were not at the races last night but with some injuries back in the second leg, could we do it?

Rajinder: Well done Ange! The lads really turned up today and executed the manager's plan beautifully. Best wishes to Bentancur for a speedy recovery. Now let's go finish the job at Anfield.

Colin: Great performance from a young team who didn't let the occasion get to them. A more reserved performance with outstanding contributions from Spence, Bergvall and Solanke. It's another month before we play Liverpool again so some time to boost the ranks with new players and returns from injury. Wembley might not be that far away!

John: For the first time in months, I was watching a proper Spurs team. I can tell you, it was a great source of relief. Well done lads and thanks.

Liverpool fans

Jason: Liverpool are experiencing a blip right now. Consistency is missing and a clean sheet is extinct. Opponents have figured out how to neutralize Slot-ball, with Manchester United showing the way last Sunday. I fear the second half of this season will mirror last season. We may run out of steam and end up as bridesmaid for the biggest prizes again. I truly hope I'm wrong.

Raj: The controversy over the second yellow shouldn't hide from the disappointment of a poor Liverpool display. Several key players seem to be off form at the moment.

Andrew: You can't win them all. Home leg should be fine.

J Gibney: Looks like it's our turn for a dip in form. Fortunately the cup games will help us get back to a good level but it begins with the players being able to find their feet again, start there, keep the ball, confidence will return with it.

Decisions from officials were under scrutiny as Tottenham edged Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

A foul by Lucas Bergvall late in the fixture - when play was allowed to continue - saw the Tottenham midfielder let off what would have been a second caution. Moments later he scored the winning goal.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was left frustrated by officiating days earlier, while Liverpool manager Arne Slot was left stunned by Wednesday's decision.

Postecoglou questioned the countless changes to rules in his post-match media conference, while Slot gave his views on the controversy.

Image source, @Rodrigo_Bentancur on Instagram

Rodrigo Bentancur posted on Instagram in the early hours of Thursday morning, writing "all good guys" following Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool.

The 27-year-old fell unchallenged as he went to head the ball and left the pitch on a stretcher after being treated for around nine minutes.

It was later confirmed he was conscious and talking and was taken to hospital for further checks.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky speaking to Sky Sports after making his debut in the 1-0 win over Liverpool: "I would say I'm a big dreamer, I always make my own visions of the future. Probably this dream I have never dreamt - amazing.

"I'm really happy for the whole club. I came three days ago, everything worked so good, all the people are kind. I'm so happy for them and the whole team but this is just the first leg."

On who he was celebrating with at the end: "It was my sister because yesterday I got to know there is a possibility of me being in goal today so I called them immediately, my sister came, her boyfriend, my parents, I was so happy to have them here on such a special night.

"That was him [his dad, a former goalkeeper, shown in the stands]. I hope he's proud. The whole family, my grandfather was also a goalkeeper, he was watching as well. I hope they are all happy."

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou spoke to media about Kinsky afterwards and said: "Brilliant. Fantastic. I got the sense when I spoke to him before we signed him that he had a bit about him in terms of assuredness that probably belied his years.

"I threw him a mammoth task today to play against the best team arguably in the world at the moment, in a big game, a semi-final. He just handled it awfully well. Credit to Johan and his team, they were really big on him as a footballer who's going to fit our style and work really hard to make it happen now. And you can see why. He's an outstanding footballer."

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou says he saw "so much growth" in his team during Wednesday's Carabao Cup first leg victory over Liverpool.

Already in the midst of a difficult run of form and without 10 players through injury and illness, Spurs lost Rodrigo Bentancur amid worrying scenes early on but reacted with a fine performance and will take a deserved 1-0 lead to Anfield for the second leg.

"We are having to deal with adversity all the time," Postecoglou told Sky Sports post-match.

"We started really well and then lost a key player. This lot are nothing if not resilient and they keep going and they did today.

"It is incredible when you think we had a couple of 18-year-olds out there. I have just 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 we have some real players to help us to be the team we want to be."

The Spurs boss has come under fire at times in recent months for his insistence that he always wins a trophy in his second season, and many believed his chance of silverware through the Carabao Cup was over when his side were drawn against league leaders Liverpool in the semi-final.

However, he remained defiant and will now have a huge chance of securing a place in a Wembley final.

"People can keep mocking me about it but we will see," Postecoglou added.

"It is only half-time and going to Liverpool is not easy but just that feeling of having a victory against a really strong opponent I want the players to feel good about it."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Tottenham's performance

What did you make of Liverpool's display?

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham have a good amount of players who can play across the frontline and their midfield looks strong when fit. It is their defence that is weak.

When Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are unavailable then they really struggle. They have been playing kids at the back and out of position in recent weeks so, with that in mind, it does need reshaping to suit the style of Ange Postecoglou.

He needs centre-backs with pace because of their high line and Radu Dragusin doesn't have that. That is why they have struggled so much because their foundations are built in defence.

But the question is: who do they bring in?

The problem with Tottenham is that they have never had a team that is capable to really compete despite having money spent elsewhere on things like the stadium.

The owners have never heavily invested and in the summer it was young players who were brought in.

They need to back Postecoglou and give him the money needed to push for the top four and fit his style.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

The vast majority of teams in the Premier League are going short from their goal-kicks most of the time, with 11 of the 20 teams playing at least 50% of them inside their own area, and 17 of the 20 playing most of them in their own half.

Premier League leaders Liverpool play 85% of their goal-kicks into their half, with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City having a similar figure of 83%.

But there are perhaps some surprising takes from the figures.

As the above graphic shows, Arsenal - for years seen as playing a progressive, attractive style of football - are just as happy to go long with their goal-kicks as they are short, with roughly half of them ending in the opposition half.

In contrast, the Gunners' fierce rivals Tottenham have, somewhat incredibly, gone long with just four of their 145 goal-kicks so far this season.

Brighton notably went from goalkeeper to goal in less than 30 seconds to spark their 3-2 comeback win against Tottenham in October.

The Seagulls play 75% of their goal-kicks inside their own half and have had some great success with that tactic this campaign.

Meanwhile, surprise packages Nottingham Forest - sitting third in the Premier League - are also bucking the trend with their goal-kicks, with 60% of them being sent into the opposition half.

It is a tactic that, while at odds with the rest of the Premier League, is working for them with resurgent 33-year-old striker Chris Wood providing them with an effective outlet for the long ball.

Read more from Gary about how the role of the goalkeeper has changed

Image source, Getty Images

Former Premier League striker Dion Dublin says he still likes the "bravery" of Ange Postecoglou's beliefs but can understand why Tottenham fans wish there was more in-game management from him and his players.

"Do people not like him because he is so straight and does not fluff anything up with his words? Dublin queried on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "Maybe he should get more credit, but I think the frustration from Spurs fans is that they don't change a thing and they do everything to the letter.

"There doesn't seem to be any in-game management from the senior players and fans would like to see more of that.

"But the manager will keep backing his players, so what can you do?

"I'm not surprised by his tone because he answers questions how he seems fit. I like him and have a lot of time for him.

"I like the bravery in his beliefs and the way he wants to play football. I like what he is trying to do at Spurs."

Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Having the opportunity to go for silverware would bring "joy and hope" at the end of a "dark tunnel" for Tottenham, says former defender Sebastien Bassong.

It has been 17 year since the club last lifted a trophy, winning the League Cup in 2008.

Ange Postecoglou's side face a tough test if they are going to have a chance to repeat that success, facing Premier League leaders Liverpool in the two-leg Carabao Cup semi-final - the first of which is at home on Wednesday.

"They are going to have to perform. They are going to have to stand up," Bassong told BBC World Service's Sportsworld.

"They are going to have to showcase their talent, their resilience and Ange [Postecoglou] as a manager he knows he's going to have to find the solution to give his team the support they need to go and try and do their best to win the game.

"The Carabao Cup - there's a glimpse of a chance to bring some silverware to Tottenham, so for me that would be an extra motivation because it's been a while since they have been in that position and, even from a fan stand point, that brings you joy and hope.

"In football, everything can go from zero to a hundred in a blink of a second and Spurs know they are going to see the light at the end of this tunnel, this dark tunnel, in terms of injury, bad luck, things not being equal.

"That's part of life and part of the process and they are going to have to learn."

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Wedensday's EFL Cup game against Liverpool (kick-off 20:00).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Postecoglou confirmed that goalkeeper signing Antonin Kinsky is available to play, adding: "He is one that we had earmarked for the summer to bring in but we have had injuries. I've got a decision to make [on Wednesday]."

• He praised the new signing's personality, adding: "We're trying to build a team of people who are ambitious and have a clear goal in their heads for their career. From talking to him and looking into his background, he certainly seems to fit that mould."

• Postecoglou didn't rule out another signing being made this month: "We're still trying to help the squad and players. We still have roughly 10 first-team players missing. That's not easy so we need to still try to help the playing group."

• He provided a fitness update ahead of Wednesday's match: "I still think we're down [on players]. Bentancur is back but we lose Maddison and Sarr to suspension."

• Elsewhere in the squad, he added: "Mikey [Moore] potentially could be available on the bench. Richarlison is training but we want him to have two solid weeks of training so if he gets through next week he will be fine. Fraser [Forster] is back in training."

• On club captain Son Heung-min's new contract: "The main ambition is to make sure he finishes his career here with some silverware."

Follow the rest of the day's football news on our live page

The New York Times' chief football correspondent Rory Smith thinks Tottenham's injury problems are "saving" Ange Postecoglou.

"I'm not sure anybody could look at that [the injury problems] and think this is a fair test of his system, when he has that many players out," said Smith.

"I think it is on Levy and the recruitment.

"If you are going to play Postecoglou's system in the Premier League, maybe you need to have a bigger squad, that's something Levy and Tottenham should have considered when appointing him.

"I'm very worried about the fragility of Archie Gray, who is an absolutely wonderful footballer, who should absolutely not be playing central defence in his late teens.

"There's a chance it robs him of his confidence, he should be in midfield and I'm worried about the impact that could have on a young player's confidence."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

On the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton discussed the pressure on Ange Postecoglou following Saturday's defeat to Newcastle.

Postecoglou repeated the same answer several times in his post-match interview after Tottenham's defeat by Newcastle.

Sutton said: "There's no getting away from the fact that this season Tottenham haven't got the results which are expected.

"There was the expectation to kick on from the fifth-placed finish last season and it doesn't look like they're going to challenge for a Champions League spot. That's a problem."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds