Football Daily - Liverpool ease past Spurs to reach EFL Cup Final

Episode Date: February 7, 2025

Reaction from Anfield after Liverpool beat Tottenham to set up an EFL Cup-final meeting with Newcastle United at Wembley. Conor Bradley gives his thoughts on Liverpool reaching their 15th League Cup final, and Arne Slot reflects on booking his own first trip to Wembley. Dion Dublin, Stephen Kelly and John Murray are with Kelly Cates to assess Liverpool’s low-key reaction to the win, and Mo Salah adding another goal and assist to his tallies for the season. Plus, where did it go wrong for Spurs? Ange Postecoglou gives his assessment. 01:40 – Salah’s perfect penalty 03:05 – Where it went wrong for Spurs 05:43 – Salah’s performance 08:26 – Conor Bradley Interview 13:45 – Ange Postecoglou Interview 21:48 – Arne Slot Interview 24:44 – Newcastle v Liverpool previewBBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries this week:Friday 7th February FA CUP: Manchester United v Leicester 2000 KO - 5 LiveSaturday 8th February FA CUP: Leyton Orient v Manchester City 1215 KO - 5 Live FA CUP: Leeds v Millwall 1215 KO - 5 Sports Extra FA CUP: Wigan v Fulham 1500 KO - 5 Live FA CUP: Everton v Bournemouth 1500 KO - BBC Sport Website & App FA CUP: Birmingham v Newcastle 1745 KO - 5 Sports Extra (Moves to 5 Live after England v France in the Six Nations) FA CUP: Brighton v Chelsea 2000 KO - 5 LiveSunday 9th February FA CUP: Blackburn v Wolves 1230 KO - 5 Live FA CUP: Aston Villa v Spurs 1735 KO - 5 LiveMonday 10th February FA CUP: Doncaster Rovers v Crystal Palace 1945 KO - 5 LiveTuesday 11th February FA CUP: Exeter City v Nottingham Forest 2000 KO - 5 Sports Extra

BBC Sounds. Music, radio, podcasts. The Football Daily Podcast. With Kelly Keats. Liverpool are into the EFL Cup final. They beat Tottenham 4-0 on the night. They go through 4-1 on aggregate. And they've set up a date with Newcastle at Wembley. Former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin was watching at Anfield

alongside our football correspondent John Murray. Former Tottenham defender Stephen Kelly is with us as well. John, it was something of a mismatch of a game. Yes, for all Tottenham arrived here on Merseyside with a lead in the semi-final, there was a feeling here that Liverpool would do what they needed to do to make it to Wembley and so it proved as the holders and 10 times record winners were coasting through by the end of the match Tottenham with Danso making his debut from the start and Tell coming on as

the substitute for his they were far from swashbuckling in the usual poste de coglou style in fact they seemed caught between two stools. Gakpo leveled the tide just before half-time for Liverpool, and then Arne Slotts' side ran away with it in the second half. A superb penalty from Salah, goals from Soboslai, and then from Van Dijk

to seal it near the end. For Tottenham, Son shot against the crossbar, but Kelleher didn't have a save to make. Really, for Liverpool, it was plain sailing. And they are through. Liverpool-Newcastle final, just like 1974 in the FA Cup. And Dion, some lovely goals in there, not least of which. I know you enjoyed Mo Salah's penalty. You know what? Stephen will tell you the same thing. Even when you're in training and you've got a bag of balls and there's no goalkeeper in, you try and stick it as far as you possibly

can into the corner, into the side netting. That penalty was outstanding. If there was a little hole in that top corner that was a bin, he put it in it. Steven, how difficult is that by the way? Oh, listen, I'm a defender here. I don't know. I wouldn't even be tempted in the training. It was sensational. You're watching it going, this is just a player that is the highest of his craft.

It is just, he's wonderful to watch. There's moments in the game, listen I'm a Tottenham fan an ex-Tottenham player but I'm watching the game and he brought a ball down the box and a touch I was just going like to what you would give to have a player like him in your team and to step up like that in moments and to put it you can see the face of the players around when he puts in that top corner there's not many players that can do that in pressure situations it was just just sensational. Stephen, from Tottenham's point of view,

obviously they came into the game with that one goal advantage. You talked beforehand about what they needed to do. It was fairly straightforward on paper, at least, which was restrict Liverpool to a few chances and be able to take their own. And they didn't really seem to manage either. Yeah, I think they were they were caught between two of two styles I think and I think Liverpool were just they were more aggressive and any time the ball went in the middle of park they were press it on and they were physical from

behind they were losing the ball and the amount of times where Spurs gave the ball away unopposed or just pass into poor areas and you feel if you do that against a poorer side you'll still get punished against liverpool you're going to get as decimated and i think liverpool didn't as soon as they kind of got the first goal they were able to just ramp it up but i was ever really getting into kind of 56 gear they were able to control the game like tottenham didn't have a shot on target which is you know as a sad state of affairs. And overall, they just, it looked like men against boys

at points in the game. I know Tottenham do have a lot of teenagers in there and you have to, listen, Artie Gray played every position in the back four and he's a sentiment fielder.

So when you take that into account, you're going, fair enough, but they needed to do more. They needed to have more about them and I think they'd be really disappointed to come away with that,

even though I think, yeah, of course they're in there. So it seemed they didn't do either, did they? They didn't do either. They didn't, you know, sit off. They didn't press.

They didn't half press. They didn't low block. I just couldn't figure out what they were doing and the body language of the players I didn't like either. They didn't seem to want

to get forward. They didn't seem to want to get back. They were just jogging around and Liverpool with the attitude they have towards winning, made it look like a training game. It looks so easy.

I thought that was interesting. Even at the final whistle, Liverpool find themselves in a cup final. They've won 4-0 in the second leg of that semi-final. And Dion, you'll have seen it on the pitch. It was all very low-key. I was watching Arnaz Slott just kind of, you know, wandering onto the pitch, shaking hands with the Tottenham players, patting his own players on the back.

And it was a case of very much done. Cody Gakpo said it after the game. He said, we're in a good flow at the moment, but we have to keep going. You know how football goes and it's about consistency. We have to keep the momentum. There's no sense of them having peaked or achieved yet. No, I would agree.

And I think it's a great mindset to have as a manager because if the manager's mindset's like that, then the players automatically do exactly the same. Or the manager's saying, listen, you've done nothing. The manager's giving the players no plaudits at all. They're just doing what they're paid to do, win games of football, play to the best of their ability. And what that brings is success if you're consistent. I just think the way he's gone about it, Cody Gakpo is absolutely

right. You've got to the final, you've got to Wembley. Great. What have you got for it? Nothing at the moment. You have to go and win it. We have to talk about Mohamed Salah because as much as we were kind of focusing on the penalty right at the top, which was, you know, you have to be a certain type of player, as you say, to score that type of penalty, which is the one that gave Liverpool the advantage across the two legs.

But that's 10 assists for Cody Gakpo's goals. And it's the third player that Mohamed Salah has had 10 or more assists for Liverpool, along with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. And it's a side of his game that he's not often credited too much for. It's always, you know, if there is any criticism of him, maybe it's that he doesn't get involved enough in games, or he is maybe a little bit selfish at times.

But there is that other side to his game that is coming to the fore this season as well. I believe that Salah, he plays as wide as possible. He has his heels on the what we used to call the chalk back in 1940. Probably was chalk in the 40s. All right, all right, all right. I got in there first, Kelly. I got in there first. And you know, he stays and what he does, he waits for these runs. He plays that ball in behind the fullback and the left side

centre half many, many times because Diaz made that run many a times and Gakpo made that run. He just waits to see what's going on. He assesses it.

He makes the pitch as big as possible for himself, which gives him lots of options. If he needs to take his player on, he'll do it.

If he needs to pick somebody out, he'll do it. He did it for Gakpo's goal. The guy, he's just a genius. He's on a different level. And his numbers, Stephen, yet again. You know, like I say, I mentioned the assist for him, but he's already, you know, on course to have another high scoring season.

It's just consistency that's impressive as much as anything. Double figures for goals and assists like in any season is ridiculous. But the amount of times he does it, this is the thing,

it's the relentlessness of it. The striving and consistency to want to do it every season. And the physical condition he's in. Like, oh, look, I go, this guy is just, it's remarkable.

Like, honestly, it is unbelievable the condition he's in and how often he can play, recover, play again. Doesn't seem to slow down. Doesn't seem to be... You see players often, they're quite... When they're tired, you see mentally they look drained

or they look like they're frustrated or they're concentrated. He never seems to be like that. He always seems to be on point, which is amazing. And like I said, it's been a joy to have him in the Premier League. I think he's one of these players that you look back and you go, how lucky were we to have him in the league that we support or watch for such a long period of time. And Liverpool are blessed to have him in the team and still firing. So, yeah. Stephen, I'm going to pause because there's a right back. Conor Bradley is waiting to talk to Gary Flintoff. Thank you, Kelly.

Yes, Conor Bradley is with me. Big smile on his face and we understand why. How much did you enjoy that this evening? I loved it. Obviously, we knew it was going to be a difficult game. Spurs are a really good team. Play really high-pressing football, play really good football. So, yeah, we're just buzzing through to the final now

and really looking forward to the final. I mean, so often this season we've talked about Tottenham being the side that just goes gung-ho, but tonight they played a very different game. And actually, how difficult was that to line up against? How difficult was it to penetrate and get through? Yeah, it was different to what we were expecting. I think they sat back a little bit more than what we expected.

But, yeah, it was difficult, especially the first half, to try and break them down. And then obviously once we got the second goal, they sort of had to go for it a bit more and the spaces opened up. And then it just ended up being four. So a really good performance and a good one. And of course, you know this football club really, really well. It's all about winning trophies. It's all about going to Wembley. But of course, there is one man who's never been to Wembley. And that is your manager man who's never been to Wembley and that is your manager Arne Slott

I find it hard to believe but what do you think it means to him to take Liverpool to a final in his first season Yeah I'm sure he's buzzing with it, obviously it's his first attempt at trying to get to Wembley and he's got there so hopefully we can obviously win the trophy for him and give him a nice memory of Wembley but yeah

really happy for him and it's obviously been unbelievable since he came in and. But yeah, really happy for him. And it's obviously been, he's been unbelievable since he came in and he's been really good to me as well. I feel like he's developed me a lot. So, yeah, really happy playing under him. And it's really good for us. And that was Connor Bradley talking to Gary Flintoff. In terms of the performances that he's put in for Liverpool, in the absence tonight of Trent Alexander-Arnold,

and he's been picked at times when Slott has wanted to rest Alexander-Arnold or maybe he's picked up a bit of a knock. Do you think that Liverpool have a natural successor there, Stephen? Oh, absolutely. And it's a scary thought, isn't it, to think that. I look at Trent and I think he is potentially one of the best passers of the balls I've ever seen. I'm not sure I've seen many players that can manipulate the ball the way he does. Pass across the distance, left foot, right foot.

He's a sensational footballer. And the scary thing is, I don't think Liverpool look too different when Bradley's in the team. And that's kind of the thing that players come in. And they're very different. But you look how well he can go in the forward areas, the pass, the one-touch pass, I suppose like today was brilliant, the run, the timing of it.

Then defending, early on in the game, up against Heung-Min Son, he absolutely just went in on a tackle. And you see the fans were like, Anfield loves that. They love players that would be wholeheartedly and make a commitment. And Bradley goes in, big challenge,

and it lifted the whole place. And I'm thinking it's absolutely, same way way slot massive shoes to fill for clock it's massive shoes to fill for trends but i think bradley is the perfect advocate to go in there the hundredth appearance of his career tonight uh for his for his clubs and that you know admittedly that does include 53 appearances when he was on loan for for bull and when he really, I think, stepped up, didn't he? That was invaluable, I think, to have that experience playing for Bolton. And, you know, he's gone from strength to strength

after coming back to Liverpool. He's gone from strength to strength. And you talked about Virgil van Dijk during commentary, Dion, about how he is the conductor of the side. How much easier does he make it for other players to come into that defence if there are changes? You know what? Steven's playing the defence more than me. And it's just if you have that voice that's telling you, yes, go, no, don't go, stay here for two minutes.

Just that voice that you can trust, that leader you know you can trust, and he'll let you go when it's right to go. If you've got two up top, stay at the back to make three against two. He just knows the right time to do things. Virgil van Dijk, he's telling the keeper, Kelleher, when to kick it, when not to kick it. So everybody's listening to him, and that's what he should be doing as a skipper he should take charge of the whole side he's responsible but tonight back onto Bradley and Stephen the the moment where he he sort of he made McAllister's mind up for him because McAllister was going to go to Salah uh to the right wing McAllister seen Bradley coming in field and McAllister just rolled it to Bradley.

Bradley took it in his stride and then he rolled Sabozlai in. It's so clever but it's so brave, Kelly, to do that. So brave. This is the Football Daily Podcast

with Kelly Kitts. The Commentator's View on the Football Daily. I'm Alistair Bruce Ball. I'm John Murray. And I'm Ian Dennis. And Friday's on the Football Daily means one thing. It's time for the Commentator's View episode. Join us every Friday as we look ahead to the weekend's football action

with a few untold stories along the way. A wasp flew into my mouth while I was talking and I panicked. The commentator's view only on the Football Daily. Listen on BBC Sounds. The Football Daily Podcast with Kelly Keats. Ange Postacoglu is waiting to talk to Gary. Thank you, Kelly. Ange, as always, thank you for your time.

Ultimately, tonight, what did you make of the overall performance? Was the final result a little bit unfair? No, I don't think so. I think Liverpool were too good for us tonight. We didn't really get into the game in the way we wanted to. We allowed them to get control of it pretty early. It's a very difficult place to come to at the best of times, but when they get into a rhythm and we allowed them to get into that rhythm,

then we didn't really give ourselves an opportunity to get a foothold in the game. Connor Bradley suggested it was really difficult to break you down in the first half, so I suppose in that respect the game plan worked, but we disappointed you didn't sort of bare your you down in the first half. So I suppose in that respect that the game plan worked. But were you disappointed you didn't sort of bare your teeth enough during the 90 minutes? Yeah, no, I thought we were way too passive in terms of our football, both with and without the ball. And, you know, I think there's a lesson in there for us.

You know, we can't shy away from playing the football we want to play and that gives us the best chance of success and we didn't do that tonight. A lot has been made of the fact of the trophy in the second season, but would you say, considering the way in which you've had to get the players out there, put them back together, stick the squad together at the last minute, you've actually done well to get through to the latter stages

of this competition this season? No, we've given up a good opportunity tonight and we can't shy away from that. We're in a good position to get to a final and you can always fall short, but the manner in which we fell short is not really who we want to be, so that's disappointing. Obviously, you pick up the players, who picks up the manager? No one needs to pick me up. I think I need to pick up the players, who picks up the manager? No one needs to pick me up, I don't think I need to pick up the players, we should be really motivated

after tonight to come out on Sunday and put on a performance that's more reflective of who we are And Poster Cogley, obviously disappointed to lose the game but disappointed in the performance as well there Stephen what did you make of what he said? Yeah, you can see he was

he was he was contemplating the way that they didn't press and they didn't have the attack and flare that they that he's kind of instilled into the last few years but I think he was trying to get the balance right between leaving themselves completely open and then or being two defenses in the end he didn't either And then Liverpool still put four past them. So he's kind of thinking, I'd rather go out and show a bit more fight and go out with guns blazing and have a couple of goals. If it was 6-2, I know that sounds crazy, but maybe that's why his mindset is that we give ourselves the better chance.

But I think they had to have a defensive set-up the way they did. But then in the attacking front, they just are lacklustre. Son and Kluzeski, those players that they rely on, weren't at the levels they needed to be to cause Liverpool a problem and that's where they fell short. So,

Ange Postacoglu has been defending his style of play all season and the theory seems to be he's been, you know, the injuries in defence in particular

are not an excuse. They're a valid reason for why they've been shakier in defence than they perhaps would have been had they had everybody fit. Had they had Mickey van de Ven fit, for example, for the whole season. And Ange-Pastor Coghluis had to come out and say, no, this is what we want to do. And you can kind of see the reasoning where he goes, we don't have many defenders left. We're just going to keep the ball away from the defense.

We're going to try and keep it at the other end of the pitch. And so this time around, he tries a more, a more, what's the word, secure approach against Liverpool. And they still concede four goals and he's still getting criticised for the team maybe not going for it enough. You can't win, can you?

You can't. You're in that position where as a manager at Tottenham, the expectation is very high. And I think when he came in, he said, Stolev, how he wanted to play, and he's so adamant, I'm not going to change. Then you're going to get criticised for changing, which is tough because I think due to circumstances

and the amount of players he has missing, I think it was wise for him to try and do something slightly different. And unfortunately, he's gone to Liverpool, gone to Anfield, which are the best team in the country. They're the best team in Europe. They are at the moment. That's where they are.

Their level is that they are on course to potentially win four trophies, which is nowhere the team is capable of doing that. But Liverpool are. And they did it at a canter tonight. They did it at canter tonight they did it at absolute canter and I think Tottenham at full tilt would have struggled to to beat that Liverpool side because Liverpool could have gone up the gears and but for Ange I think it's it's a hard place to be in and I think it's getting I don't think he's going to be overjudged for the game

tonight but I think that he's in a position where he's getting closer to being where his job is on the line. I think that it's getting to that point where he has to be, he's got to be accountable, isn't he? What he said in that interview, Kelly, is really that he feels that the team has strayed too far from his principles. You know, that's what he's saying there, isn't it? He's effectively saying, i was right all along that the way for my team to play is to go gung-ho go for it and that's why what's happened to them tonight has happened because they didn't do that well that that's kind of what i'm asking is does he have a point if you concede four goals playing the way that everybody's been telling him he should

have played then then does he have a point yeah yeah I would agree with that to a certain extent but in order to play the way he wants to play it's high tempo it's high energy and I didn't see any of that tonight I didn't see any player wanting to play like I've seen Spurs play and the way Anji wants to play. I didn't see any of it at all. I mean, Liverpool had goal kicks and they set a press once or twice. But it was one player going then. It was another player on his own. You cannot press like that. If you all go, you've got a chance.

But ones and twos, you've got to get picked off at Anfield easily. Now Sunday, FA Cup at Aston Villa at Villa Park. The approach there, I think that's a fascinating game now because that's such a big one for both clubs. And yes, Villa have got their Champions League commitments, but a club like Villa should have ambitions as well of going as far as they can in the FA Cup this season. So yes, don't miss that with us at 5.35 on Sunday. Dion's there as well for the TV.

So that'll be a spectacle, Kelly. Yeah, and also, Steve, Ange Postacoglu has put this particular target on his own back when he said, I always win a trophy in my second season. So he was so close to getting to the EFL Cup final. He's fallen at the final hurdle. Spurs are second favourites to win the Europa League.

And then they have that big game against Villa coming up in the FA Cup. When you talk about the conversations around Postacoglu's future at Spurs, is that what's keeping him in position? The fact that there are opportunities to win silverware so still this season yeah i i presume that's what it is and also then the conversations are if they are being had which

i'm sure every board of directors everything are they're always when it gets to a point where a manager has has lost games and looks like that things aren't going well where who are the candidates to come in and and who are they looking at that's the thing where who do they go to now they've gone through the marinos they've gone through the contes they're probably kicking themselves because they look at nunez our forest and you're going what we had like what's happened there and then you've got imposter coggler who who kicks all the boxes for tottenham and how they want to play because there's a tottenham style and when you come through the club there's this kind of flamboyance that they

want to see but it's not working and I think it's not working big factors down to the players if you don't have Mickey van de Ven and Romero as your back

two you're leaving yourself wide open so it makes it difficult but I think those two competitions are what's keeping them in and Europa League you would

think is a competition that's more likely to bring something rather than the FA Cup, I think. Let's hear from Liverpool boss Arne Slot with Gary Flintoff. I think reaching a final at Liverpool is not... It should always be special, let that be clear. But this club is also known for not only reaching it.

You should win things if you are working over here. The players understand this, the coaching staff understand this as well. But we also know how difficult that is going to be because we've already faced Newcastle in a 3-3. I saw them playing yesterday and it's a team that can play with an enormous intensity as well, like we can. So it's going to be a very, very challenging final, but we cannot be satisfied at this club by reaching a final. This club should aim for more than only reaching it, but we should definitely be happy by reaching it because it should never feel normal that we reach a final.

Now, I know it's special for the players to reach the final, for normal that we reach a final. Now I know it's special for the players to reach the final, for the fans to reach the final but is it true you've never been to Wembley so what does that mean to you? It is true because I don't come from this country and I don't think the Dutch national team played a lot of finals at Wembley or other important games we all know as Dutch people how important Wembley or other important games. We all know as Dutch people how important Wembley was for Ronald Koeman, for Barcelona, for Johan Cruyff. But no, I've never been there. So it's special to go there because I do know how iconic that

stadium is. Not only for English people but also for Dutch people. So yeah, special to go there. But it's like it is when you go to your former club. It's only special if you can win things. And we know, like I just said, how difficult that is going to be because Newcastle is a very impressive team as well. And it has gone so, so well for you since arriving here at Liverpool. Is there any point at any moment of the day where you just take yourself to one side and go I can't quite believe this or do you believe

entirely in your methods and what you're doing here at this football club? I believe in the players and the quality we have and in the work rate they put in and you saw today again how incredibly hard they worked to keep Tottenham away from their goal and this is something we have to constantly understand because it doesn't come from itself. We have to work really hard to get these results and that is not always easy because every three days this is expected of them. But the good thing is we have at the moment almost all our players available and they are all in a very good place.

They are all able to compete with every team we face. Starting again on Sunday, and then on Wednesday, and then on Sunday, and I think then again on Wednesday, because now we play Villa on a Wednesday as well. We have City on Sunday. Don't think about it. It's no time to get distracted. It's just focus on the next game.

John, it's setting up a mouth-watering EFL Cup final, particularly when you think back to the matchup between Newcastle and Liverpool at St. James' Park. Yeah, the 3-3 draw and they'll play each other again actually here at Anfield a couple of weeks before the final. But yeah, I mean, that was a terrific match, wasn't it, back in December? You know, I am just about old enough to remember the 1974 final when Kevin Keegan had his long hair and David

Coleman used to say, didn't he, goals pay the rent and Keegan gets his share. And I feel for Newcastle, you know, when you look at the finals that they've had, the recent finals, when they've come up short in 98 in the FA Cup final, were against Arsenal, who were the best team around. 99, it was Manchester United, who were the best team around.

Back in 2023, it was that Eric Ten Haag Manchester United team in his first season and, you know, came up short there. And now it's another final for them, but they're playing the team of the season i think it's the perfect final with with the two perfect teams uh for the first final this season listen anybody else but newcastle having seen them in the week i'd have thought liverpool will be anybody in this final but the way that newcastle played the other night against Arsenal they blew them away with quality energy organization the the three going forward are incredible Isak starting to look like Thierry Henry I know lots of people have said it but the way he glides across the pitch the way he he tormented those two defenders who have played so well together Saliba and Gabriel. And he made them look like kids.

Honestly, this is a very, very exciting game, this one. And I wouldn't put it past a 2-2 or a 3-3 after 90 minutes. Yeah, Stephen, if it's not Tottenham in the final, Liverpool against Newcastle is not looking like a bad one. As Dion mentioned, the players, like he said, that Newcastle midfield who are so creative and so solid as well at times. And then you've got all the firepower that Liverpool are capable of producing. This could be a really good final. Oh, it should be. It should be a wonderful final. It really should.

But I think both teams are capable of winning it. I think Liverpool edge it on consistency levels. I think you look at what Bournemouth did to Newcastle a few weeks ago, which was, you kind of think, how did that even happen? But then Newcastle come back against an Arsenal team and decimate them. So, yeah, absolutely wonderful final. And I still tip Liverpool if they continue on the way they are, just because their consistency level is there. And they've been there and done it before.

And that does count. Thanks to John, Dion and Stephen. John, we'll be back with Ian Dennis and Jackie Oatley on the Commentator's View on your next episode of the Football Daily. cars in the world. Oscar Piastri. Your head's trying to get rid of one way, your body's trying to go another. Lance Stroll. It's very extreme in the sense of how close you're racing wheel to wheel. We've been given unprecedented access to two of the

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