Tottenham crash out to Liverpool in damning fashion to leave season on the brink | OneFootball

Stakes are through the roof for Sunday’s FA Cup trip to Aston Villa

Tottenham’s hopes of reaching the Carabao Cup final were crushed by a rampant Liverpool, who thrashed Ange Postecoglou’s side 4-0 at Anfield in their semi-final decider.

Mohamed Salah put them ahead on aggregate from the penalty spot after Antonin Kinsky brought down Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai made it 3-0 with a cool finish.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk headed home a fourth from a corner to set up a meeting with Newcastle in next month’s showpiece at Wembley.Here are three Spurs talking points…

Spurs go out with a whimper

While there is no shame in losing a knockout tie at Anfield, the manner of his side’s performance must have deeply dismayed Postecoglou, as well as the 6,000 travelling supporters.

After showing so much spirit and verve in last month's first leg, Spurs went down with a whimper on Merseyside – not just thoroughly outclassed by the league leaders but outfought, too. They barely laid a glove on their hosts, who held Spurs at arm's length as if they were facing a European minnow.

Whether it was the atmosphere, the occasion or simply the cumulative effect of so many games on such a stretched squad, Spurs were jittery and careless from the get-go and none of their experienced players stepped up on the night.

Liverpool’s first two goals were both examples of Spurs’ yips, with Yves Bissouma squandering possession in the build up to Gakpo’s fierce finish and Kinsky rashly sprinting off his line to concede the spot-kick.

Given Liverpool’s form and quality – and the contrasting state of the two squads – holding onto their 1-0 lead from the first leg was always going to be a big ask for Spurs but it felt like Liverpool did not need to get out of a third gear to transform the tie.

As ever with Spurs this season, there were mitigations in the form of 10 missing senior players; this, though, was a far bigger game for Spurs than Liverpool, who probably regard the Carabao Cup as an afterthought, but it did not feel that way, which is damning for Postecoglou's side.

Ange Postecoglou’s side failed to register a single shot on target

Nick Potts/PA Wire

Spurs’ season on the brink

The upshot of such a limp performance is that Spurs’ season is now teetering on the brink.

Postecoglou’s side are so far adrift of the top-eight in the Premier League, it would take a spectacular run for Spurs to even have a shot at making the Conference League, so the stakes are through the roof for Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Aston Villa.

Lose that game, and the mood will plummet, while it will feel like a long three months until the end of the campaign, with just the Europa League still in play.

While Spurs remained in with a shot of reaching a cup final, it was easy to dismiss their dreadful league form and defer judgement on Postecoglou’s struggling side until their injured players returned.

That will be much harder to do now that Spurs are out of the Carabao Cup and it will become even harder still if they lose again to Villa in three days.

Contrasting debuts for Danso and Tel

An injury to Richarlison in first-half stoppage-time added injury to insult for Spurs and it was hard not to feel sorry for the Brazilian as he pounded the turf in obvious frustration – though, naturally, there was little sympathy for the former Everton striker around Anfield.

His injury meant a premature debut for Mathys Tel, who led the line for Spurs as a No.9 in the second half – apparently the position he wants to play.

Tel, though, struggled to make any impact against Liverpool’s powerful back two in a forgettable debut, which will immediately give the teenager an idea of the levels in the Premier League.

Obviously it is far, far too early for any judgement calls but his lack of physicality may make him better suited to a role from the wing at this stage of his career.

He will though have to lead the line at Villa on Sunday and until Dominic Solanke or Richarlison are fit again.

No such problems for Spurs’ other debutant, Kevin Danso, however. The towering centre-half was probably the visitors’ best player, making a number of important blocks, carrying the ball out of defence when possible and passing crisply.

Danso tired in the second half but on first viewing he looks a good fit for Postecoglou’s Spurs and English football.