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2025-02-06 - Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur

A Sports Betting Pick by Auls

Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur
Football: English League Cup Semi Final Second Leg
Thursday 6th February 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV

Liverpool

They were pushed and tested, but Arne Slot's Liverpool continue to finding a passing grade as they earned a tough 0-2 win at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday. Fans might not be talking about it after the way things unravelled in Jurgen Klopp's last season in charge, but Liverpool are still on course to win every competition they have entered this season.

To maintain that run, Liverpool need to overcome a single goal deficit in this League Cup Semi Final Second Leg, but they remain big favourites to do that. Losing 1-0 in North London last month came as a surprise, and Liverpool will certainly feel they are a much tougher proposition to deal with at Anfield. The Reds have won their last 4 home League Cup ties, including beating Fulham in the Semi Final here last season.

Liverpool made a huge amount of changes in the 3-2 loss at PSV Eindhoven on Match Day 8 of the Champions League, but they have won 4 of the last 5 games played in all competitions around that result. Since being held to a 2-2 draw at Anfield by rivals Manchester United, Liverpool have won 3 in a row here in all competitions.

Joe Gomez is hoping to be a part of the squad this Thursday. Trent Alexander-Arnold picked up a knock against Bournemouth and asked to be substituted so is a doubt, although the positive news is that he is not expected to miss a lot of time.

Tottenham Hotspur

It was an important Sunday for Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham Hotspur secured a very solid win over Brentford in the Premier League, while the club enjoyed a positive Monday having been able to secure a couple of key signings to bolster the squad. This is a big week for Spurs and their manager with domestic Cup action at Liverpool and Aston Villa and they will be keen to find a way to progress in both League Cup and FA Cup in what has been an overall difficult period.

At the end of this month, seventeen years will have passed since Tottenham Hotspur last won a trophy and Ange Postecoglou has added personal pressure to the situation earlier in the season. His team scored a slightly controversial late winner against Liverpool last month and that gives them a narrow advantage in this League Cup Semi Final Second Leg.

Tottenham Hotspur's poor Premier League form was snapped in the win at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday and they have won 3 of their last 4 games in all competitions. The majority of the recent successes have been produced in Cup fixtures, and Tottenham Hotspur have won back to back fixtures on their travels at Hoffenheim and Brentford.

Radu Dragosin has suffered an ACL injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke are hoping to return later in the month, while the manager has suggested Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner are going to able to return this week. Thursday may be too soon, but those players could be involved on Sunday in the FA Cup Fourth Round tie at Villa Park.

Head to Head

Tottenham Hotspur have hosted Liverpool twice this season- they won the League Cup Semi Final First Leg 1-0, but had been beaten 3-6 in the Premier League in December.

Liverpool have scored four goals in each of their last 2 at home against Tottenham Hotspur and they have won both matches.

Prediction

There is no doubt that Liverpool have a far healthier squad heading into this League Cup Semi Final Second Leg and this is a team that has fought back from deficits to win plenty of football matches already this season.

With that in mind, the one goal deficit is not going to worry the Liverpool players and Arne Slot will be convinced that his team can produce a level that is far too much for Tottenham Hotspur to reach.

Ange Postecoglou's men earned a very good win at Brentford on Sunday to snap a poor run in the Premier League, and they have won consecutive away fixtures. The side were perhaps a little fortunate at Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur may need some real luck on their side to contain the home team in this one.

Players are returning to the training ground and bolstering numbers, but the squad remains stretched right now and it will be tough for Tottenham Hotspur to compete with a day less to prepare compared with Liverpool.

The Reds were not at their best in the First Leg, but they have been in better form since that defeat and the talented attackers available to Arne Slot are likely to make a difference.

You would really be concerned for Tottenham Hotspur if they were to concede early and they will have to be a lot better defensively than they have been in recent weeks if they are going to contain the Premier League leaders. It feels like a long shot and backing Liverpool To Qualify in ninety minutes for the League Cup Final is an ever slow slightly bigger price than backing them to win by two or more goals, which looks the right play in this Second Leg.