Slot and Van Dijk criticise decision not to send off Bergvall before Spurs winner
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Arne Slot bemoaned Liverpool’s ill fortune as they slipped to a last-gasp 1-0 defeat at Tottenham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final; a rare setback in an otherwise serene season. Liverpool were expecting to see a second yellow card for the Spurs midfielder, Lucas Bergvall, after he cut through Kostas Tsimikas, who was forced off for treatment. But the referee, Stuart Attwell, spared Bergvall and, with Tsimikas still off the pitch, Bergvall ran on to a Dominic Solanke pass to score the decisive goal.
Attwell had earlier made a piece of history when he announced to the stadium via his microphone that the VAR had disallowed a Solanke goal for offside. Spurs would overcome the disappointment and they will take the advantage to Anfield for the second leg on 6 February.
“After a review, Dominic Solanke was in an offside position in the buildup to the goal, therefore the decision is offside.”. With those words relayed to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over loudspeakers after 78 minutes, Stuart Attwell made history as the first referee in English football to announce the details of a VAR decision to those inside the stadium, with the innovation being trialled for the first time in these Carabao Cup semi-finals. Spurs’ dismay did not last long, as Lucas Bergvall fired them ahead with a legitimate strike just eight minutes later.