Liverpool Echo

I know [my decision] but the goalkeepers (Alisson/Kelleher) don't know yet. I will tell them after this. One of the only things I don't understand here, everywhere around the world and Europe, we can take 23 players to the game, we play so many games here, so if you are able to you need a big squad, that seems fair. So to pick first XI is difficult but to tell people he's not even in the squad is harder, so I don't know why we don't have 23 for the games, nine subs is enough but to keep the dressing room going you need more than 20 players. For teams in Europe, you need more than 20, so why can't we we bring 23 instead of 20? That is the rule so it is a difficult decision. To leave someone out who works every day and wants to be involved."

I will be happy if that player (No.9) becomes both. I want him to be a facilitator - nice word! - and score goals himself. Lucho played his part for Cody to win a penalty against Bournemouth, so in the end, you want attackers, midfielders to score, we need to get goals from many positions, including centre-backs who can score from set-pieces as well. So we work on the pitch and give them feedback to make the team better. The No.9 should be a facilitator and also score goals."

Now you tell me, you are right it is unusual [to have such a space between legs]. Not that it matters a lot but if you play one week later than normal you face the exact team again but with all the injuries Spurs had last time, it would have been an advantage for us but we still lost against the ones who were fit. We face two different players, I wonder if Van de Ven can play, he has a big impact. So it might change the quality of the team and we already couldn't win, so it will be difficult. But we will be better than the last time too.

"He (Bradley) played against Spurs back then too. Every game and session there is something to learn and if not, it wasn't a good session from me. I think we played PSV a good game with the team who hardly ever played and we did concede three goals. It's something on the feedback we gave. He wasn't involved in every goal but he was in one in my opinion. He wasn't aggressive enough which led to the third goal."

Every game we play we work on our habits and we have to do as much right as we can and every time after the session or the game, we have a meeting where we tell them what we did well and what we can improve to come as close as we can to a perfect game at the end of the season. It's the same, Forest away, Brentford...we learn after every game becayse we are faced with different challenges.

"I don't think I have to prepare them different to any other game, from now on until the end of the season and as long as Liverpool exists, you need to win the game. Tomorrow, Sunday, Wednesday...So even if we're 1-0 down we try to win this. We were quite close in the first leg until the last few seconds, down to 10 and conceded a goal but nothing changes for this game. If you wear this shirt, if you play at Anfield; there's only one thing expected of you: to win the game."

I see the replays and that is not available for fans, so if the fans like it then let's do this. I wonder if we are all going to like it. It's not neccessary but let's see if the fans like it. I was there in the Spurs stadium, it was so obvious it wasn't needed to announce it was offside. I was more interested in why he didn't give a second yellow (for Bergvall)."

Tottenham without nine players for Liverpool Carabao Cup clash as Arne Slot sweats on two  Liverpool Echo

Tottenham confirm worst injury fear amid Micky van de Ven concerns before Liverpool  Liverpool Echo

Tottenham Hotspur to sign Liverpool defender banned after Manchester United incident  Liverpool Echo

Tottenham 'working' to complete £50m deadline day transfer just days before Liverpool semi-final  Liverpool Echo

Micky van de Ven absence explained before Liverpool as Tottenham handed fresh injury concern  Liverpool Echo

Liverpool are looking to overturn a one-goal deficit in their Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg against Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur will stand by under-fire manager Ange Postecoglou, according to reports, ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool. The Reds trail to the north London club going into the second-leg at Anfield on February 6, after Spurs were gifted a controversial winner in the reverse leg.

Lucas Bergvall drilled home the only goal of the game late on in the first-leg but his effort came just moments after a cynical challenge on Kostas Tsimikas went unpunished. The Swede had been booked earlier in the proceedings after a trip on Luis Diaz but avoided a second yellow card before breaking the deadlock to hand Spurs the advantage.

Arne Slot's side have bounced back with four wins out of five after the defeat in early January. However, Spurs have endured a difficult run since the triumph where they needed extra time to beat non-league outfit Tamworth in the FA Cup, while they have lost three successive Premier League matches - including a harrowing defeat at home to Leicester City on Sunday.

Football.London have reported that Daniel Levy has stood by the Australian despite the club sitting 15th in the table and eight points clear of the bottom four. It has been suggested that the current injury crisis in north London and the prospect of adding reinforcements in the January transfer window has afforded the Spurs manager more time.

"Yeah, it hurts. It hurts a lot. The players gave everything again," said Postecoglou. "We are going to look at a lot of things, but in terms of effort I can't ask anymore of this group, things just didn't go our way today. We created some good opportunities and unfortunately things just didn't drop for us because not because the players weren't trying and that's the main thing.

"The players are giving everything they can. That is all we can ask for as a football club and me as a manager. They are trying their hardest and that is all anyone can ask for.

"You can analyse the goals, they were disappointing goals for us to concede, but I thought we had enough chances in the game to come out on top.

"When you're in this situation, they are trying as hard as they can and sometimes that doesn't give you the clarity in decision making. All you can ask is for people to do as much as they can and from my perspective I see a group of players that are giving as much as they can.

"I know it will turn. We'll get some players back, we were short again today but in the next couple of weeks there's some really important players coming back that I know will help this group.

"We've not hit a ceiling. We've been going like this for two months. They put in an enormous performance on Thursday to make sure we're OK in Europe and they had to back it up today but there were probably at least two or three players that weren't at 100 per cent.

"I'm a football manager and I get judged on results, that is the way of the world."

Iliman Ndiaye showed another glimpse of his potential with his stunning goal against Tottenham Hotspur

Jamie Carragher purred over Iliman Ndiaye as the Sky Sports pundit branded him “an absolute star”.

The former Liverpool FC player was full of praise for the Senegal international, his teammates and manager David Moyes as he provided analysis of Everton’s win over Tottenham Hotspur on Monday Night Football.

He was not the only one either, with even rival players among those to acknowledge Ndiaye’s skill. Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White - a former teammate of Ndiaye at Sheffield United and one-time Blues transfer target - was among them, commenting “so good” in response to Ndiaye’s celebratory post-match Instagram post.

Drawing attention to Ndiaye’s goal, Everton’s second in the 3-2 win, Carragher highlighted how the 24-year-old had carried the ball deep into Spurs territory before outfoxing defender Radu Dragusin and rifling past Antonin Kinsky for his fourth league goal in Royal Blue.

Of Ndiaye’s 39-yard run and finish, Carragher said: “This fella is an absolute star. The sixth furthest anyone has ran with the ball in the Premier League this season and scored a goal… He is a super star, he is absolutely fantastic.”

Speaking after the game, Moyes said he was delighted with the impact of the summer signing and that he would encourage him to run with the ball more often.

Carragher had positive words for Dominic Calvert-Lewin too, praising his “twinkle toes” as he twisted defenders before slotting in the opener - a goal Carragher described as “a touch of class”.

He added: “They absolutely battered Tottenham, and actually I think David Moyes will be slightly disappointed that the game finished 3-2. It could easily have been 5-0, 5-1 - that is what the score should have been.”

A look at the changes to Everton's starting 11 that David Moyes could make for the trip to Brighton & Hove Albion

After guiding Everton to the first win of his second spell in charge against Tottenham Hotspur, David Moyes makes the long trip down to the Sussex coast to face Brighton & Hove Albion in his first away game. Although the Blues were thrashed 3-0 by the Seagulls in their opening game of the season, they are actually unbeaten in their last four visits to the Amex Stadium since their controversial 3-2 defeat on October 26, 2019, when VAR was used to overturn a penalty decision not initially given by the referee – converted by the hosts’ future Everton striker Neal Maupay – before a stoppage time own goal by Lucas Digne condemned the visitors to defeat.

Since then, Everton have enjoyed the famous 5-1 victory on May 8, 2023, which was a huge result towards them avoiding relegation on the final day of that season and Moyes will be hoping that one of their heroes from that day is fit to return. Dwight McNeil, who bagged a brace that day, and was only denied a hat-trick because an effort on target was deflected into his own net by home keeper Jason Steele, has not featured for the Blues since he was forced off in the 74th minute of their 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 4.

The Rochdale-born player has been sidelined for the subsequent eight matches with a knee injury but ahead of Spurs’ visit on Sunday, Moyes said: “We’re hoping Dwight isn’t too far away but we’re just waiting on some more information.”

If McNeil was to return then he could possibly be deployed in the number 10 role he occupied earlier in the season, or move back on to the wing with Iliman Ndiaye going central or Jesper Lindstrom missing out, although the Dane produced arguably his most-encouraging display in an Everton shirt to date against Tottenham, earning a standing ovation after being substituted. That performance ensures it looks unlikely that Jack Harrison comes back in, although the on-loan Leeds United player got the nod from Moyes in the previous match against Aston Villa.

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has shared his view on two non-penalty decisions in the clash between Everton and Tottenham

Everton and Tottenham Hotspur both saw claims for penalties waved away in the 3-2 win for the Blues at Goodison Park on Sunday. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has shared his view on the controversial moments.

A first-half onslaught from the Toffees was enough for the home side to take three points. Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman Ndiaye and an own goal from Archie Gray gave Everton a 3-0 lead at the half-time break, before Spurs responded with two strikes late on.

The match was packed with talking points, including a couple of big penalty shouts in the first half.

Son Heung-min and Jarrad Branthwaite tangled in the box for one of those moments, with the Spurs forward adamant he should've been awarded a penalty. However, the decision was waved away.

Speaking on Ref Watch on Sky Sports, Gallagher suggested that Son had been unfortunate.

"It's clumsy and he doesn't get the ball," he said. "The interesting thing is the referee immediately signals 'no' and the reason VAR doesn't get involved is because Son comes across him.

"If he doesn't do that, they may recommend a review. We saw it earlier in the season with Calvert-Lewin and Dan Burn."

Another moment sparked anger from James Tarkowski in the first half, as he was seemingly dragged to the ground by Spurs defender Radu Dragusin.

Gallagher was less convinced by this appeal though. "I think the referee sees them both at it and waves it away immediately," he said. "If you see there, they are locked. He thinks 'I'm not going to take sides' and in the end [Dragusin] drags him down."

Gallagher's co-hosts on the programme former England international Stephen Warnock and Sue Smith disagreed with the assessment though.

"You are going to be locked at some point," said Warnock. "But it's then where it leads to. Tarkowski knows he's lost his man and Dragusin also knows he's lost him. He's got to drag him down - I thought that was a penalty."

"We get caught up in it being both players because they are jostling for position. But then if you lose your man you cannot just go 'get to the floor' and say 'it's both of us'."

Smith continued: "I agree, I think initially you have the contact between the two players and then it's sustained. That was a long period of time for him to have hold of Tarkowski."