The 18-year-old Swedish forward delivered a stunning strike past Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson in the 86th minute, securing victory for the injury-ridden hosts. Moments earlier, a Dominic Solanke goal had been disallowed, adding to the drama. Liverpool, last season’s champions of the competition with a record 10th title, struggled to replicate their usual form as their impressive 24-game unbeaten streak across all competitions came to an end.
Controversy arose late in the match when Bergvall, already on a yellow card, escaped a second booking for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas shortly before scoring the decisive goal. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk voiced his frustration, saying, “He should have been sent off; it was a pivotal moment.”
Despite this setback, Arne Slot’s team—only experiencing their second loss of the season—remain optimistic about overturning the deficit in the return leg at Anfield next month. Meanwhile, Newcastle United secured a 2-0 win against Arsenal in the first leg of the other semi-final on Tuesday.
Tottenham, plagued by injuries that have severely impacted Ange Postecoglou’s squad, had only managed three wins in their last 14 outings across all competitions. When midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was stretchered off early in the game following a concerning injury, the odds seemed stacked against them. New goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky made his debut under challenging circumstances. A nearby screen displayed the intensity of the collision that led to Bentancur’s withdrawal.
Earlier in the Premier League season, Liverpool defeated Tottenham 6-3 before Christmas, but on this occasion, they appeared sluggish despite dominating possession. Tottenham’s Bergvall, who became their youngest League Cup scorer since Gareth Bale in 2007, exacted revenge with a remarkable performance.
Postecoglou, known for delivering silverware in his second season at clubs, faced mounting pressure due to recent results. However, the fans rallied behind him, chanting his name at full-time as the prospect of a first trophy since the 2008 League Cup drew closer.
In the first half, Tottenham created better opportunities, with Radu Dragusin testing Alisson early and Solanke narrowly missing a Son Heung-min cross. Mohamed Salah, unusually subdued, missed a shot wide, while Kinsky had a scare when Cody Gakpo’s strike almost slipped beneath him.
The second half saw Alisson nearly gift Tottenham the lead when Bergvall dispossessed him, setting up Pedro Porro, whose initial shot was blocked by Van Dijk before his follow-up rolled wide of an open goal. Postecoglou’s frustration was evident as he sank to his knees in the technical area.
Liverpool came close to scoring when substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold’s effort was cleared off the line by Dragusin. Tottenham, however, held firm, and Solanke’s goal was ruled out by VAR for offside, with referee Stuart Attwell announcing the decision directly to the crowd—a first in the competition’s history.
