Arne Slot’s side trailed 1-0 from the first leg of the semi-final but dominated Thursday’s second leg from first whistle to last, with Cody Gakpo’s first-half goal being added to after the break by a Mohamed Salah penalty and further strikes from Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk.
The Reds will therefore now look to retain the trophy they won last season when they meet Newcastle United at Wembley on Sunday March 16.
Team
Slot made four changes from last weekend’s win at AFC Bournemouth, with Caoimhin Kelleher starting in goal.
Conor Bradley came in for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez replaced Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz.
Liverpool: Kelleher, Van Dijk (Quansah, 84), Konate, Szoboszlai, Nunez (Jota, 72), Salah (Elliott, 82), Jones (Mac Allister, 72), Gakpo (Diaz, 82), Robertson, Gravenberch, Bradley.
Unused substitutes: Jaros, Endo, Chiesa, Tsimikas.
First half
An atmosphere befitting the occasion set the backdrop but the early breakthrough the home crowd craved was not forthcoming.
But Liverpool’s grip on the game tightened as the half wore on and a flurry of opportunities arrived around the half-hour mark.
Nunez first saw a shot blocked by Archie Gray before the No.9 rose well but could only direct his header from Gakpo’s cross straight at Antonin Kinsky.
Szoboszlai then swept Salah’s pass beyond Kinsky but was flagged offside, and Salah volleyed a deep Andy Robertson delivery over the crossbar.
But, 34 minutes in, Tottenham could hold out no more as Gakpo’s fifth Carabao Cup goal of the season, and 16th overall, cancelled out their first-leg advantage.
Salah was the provider, his outside-of-the-boot cross finding its way to Gakpo, who drilled home a controlled half-volley.
The pressure on Spurs’ goal was incessant until the break but the visitors made it to half-time level in the tie.
Second half
Liverpool simply picked up where they left off after the restart and Kinsky somehow denied Gakpo from point-blank range after Szoboszlai had glanced Robertson’s corner on.
Kinsky erred soon after, however, as the goalkeeper brought Nunez down after being beaten to Salah’s teasing pass by the Uruguayan. A penalty was awarded and Salah buried his kick into the top corner.
The Reds kept on coming and Nunez fired Bradley’s cut-back into the side-netting before a fierce left-footed drive by Gakpo kissed the outside of the post.
Ryan Gravenberch then struck the foot of the post from 20 yards but, moments later, the outcome was put beyond any doubt as Szoboszlai coolly rounded off a lovely move.
Substitute Mac Allister fed Bradley, whose underlapping surge was not tracked, and the right-back slipped in Szoboszlai, who slotted past Kinsky with ease.
And Liverpool were not done there as Van Dijk towered above Tottenham’s defence to head in number four and rubber-stamp his team’s place in the final.
Attendance: 60,395
By: liverpoolfc.com
