Liverpool Routs Tottenham 4-0 to Set Up English League Cup Final Against Newcastle

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores the second goal from the penalty spot during the English League Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores the second goal from the penalty spot during the English League Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
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Liverpool Routs Tottenham 4-0 to Set Up English League Cup Final Against Newcastle

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores the second goal from the penalty spot during the English League Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores the second goal from the penalty spot during the English League Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Liverpool will play Newcastle in the English League Cup final after routing Tottenham 4-0 on Thursday.
A rampant performance overturned Spurs’ 1-0 lead from the first leg of the semifinal and sealed a 4-1 aggregate victory that keeps Arne Slot's team in contention for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies in his first season in charge, The Associated Press reported.
“We are in one final, but we have a lot to play for still,” said Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, who opened the scoring in the first half at Anfield. "We have to stay calm and focus to reach as much as possible.”
Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk all struck after the break in a one-sided semifinal second leg.
Liverpool will play Newcastle in the final at Wembley Stadium on March 16 for the chance to retain the trophy it won last year.
It could be just the first title in what is shaping up to be a special debut season for Slot after succeeding Jurgen Klopp last year.
His team is top of the Premier League, into the round of 16 in the Champions League and also in the FA Cup.



Argentina Hopes Messi Will Play at 2026 World Cup Even as Team Wins Without him

Fans of Argentina hold a flag with the picture of Argetina's forward Lionel Messi before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Argentina and Brazil at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires province, on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
Fans of Argentina hold a flag with the picture of Argetina's forward Lionel Messi before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Argentina and Brazil at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires province, on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
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Argentina Hopes Messi Will Play at 2026 World Cup Even as Team Wins Without him

Fans of Argentina hold a flag with the picture of Argetina's forward Lionel Messi before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Argentina and Brazil at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires province, on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
Fans of Argentina hold a flag with the picture of Argetina's forward Lionel Messi before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Argentina and Brazil at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires province, on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)

Argentina is proving it can win without Lionel Messi, just in case he opts not to play in the 2026 World Cup.
After Argentina secured a spot in next year's competition, the main question now is whether the 37-year-old star will play in his sixth tournament and try to win back-to-back championships.
“We will see what happens, there’s plenty of time," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, according to The Associated Press. "We must go one game a time otherwise (we) will be speaking about the same thing the rest of the year and we need to leave him alone, we will see. He will decide it whenever he wants, let’s not drive him crazy with this.”
On Tuesday, hours after Argentina qualified for the next World Cup, it went out and handed Brazil its worst-ever loss World Cup qualifying — a 4-1 thrashing. That was days after Argentina's 1-0 victory at Uruguay.
Both victories came without Messi. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had been ruled out after sustaining a low-grade adductor muscle injury.
Messi, who captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, has been sidelined several times by Inter Miami this season because of injury concerns.
His Argentina teammates left no doubt about their hopes for Messi to return.
“With Messi we might have scored two or three more goals,” said striker Julián Álvarez, who scored one goal against Brazil.
Bolivia’s failure to beat Uruguay on Tuesday assured Argentina — which leads the South American qualifiers with 31 points — of one of the continent’s six direct spots for the 48-team World Cup to be co-hosted next year by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
After Tuesday's big win at Monumental de Nunez Stadium, midfielder Rodrigo de Paul seemed to speak for the whole country.
"The best of our teams is always when the No. 10 is playing," De Paul said, “because he is the greatest of all time.”