HOLDERS Liverpool booked their place in the final of the Carabao Cup against Newcastle as they thrashed Tottenham.
With a 1-0 deficit to overturn from the first leg of their semi-final, the Reds got the job done at a lively Anfield against a Spurs side who looked devoid of ideas.
Liverpool were on top from the start and went ahead on 34 minutes when Yves Bissouma gave the ball away in midfield and Mohamed Salah played a clever cross for Darwin Nunez, who missed his effort before Cody Gakpo drilled in.
The visitors, who had held hope of ending a 17-year trophy drought after what has been a miserable Premier League campaign, struggled to get going and barely threatened the 10-time winners of this competition.
Salah fired in from the spot just five minutes into the second half after Nunez was wiped out by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
The home supporters saw that as their cue to begin the Wembley chants as Tottenham looked sapped of energy.
Dominik Szoboszlai stamped out any chances of an already unlikely comeback when he slotted home from Conor Bradley’s cross before a textbook Virgil van Dijk header from a corner ensured Liverpool will defend their crown at Wembley on Sunday, 16 March.
Liverpool are flying under head coach Arne Slot and triumph in the EFL Cup would present the Dutch manager with a first piece of silverware at Anfield – with his side also sitting six points clear at the top of the Premier League, still in the FA Cup and cruising through to the Champions League last 16.
And while this would be seen as the least important of those four trophies, it could mark the beginning of a spectacular season for the Reds.
It was Liverpool who arrived in the second leg with work to do, having trailed after the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But they got it done without ever really getting out of third gear.
Tottenham stuttered their way through the first 45 minutes and it felt like a matter of when, not if, Liverpool would score to level the tie on aggregate.
Gakpo’s opener came after Szoboszlai had his slotted effort chalked off for offside, with Liverpool’s front line were a constant threat – Salah seeing his rising effort tipped over the bar after sending one just wide of the post – while Caoimhin Kelleher was untested at the other end.
The second half started much the same and once Salah had dispatched his penalty to give Liverpool the lead for the first time in the tie, the home supporters were already chanting about their trip to Wembley.
Goals for Szoboszlai and Van Dijk were just reward for a dominant performance and Liverpool have the opportunity to make it back-to-back EFL Cups when they face a confident Newcastle side at Wembley next month.