Baby-Faced Brilliance: Spurs’ Kids Shine Bright in Cup Thriller

Ange Postecoglou, clearly feeling the strain after a rough patch, put his trust in youth—and the kids delivered as Spurs secured a crucial 1-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. A much-needed victory, not just for Ange’s job security but for the belief around the squad after a string of frustrating results.

The headline act was undoubtedly Lucas Bergvall, our Swedish starlet, who not only scored the decisive winner but did so with a swagger that defied his 18 years. His strike in the 86th minute, calmly dispatched past Alisson, will live long in the memory—though it wasn’t without its share of controversy. Liverpool fans will be fuming (what’s new?) over the fact Bergvall was even on the pitch after what could generously be described as a ‘robust’ challenge on Kostas Tsimikas earlier in the half. Should it have been a second yellow? Probably. Do we care? Absolutely not.

Bergvall’s performance wasn’t just about the goal, either. He was a creative force, fashioning three key chances from open play—the most by any Spurs player on the night. The £8.5m we splashed on him from Djurgarden in February already looks like an absolute steal, and Barcelona’s interest suddenly makes a lot more sense.

But young Bergvall wasn’t the only starlet in the spotlight. Enter Antonin Kinsky, a 21-year-old Czech goalkeeper who had barely finished signing his paperwork after arriving from Slavia Prague. With Vicario and Forster both unavailable, Ange took a gamble, handing Kinsky his debut in one of the highest-pressure matches of the season. And what a debut it was.

From his first confident catch—complete with a cheeky juggling act, mind you—Kinsky oozed composure. Sure, there was a bit of a heart-in-mouth moment when he slipped collecting a routine effort from Gakpo, but he more than made up for it with a pair of outstanding saves late on. His flying stop from Núñez’s header in stoppage time? Chef’s kiss. Six saves on the night, equalling Vicario’s best from our win against Manchester United last August. Not bad for a lad who’d never played English football before this week.

The emotional scenes at full-time said it all—Kinsky in tears, hugging his sister Andrea, with his dad, Czech goalkeeping legend Antonin Sr., watching proudly from the stands. Fair play, son.

And then there’s Archie Gray. You’d forgive an 18-year-old thrown into an unnatural position—centre-back, no less—to look a bit shaky, especially against the likes of Núñez and Gakpo. But Gray was ice-cool, showing a composure beyond his years. With Romero and Van de Ven still sidelined, Gray filled the void brilliantly, even calmly playing out from the back despite the odd collective gasp from the crowd.

The £40m we paid Leeds for him suddenly feels like a bargain in the making.

Postecoglou, clearly delighted with his young charges, summed it up perfectly post-match:

“It’s incredible when you think we had a couple of 18-year-olds out there. I’ve seen so much growth. I have no doubt we’ll get through this period and get players back. What I’ve found in the meantime is that we have some real players to help us be the team we want to be.”

And he’s right—this wasn’t just a win, it was a statement. Spurs were missing 10 senior players before kick-off, a number that became 11 when Rodrigo Bentancur was stretchered off after a lengthy stoppage for a head injury. Thankfully, he was later reported to be conscious and talking, but it was yet another blow in a season where the injury list feels longer than our trophy drought jokes.

Yet, despite all the absences, despite the pressure, the kids did the business. And it wasn’t just a defensive grind—this was classic Ange football. Bold. Fearless. Full of risk and reward.

Of course, the job’s far from done. Liverpool at Anfield? That’s a different beast entirely. And let’s be honest, taking a slender one-goal lead to that cauldron will feel a bit like carrying a matchstick into a bonfire. But with a month before the second leg, there’s hope some of our key absentees—Romero, Van de Ven, and maybe even a certain James Maddison—could return to bolster the side.

But whatever happens next, this was a night to celebrate. For all the talk of Spurs’ inconsistency, our last six wins have included victories over Manchester City (twice!), a 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa, a 5-0 demolition of Southampton, a seven-goal rollercoaster against City again, and now this.

It might be a bumpy ride under Ange, but it’s never dull. And you know what? That feels very Spursy—in the best possible way.