Arne Slot sends Liverpool message as challenge set for Carabao Cup finalists

Arne Slot sends Liverpool message as challenge set for Carabao Cup finalists

Arne Slot is adamant that the League Cup has helped Liverpool's wider success this season

Arne Slot reacts before the English League Cup semi-final second leg football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield (Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images )

Arne Slot insists the League Cup has been a help and not a hindrance to Liverpool's season after his side thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 on aggregate to set up a final clash with Newcastle United at Wembley next month.

Cody Gakpo levelled the aggregate score late in the first half at Anfield on Wednesday night before Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk applied the gloss to one of the best performances of the season for Slot's men.

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After the victory at Anfield, Slot was asked if Liverpool's involvement in the competition, starting back in September, had been a difficult balancing act at times as his side's aims for the campaign centre around success in the Champions League and Premier League.

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But the Dutchman insisted Liverpool's five League Cup matches this season have helped ensure match sharpness is rife throughout his squad brimming with talent.

"Definitely [could] not have gone without it," said Slot when asked about the competition's importance. "It has been, most of the time, games where players who haven't played that much played a lot of minutes.

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"And I think that has been important for us as well because every time we have needed one of these players, they are ready to play as well. If you come to this country, you know the history of the FA Cup and the League Cup - I think I'm correct in saying the FA Cup is [held] a bit higher than the League Cup.

"But still, it is a cup and a trophy to win and it is the one we won last season. I think if you win a trophy the season before, you have to take the challenge of winning it again."

On his side's performance, Slot added: "Pleasant. Although if you know me a little bit, my thoughts are more on Sunday already rather than thinking about the final in a month - but our performance today was something that pleased me most. Reaching a final should always be special, even for this club. Because this club is used to playing finals.

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"But still then we are working hard every single day to try and improve players and the players want to improve themselves every single day. But we are also in this business to play finals, although we already know how difficult this final is going to be because we have faced Newcastle already and they were very impressive yesterday[ Tuesday] as well.

"But there are many games to play before the final and this is where are focus should be at."

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