Come Thursday, Liverpool will be in need of some cup magic once again when they kickoff their League Cup Semifinal second leg at Anfield.
The Reds, current holders of this trophy, are vying to make a return to the Final to successfully defend their success from last season. However, there is the small matter of turning around the 1-0 aggregate they currently face before the match.
In this piece, I have found the three main reasons you should believe Liverpool can get this done and book their spot back at Wembley. Let's dive into it.
1. The Power of Anfield
We are going to start with an obvious and perhaps the most significant one, Anfield. The Reds' home arena is one of the most haunting places to play a cup tie if you are a visiting side as there is just an extra energy and juice for matches like these.
We can go down the list of memorable moments at Anfield in cup competitions: Barcelona. Olympiakos. Dortmund and on and on.
That will be no different on Thursday as Tottenham come in holding the slimmest of leads and they will need to hold their nerve right from the off if they don't want to be overwhelmed by the moment.
The form of clubs does not matter in matches like this, rather it's the passion and desire they play with and being backed by 60,000 strong will surely give our boys a huge boost. If an early goal is scored by Arne Slot's side, it could truly turn into a cauldron of doom for Spurs.
Ange Postecoglu will have his plate full picking a side that can handle the rigors and pressure that comes with trying to knock the Reds out of a tournament on their famous home ground.
2. A leaky Tottenham defense
The next reason to be very optimistic the tie can be turned around is because their opponents have one of the worst defenses in England in recent months.
There are goals to be scored against them and they are vulnerable through many channels, whether that is set-pieces, on the break, through the middle and more.
Now, one might say; "But Joe, Liverpool couldn't score in the first leg!", and you would be right. To which I would ask in return, are you willing to bet they can do that again? Highly unlikely. I expect Slot to go after this one with full force so their will be no shortage of firepower on the pitch at all times.
Part of Spurs' defensive woes come as a direct result of their sometimes overly aggressive attacking style under Postecoglu.
Big Ange has been steadfast that he will not alter how his team plays and this will just invite pressure on his defenders at all times, which in a match like this, could be a recipe for disaster. Do not forget Liverpool scored 6 against this team in the Premier League not too long ago.
3. The Arne Slot Effect
This one might not be so easily tangible to see on the pitch, or maybe it is. The Dutchman has instilled a professional belief in his players this season that they are never out of a game.
They will continue going about their business and knocking on the door until they eventually breakthrough, which they have more times than not this season.
So, a 1-goal aggregate deficit is not going to instill a panic or worry within this squad because Slot will have drilled home they are still favorites in this tie and if they control what they can control, Liverpool should progress.
We've seen him elevate players like Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and more this season and I would not put it by him to have his whole side raring to go from the beginning.
He's shown a great talent for adjusting mid-match when the action calls him to do so, and in a huge cup tie like this, you want your manager at ease making difficult on the fly decisions.
For nearly a decade, we saw the "Klopp Effect" come through with players pressing and overwhelming opponents into oblivion. Now, we see a more measured but still intense approach that could be a perfect antidote to the Tottenham chaos.
So, as you can see, there are plenty of reasons for optimism and it's just a matter of the Reds doing the job and booking their spot in the Final.