Arne Slot and Ange Postecoglou ridicule VAR change after decision was announced over stadium speakers for the first time in Carabao Cup clash between Liverpool and Tottenham

Both managers from a historic match made fun of the matter after Tottenham beat Liverpool in the Carabao Cup – by slamming VAR.

Tottenham will take a 1-0 lead against Anfield for the second leg of the semi-final in a month’s time after Lucas Bergvall’s controversial goal proved enough for the home side to take victory on Wednesday.

Bergvall scored just minutes from time after good work from Dominic Solanke, but the Liverpool camp claimed he should not have been on the pitch after avoiding a second yellow card for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas as Liverpool broke moments before .

But the goal stood, and it wasn’t the first time Spurs had found the back of the net in the match, although the first goal was disallowed for offside.

It was also the first time a referee had announced a VAR decision to fans on the pitch, with Stuart Attwell taking to the microphone to explain how Solanke had ended up in an offside position.

The announcement was met with cheers from fans in the stadium, and the two managers also reacted poorly, with Liverpool boss Arne Slot being the first to have his say.

Slot said ‘you don’t have to explain anything’ after the first announcement was made about his side’s defeat to Tottenham

Postecoglou, meanwhile, said the linesman ‘should have raised your flag and moved on’

“If it’s offside, you don’t have to explain anything,” Slot said. ‘Everyone saw it on the screen.

‘It would be more interesting to everyone why he did not explain the second yellow card than why he disallowed the goal.’

Postecoglou, meanwhile, added via Sky Sports: ‘If people are thinking that announcement tonight then I’m sorry. Really, just get on with it mate, back in the day it was just hang up your flag and move on. Doesn’t matter.

He later added: “I’m surprised how people in this country allow the game to change so quickly and so easily,” he said.

“I thought more people would protect the sanctity of the game. You think you are the administrators of the game. You sing It’s Coming Home, but it takes an Australian from the other side of the world to say something. Today it has benefited us. Just leave the game alone for a while.”

As part of a new in-stadium trial of VAR announcements for both Carabao Cup semi-finals, Attwell then revealed the reason why the goal was disallowed to the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The referee blew his whistle before adding: “After a check, Dominic Solanke was in an offside position,” as his words rang out over the tannoy in the ground.

There was a predictable level of frustration among the home fans as there were boos after the explanation.

The first call came when Dominic Solanke scored from an offside position – overturned on VAR

Referee Stuart Attwell then took to the microphone to explain why it had been ruled out

It was announced last month that the test would be run over both legs of the semi-finals, with Arsenal taking on Newcastle in the first leg of the other final four on Tuesday evening.

The Magpies won the match 2–0 to shock the Gunners at the Emirates, but no decisions were referred to VAR, meaning referee John Brooks did not have to announce any of his decisions in the stadium.

Attwell will go down as a first in English football, with the EFL revealing ahead of the match that referees would have to announce the final VAR decision after visiting the pitch monitor or completing factual matters as part of the process.