Tottenham continued their difficult start to the season as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a largely second-team Liverpool side.
Roberto de Zerbi’s team at least managed to score their first goal this season against Premier League opposition having failed to find the net in four league games.
But goals from Alexis MacAllister, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai helped Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool progress to the fourth round at Spurs’ expense.
Both managers named heavily changed lineups, with Iraola making 10 changes from the side that labored to a goalless draw against Fulham on Saturday, with only Ronald Araujo retaining his place and Joe Gomez captaining the team on his first appearance of the season.
De Zerbi made eight changes from Spurs’ goalless draw against Everton with Andy Robertson on the bench on his first return to Anfield since leaving Liverpool in the summer.
And, after Giorgi Mamardashvili had denied Tottenham an opener with a great save from Lucas Bergvall, Liverpool broke the deadlock on 21 minutes when Mac Allister side-footed the ball into the top corner as it broke to him on the edge of the box.
Tottenham should have levelled shortly after the half-hour mark when Mohammed Kudus blazed over from a few yards out and Liverpool made them pay after the break as they doubled their lead when Gakpo finished off a lovely move after being set up by Mac Allister.
Robertson came on to a standing Anfield ovation shortly after as De Zerbi turned to his bench, and Spurs had some hope when Conor Gallagher turned the ball into the net from Mateus Fernandes’ corner after 69 minutes.
It was their first goal against Premier League opposition this season and their first since August 26 in the previous round.
The 6,000-strong travelling support should have had an equalizer to celebrate, but Mamardashvili made another superb stop to keep out Omar Marmoush before Savio fired wide from inside the box.
And Szoboszlai ensured a Liverpool win when he chested the ball down in injury time and found the back of the net with a Steven Gerrard-esque thunderbolt from 25 yards out.
Tottenham have now lost three of their six games in all competitions this season, with their only win coming in the previous round of the Carabao Cup against Charlton.
As expected, Iraola made a number of changes for Liverpool’s third game in less than a week at Anfield, and he was rewarded with an energetic display from a largely second-string side.
The goals may have come from familiar names, but Iraola will have been pleased with how well his youngsters coped against Premier League opposition.
Rio Ngumoha, 18, was superb, while Lewis Koumas, 20, was relentless in leading the press from the front, and the 20-year-old came close to scoring too. Trey Nyoni, 19, and James McConnell, 22, were impressive as well.
With Florian Wirtz rested, along with Virgil van Dijk, and watching on from the hospitality suites at Anfield, the performances from the players on the pitch ensured that Iraola was not left to regret his decision.
Mamardashvili had a nervy start but made a number of crucial saves and showed exactly why Iraola was so keen to sign him at Bournemouth.
It was a solid evening for Liverpool, who will travel to Bournemouth in the league this weekend—where Iraola will be reunited with his former club—with a spring in their step as they look to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
For the 20 minutes between Gallagher pulling one back and Szoboszlai wrapping things up for Liverpool, the travelling Spurs support and De Zerbi grew in belief, but ultimately they were wasteful in the final third throughout, and that is what cost them
Bergvall, Kudus, Marmoush, and Savio all had great chances but failed to convert, and they only had to look at the other end, with all three of Liverpool’s goals coming from quality strikes.
It was generally a positive display from Spurs, who had more possession, more touches in the opposition box and more shots on target than Liverpool, but their horrid start to the season continues.
If they fail to win against Aston Villa on Saturday, they will go into October without a victory against a Premier League side this season.
