Liverpool are through to the Carabao Cup fourth round after beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 at Anfield on Tuesday night, a game that stayed tight until Dominik Szoboszlai settled it with a stoppage-time strike beyond Martin Dubravka.
Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo had put Liverpool 2-0 up before the hour mark, goals that looked like they might be enough on their own against a heavily rotated Spurs side. Conor Gallagher gave Tottenham a route back into the tie with a reply that at least ended their recent goal drought, but Liverpool had the final word through Szoboszlai, who came off the bench and found the net in stoppage time to make it 3-1.
The night carried an extra storyline for the home crowd. Andy Robertson, who left Liverpool for Tottenham this summer, returned to Anfield for the first time since his move and was given a warm reception before kick-off, even as his new side went out of the competition.
What It Means
Roberto De Zerbi had used his pre-match programme notes to flag fatigue across his squad and signal heavy rotation for this tie, and the changed Tottenham line-up struggled to cope with Liverpool’s control for long periods. The defeat ends Spurs’ interest in this season’s Carabao Cup at the third-round stage.
For Liverpool, progression comes at a useful moment. Andoni Iraola, appointed head coach after Arne Slot’s departure in May, now has a cup run to build on alongside a Premier League campaign that currently has his side 7th with 6 points from four games. Tottenham, by contrast, sit 17th on 2 points from the same number of matches, and the cup exit adds to a difficult start to the De Zerbi era.
The two clubs will now turn their full attention back to the league, with Liverpool looking to build on an unbeaten run under Iraola and Tottenham searching for the form that has so far eluded them in September.
Looking Ahead
Liverpool find out their Carabao Cup fourth-round opponents later today, with the draw broadcast live on Sky Sports following the Manchester United vs Brighton tie. Fourth-round matches are scheduled for the week of 26 October 2026.
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