Liverpool booked their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a confident 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Tuesday evening. Despite Tottenham dominating the early exchanges and controlling 56 per cent of the ball possession, the visitors could not turn their territorial advantage into clinical finishing. Alexis Mac Allister broke the deadlock for the hosts in the 21st minute, carving open the game with a sublime curling shot that shifted the momentum firmly in Liverpool's favour. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili stood resolute behind a rejigged defensive structure as Liverpool weathered Tottenham's initial storm before asserting control.
The Merseysiders doubled their advantage shortly after the interval when Cody Gakpo struck in the 54th minute, punishing defensive lapses to leave Tottenham facing an uphill battle. Tottenham manager Andoni Iraola, who had made a staggering 10 changes to his starting lineup for the cup tie, saw his side push forward persistently in search of a lifeline. That persistence paid off in the 69th minute when Conor Gallagher rose to meet a precise cross from Mateus Fernandes, powering a header past Mamardashvili to halve the deficit and ignite hopes of a late comeback for the North London outfit.
Tottenham continued to pile forward and accumulated 17 total shot attempts over the course of the ninety minutes, probing the Liverpool backline with sustained pressure. Joe Gomez, captaining Liverpool in his first match appearance of the 2026/27 season, marshalled the defence during a solid first-half display before being replaced at the interval by Jérémy Jacquet. The tactical shift and defensive changes by Liverpool ensured they absorbed the mounting waves of Tottenham attacks, effectively frustrating the visitors' attempts to find a crucial equalising goal during the closing stages of regular time.
Any lingering anxieties about a late Tottenham equaliser were decisively extinguished deep into stoppage time. In the 90+1st minute, Dominik Szoboszlai unleashed a breathtaking 30-yard shot that flew past the stranded Tottenham goalkeeper to seal the result in spectacular fashion. The stunning long-range effort capped an energetic midfield performance and underscored the hosts' ruthlessness on the counter-attack, ensuring there would be no dramatic penalty shootout drama at Anfield.
This Carabao Cup third-round tie exposed the stark contrast in squad depth and execution between the two sides. While Iraola's decision to rotate heavily with 10 changes yielded an encouraging 17 total shot attempts and long periods of control, it ultimately lacked the clinical edge required to dismantle a disciplined Liverpool setup. For Liverpool, the ability to seamlessly integrate squad players like Gomez and Jacquet while maintaining a potent attacking threat bodes well for their domestic cup ambitions as they march on to the fourth round.