By Dorcas Francis Koji
Liverpool ended Tottenham Hotspur’s Carabao Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory at Anfield on Tuesday, sending the Premier League side crashing out in the third round.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 21st minute before Cody Gakpo doubled the hosts’ advantage nine minutes into the second half.
Tottenham responded through Conor Gallagher in the 69th minute, raising hopes of a comeback after the visitors had reduced the deficit to one goal.
Liverpool, however, held their nerve and sealed their place in the fourth round when Dominik Szoboszlai restored the two-goal advantage in the first minute of stoppage time.
The defeat brought Tottenham’s involvement in the Carabao Cup to an early end, while Liverpool progressed to the fourth round after entering the competition at the third-round stage due to their Champions League qualification.
Tottenham had reached the third round after cruising past Charlton Athletic with a 5-1 victory in the previous round.
The loss at Anfield also extended a difficult opening to the Premier League season for Spurs, who had failed to score in their first four league matches and collected just two points from a possible 12.
According to Reuters, Tottenham’s goalless start was the longest in the club’s history at the beginning of a league campaign.
Their only victory before Tuesday’s defeat came in the Carabao Cup against Charlton.
The poor league start has also increased scrutiny on head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who took charge of Tottenham in March.
The Italian has overseen a major overhaul of the squad, with several new attacking players still adapting to his tactical system.
Among those De Zerbi has identified as needing time to settle are Sávio, Omar Marmoush, Mohammed Kudus, Conor Gallagher and Mathys Tel.
Tottenham were also among the Premier League’s biggest spenders during the summer transfer window, with Sky Sports reporting that the club invested around £320m on seven first-team signings, in addition to bringing Marmoush in on loan.
The club’s summer recruitment included permanent arrivals such as Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sávio, while Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dúbravka joined as free agents.
Marmoush and Mykhailo Mudryk arrived on loan, while Tosin Adarabioyo was also brought in from Chelsea.
Despite the significant investment, Tottenham’s early-season struggles have continued, with their latest setback leaving the Premier League as their immediate domestic priority.
Liverpool will now switch their attention back to the Premier League, with a trip to Bournemouth scheduled for Sunday.
Tottenham, meanwhile, will host Aston Villa on Saturday in another opportunity to search for their first league victory of the campaign.
PUNCH Online reports that both Tottenham and Aston Villa entered the weekend still searching for their first Premier League wins after the opening four matches.
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