LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's Cody Gakpo (R) celebrates with team-mates Milos Kerkez (L) and Alexis Mac Allister after scoring the second goal during the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's Cody Gakpo (R) celebrates with team-mates Milos Kerkez (L) and Alexis Mac Allister after scoring the second goal during the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
It was a positive result and performance as Andoni Iraola learned plenty about his squad as Liverpool progressed to the next round of the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham
EFL Cup (Third Round) | Anfield
September 15, 2026
Goals: Mac Allister 21′, Gakpo 54′, Szoboszlai 90’+1; Gallagher 69′
Liverpool’s young players take their chance
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's Lewis Koumas during the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's Lewis Koumas during the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The good thing about the EFL Cup is that it gives an opportunity to some of the younger players on the fringes of the squad.
It was still a reasonably strong team selection from Iraola, and the inclusion of Joe Gomez and Giorgi Mamardashvili gave some minutes to a couple of senior players who need them.
But all eyes were on the newer names in the squad. James McConnell and Lewis Koumas will be praised for their energy and closing down, but there was also a purpose and strategy to this running, not always seen from the players they replaced in this lineup.
A great bit of play from the pair set up Alexis Mac Allister, who couldn’t sort his feet out, but it could easily have been a second goal for the Argentine.
Given his exposure to first-team football, it’s easy to forget that Rio Ngumoha is part of this group.
Despite the introduction of a couple more players from the academy to the team, at 18, Ngumoha remained the youngest on the pitch.
He played a part in the opening goal, drawing enough Tottenham defenders to him to leave Mac Allister free to pick his spot when the ball found its way to him, and was also involved in the second for Cody Gakpo.
It was a very strong showing from the young players, and Liverpool noticeably dropped off when they departed.
Trey Nyoni’s audition showed he should be first choice
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's Trey Nyoni during the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's Trey Nyoni during the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Of those players coming into the side as part of the midweek rotation, Trey Nyoni is the most talked about as a realistic addition to the regular starting XI.
The team have been clearly missing something in midfield, and seeing as this issue hasn’t been solved in the transfer market, it should provide an opportunity for Nyoni.
Whether he is the long-term answer in defensive midfield or not remains to be seen. But he certainly seems to be more switched on on this side of the game than the other options.
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It was his tackle that won the ball ahead of Gakpo’s goal, and he finished the game with a pass success of 95%. Perhaps a given for a player in his position, but, again, something not always seen from players in this Liverpool team of late.
His performance, and the way Spurs got back into the game when he was subbed off, make it clear he should now be a first choice for Iraola in midfield.
Cody Gakpo is Liverpool’s best player, and they almost sold him
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's Cody Gakpo celebrates after scoring the second goal during the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's Cody Gakpo celebrates after scoring the second goal during the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Gakpo has at least one goal or an assist in every game he’s started this season.
He looks more like the player Liverpool saw when they bought him from PSV, and the one who impressed at times under Jurgen Klopp.
A promising pre-season had fans warming to him after a disappointing showing in the previous campaign, but he wasn’t the only one to struggle in Arne Slot’s second season.
There was a moment towards the end of the transfer window when it seemed like the club were open to selling him. It’s a good job they didn’t.
Gakpo has continued that pre-season form into competitive games and has arguably been the team’s best player in the early stages of 2026/27.
Liverpool's Cody Gakpo (right) celebrates with team-mates after scoring their side's second goal during the Carabao Cup third round match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Tuesday September 15, 2026.
Liverpool's Cody Gakpo (right) celebrates with team-mates after scoring their side's second goal during the Carabao Cup third round match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Tuesday September 15, 2026.
Liverpool looked short on ideas in attack in the game he didn’t start, against Fulham last weekend, but his quality was on show again as he returned to the lineup in the EFL Cup.
His switch to Ngumoha played a part in Mac Allister’s goal, before he helped seal the win with a trademark shot cutting in from the left.
He, along with Mac Allister, provided the experience and quality to build on the platform set by the younger players to see Liverpool into the next round.
Andy Robertson’s return to Anfield
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Tottenham Hotspur's Andy Robertson applauds his former supporters after the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. The game ended 3-1 with Liverpool progressing the 4th Round. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Tottenham Hotspur's Andy Robertson applauds his former supporters after the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. The game ended 3-1 with Liverpool progressing the 4th Round. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
It was one of the biggest receptions for a returning player you’re likely to hear.
Strangely, there were some on social media questioning what type of reception the Scotsman would get at Anfield this week.
It was only ever going to be one kind of reception.
Robertson’s name was sung all around Anfield for a considerable amount of time after he came on to replace Destiny Udogie.
The home fans were in a good mood with their team 2-0 up at that time, but the reception for the legendary left-back would have been the same regardless of the position Liverpool were in in the game.
There’s now a big game at Bournemouth for Iraola
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola applauds the supporters after the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. The game ended 3-1 with Liverpool progressing the 4th Round. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola applauds the supporters after the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield. The game ended 3-1 with Liverpool progressing the 4th Round. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The upcoming trip to the south coast is a bigger game than it might normally be, for a couple of reasons.
The main one is that it sees Iraola return to his former club. A chance for them to show they are better than his new one, and for Marco Rose to show his own worth as Iraola’s replacement.
It’s also a big game because Liverpool need a win, having only done so once in the Premier League so far.
Three points would see a slow start to the season look like a much better unbeaten run going into an international break.
And it’s a considerable international break too. People might be caught off guard by how long it is!
And you don’t want to be dwelling on another defeat or a disappointing draw in all that time between the Bournemouth game and Liverpool’s next one, another big one, against Man City on October 11.
Football – Football League Cup 3rd Round – MK Dons FC v Liverpool FC
League Cup trophy . (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)