Bradley Barcola had a priceless reaction to one moment at Anfield as Liverpool booked its place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with victory over Tottenham
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool (R) celebrates with Bradley Barcola of Liverpool after scoring their 3rd goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match against Tottenham
Bradley Barcola had a brilliant reaction to Dominik Szoboszlai's thunderous strike against Tottenham(Image: Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
New Liverpool signing Bradley Barcol a was left stunned by Dominik Szoboszlai 's stunning strike to secure a Carabao Cup victory against Tottenham on Tuesday night.
The Reds were in desperate need of some inspiration after a less-than-spirited display in the goalless draw against Fulham in the Premier League over the weekend. Andoni Iraola 's men started brilliantly as Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the first half with another fantastic strike.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors in the second half as one of their summer transfer targets in Cody Gakpo scored a second for Liverpool. The Dutchman cut inside before firing an effort into the far corner.
However, Roberto De Zerbi's men were handed a lifeline late on when Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili failed to claim a corner, and Conor Gallagher headed home. It was the first goal the visitors have scored against Premier League opposition this season, and it certainly gave them the impetus to push for an equalizer.
For the remaining 20 or so minutes at Anfield, Liverpool was very much under pressure. Spurs had the better chances, which included a mishit from Savio and an outrageous save from Mamardashvili to thwart Omar Marmoush, with the Georgian arguably making amends for his earlier error.
But the moment of the game arguably came in stoppage time when the ball fell kindly to Liverpool substitute Szoboszlai. The Hungarian had squandered an earlier, much simpler chance, but this time he drilled an absolutely thunderous effort from distance into the top corner.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool controls the ball during the Carabao Cup Third Round match against Tottenham
Szoboszlai scored the decisive goal in Liverpool's 3-1 triumph over Tottenham in the Carabao Cup(Image: Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Fellow substitute Bradley Barcola could only stop in his tracks and put both hands on his head in response to the goal. It was, quite simply, the reaction most supporters probably had, although the midfielder has scored a number of top-quality goals from range over the years.
It was Szoboszlai's third goal of the season, with a strike in each competition so far. His first came against Newcastle in the 2-2 draw on the opening day, while he was on the scoresheet last week in the Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid.
Barcola, meanwhile, is yet to find his feet after his move from Paris Saint-Germain late in the transfer window. The winger has so far featured against Atletico, Ipswich, and Fulham but is yet to register either a goal or an assist.
Liverpool will find out its fourth-round opponent when the draw takes place on Wednesday evening following the conclusion of Manchester United's clash with Brighton. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Newcastle are among the teams already qualified for the next round.
In the meantime, the Reds will now be preparing for the weekend's Premier League clash away at Bournemouth. The return to the south coast for Iraola will be the final match before the first international window of the season.