**Liverpool’s latest Carabao Cup journey began with a win over Tottenham.**
Alexis Mac Allister broke the deadlock just 20 minutes in with a trademark strike into the top corner after the ball broke for him on the edge of the area.
The Reds extended their lead early into the second half when Cody Gakpo fired a powerful shot into far corner of The Kop’s net from inside the box.
However the visitors halved their deficit with 20 minutes remaining as Conor Gallagher was able to outjump goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili at a corner.
But Dominik Szobozlai put the tie beyond reach with a superb 25-yard effort that flew into the roof of Martin Dubravka’s net at the start of added time.
Andoni Iraola’s side will discover the identity of their fourth round opponents when the draw for the competition’s next stage is made on Wednesday night.
_Here were the key talking points from Anfield:_
Mac Allister cannot become Alonso 2.0
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Liverpool need to protect themselves from a repeat of semi-recent history.
The risk of losing a midfielder who, while not consistently brilliant, is still a class act due to feeling unloved is a tale the Anfield crowd knows all too well.
Alexis Mac Allister and Xabi Alonso’s Reds’ spells are actually eerily similar.
Granted, the Argentine international is not agitating for a move away – but neither was the current Chelsea manager during the summer of 2008.
Well-publicised gripes over a new contract distinguish Mac Allister from his playmaking predecessor’s own issues, but they still share some commonality.
Alonso’s response to almost being sold for Gareth Barry was to play the season of his life; missing out on the Premier League title by a hair’s breadth.
Mac Allister, similarly, appears a man on a m6ission with another sublime strike since making public his displeasure at the issue of his long-term future.
The World Cup winner has become Liverpool’s early-season standout and will only draw more admiring glances the longer his current trajectory continues.
Iraola’s change-up finally pays off
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Fresh from frustration against one of the Premier League’s current crisis teams, Andoni Iraola knew that he could not risk another against Tottenham.
The Basque persisted with a rotation policy which somewhat backfired during [last weekend’s stalemate with Fulham](https://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/68201-liverpool-0-0-fulham-three-talking-points-ryan-gravenberch-kostas-tsimikas-andoni-iraola/) in front of exasperated home fans.
Back at Anfield for a second time in four days, Iraola made more changes with Ronald Araujo the sole survivor from the draw against the Cottagers.
It brought an end to Virgil van Dijk’s unbroken 47-game streak which saw the captain play a whopping 4,221 minutes of them and absent for just nine.
Iraola could have been forgiven for going stronger when going toe-to-toe with a Spurs team whose domestic struggles made them a dangerous prospect.
Yet he was more than vindicated in handing starts to Lewis Koumas and James McConnell, who brought much-needed energy to proceedings.
Koumas, in particular, illustrated why Liverpool’s head coach saw fit to put the stoppers on any potential loan moves within mere weeks of his appointment.
A man-of-the-match display from the Wales international vindicated Iraola’s decision to go bold against Roberto De Zerbi’s still luckless Lillywhites.
Mamardashvili cast new No.1 doubts
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The battle to become Liverpool’s No.1 is far from a foregone conclusion.
Alisson’s departure, potentially at the end of his current contract next summer, will usher in a stark changing of the guard for the club’s first-choice stopper.
Whether Giorgi Mamardashvili will lay claim to the Brazilian’s coveted spot, however, remains unclear after another appearance that was a mixed bag.
The Georgia international started ominously enough by shanking a pass out of play within the opening minute of this contest before redeeming himself.
He denied Lucas Bergvall’s shot in the middle of the penalty area before later thwarting Mohammed Kudus’ own attempt to spark the visitors’ fightback.
But it was Mamardashvili’s ongoing shakiness which offered Spurs a lifeline back into this tie as he misjudged the corner for Conor Gallagher’s reducer.
Another shot at redemption came soon after with a strong reflex save after Omar Marmoush’s goal-bound attempt took a deflection off Araujo en route.
Unfortunately, his glaring error continues to cast doubt on whether the former Valencia man is actually Alisson’s successor-in-waiting or another also-ran.