Liverpool advanced to the next round of the Carabao Cup after a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Tuesday night, with Lewis Koumas in particular looking impressive
Lewis Koumas of Liverpool looks on during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur
Lewis Koumas impressed for Liverpool against Tottenham(Image: (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images))
Liverpool is into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after an impressive win against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, with three youngsters, including Lewis Koumas, catching the eye.
On Tuesday night, Andoni Iraola made 10 changes to his Liverpool team as the Reds took on struggling Spurs at Anfield in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Despite the wholesale changes, Liverpool impressed as goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo earned the hosts a 2-0 lead with half an hour to play.
Conor Gallagher threatened a late Spurs fightback, but a wonder strike by Dominik Szoboszlai sealed an impressive 3-1 win. Although the more senior players were the ones who scored the most important goals, the Reds’ young players also caught the eye with strong performances. Here, we picked out three youngsters who impressed on a wet and windy night at Anfield...
Lewis Koumas
Deservedly voted as the Player of the Match, 20-year-old Koumas was a constant problem for the Spurs defense, due to his high energy and exceptional work rate.
The Wales international had a golden chance to open the scoring but saw his effort saved by Martin Dubravka.
During his 86-minute stint, Koumas was constantly closing players down as he acted as the initiator for Iraola’s team. He also managed a pass success rate of 66.7%.
Lewis Koumas of Liverpool during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur
Lewis Koumas has received plenty of praise for his performance against Tottenham(Image: (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images))
Trey Nyoni
Liverpool’s midfield has been a major talking point over the last couple of seasons, with fans yearning for new additions in the area, especially a specialist defensive midfielder. Against Spurs, Nyoni, who impressed in preseason, was another standout player as he displayed maturity beyond his age in the middle of the park.
Although only playing 62 minutes, Nyoni showed what he is capable of as he was calm in possession and managed to pick out some fine passes. Before being replaced by Ryan Gravenberch, the 19-year-old recorded a pass success rate of 94.9%, completing 37 out of 39 attempted passes.
Rio Ngumoha
It has been a tough start for Ngumoha under Iraola, having predominantly been deployed on his less-favored right-wing position.
Under the lights at Anfield, Ngumoha reminded everyone what a big talent he is, playing a major role in Mac Allister’s opening goal with a brilliant run into the Spurs area. On another day, he would have had an assist if Koumas had been able to convert his perfectly-timed pass in behind the Spurs defense.
Overall, it was a brilliant night for Iraola as his team produced a much-improved performance after their disappointing 0-0 draw against Fulham last weekend. Speaking after the match, the Reds boss was full of praise for the youngsters and went on to label Koumas as ‘contagious’.
He said: “I was happy for them. Different positions, different demands but I think the best thing is they were dead when I subbed them. Trey was cramping, Rio couldn’t have run a lot more. McConnell the same. When this happens, it’s because you’ve given us what you’ve got. They have been very athletic, willingness to win their duels, making their presence felt. I was happy for them.
“I see him (Koumas) training every day. He knows very clearly what he needs to do, what the team needs and also the energy he shows is contagious for the rest.”
This weekend, Liverpool will be back in Premier League action when they take on Iraola’s former club, Bournemouth, on Sunday afternoon.