Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspurs - The Big Match Preview

Liverpool are back in action Tuesday night, 15th September, kicking off their 2026/27 Carabao Cup campaign in the third round against Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham Hotspur. They travel to Anfield, hoping their new attack can finally click, while Iraola’s men look to get back to winning ways after a recent 0-0 draw against Fulham.

Match Context

Liverpool are unbeaten under new manager Andoni Iraola so far this season, with wins against Atletico Madrid and Ipswich. Draws against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Fulham have put Liverpool six points off the top after only four games, leaving fans unsure what their club will produce. Iraola sets out looking to secure Liverpool’s eleventh league cup trophy success facing Roberto De Zerbi for only his third time, having one win out of the last two encounters against the Italian coach. 

Tottenham, having spent £320 million in the summer on eight new players, sit 17th in the Premier League, just above Aston Villa, Fulham and rock-bottom Coventry. Their 5-1 win in the second round against Charlton has been the only game so far this season that Spurs have scored in, as they have failed to hit the back of the net in the Premier League with two 0-0 draws and two defeats handed down to them by Newcastle United and Brentford. Their fans are hoping their side can progress to the next round of the competition for the 28th time in their history.

Team News

Liverpool and Tottenham are expected to field very rotated squads, with Liverpool playing their third game in the span of six days. Iraola did confirm in his press conference that Mamardashvili will replace Alisson in goal, and we can expect there to be more changes as Virgil Van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have started every game so far this season for the Reds. Joe Gomez is back in training, said Iraola, and may play some minutes. “I think he’s going to be available for tomorrow, and now it's a matter of deciding how much he can play and what is the best thing to do”. The youngsters like Trey Nyoni, Luke Chambers and Lewis Koumas may all be in contention to start for the Reds at Anfield.

Tottenham fielded a strong team against Charlton in the second round, but De Zerbi confirmed that his side will “play with all other players” for the match against Liverpool. Big summer signing Sandro Tonali will miss out due to a knock, joining Pedro Porro, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski on the injury list. A warm welcome will be waiting for former Liverpool legend Andy Robertson as he returns to Anfield for the first time since signing for the north London club in the summer. The left-back has started three games this season under De Zerbi and may feature.

Key Players to Watch

Spurs spent heavily on their attack in the summer, bringing in Omar Marmoush and Savio from Manchester City, and are hoping they can strike against Iraola’s men, as neither have started the season the way they would have hoped. Spurs fans will hope Savio can continue his league cup form at Anfield after grabbing a goal and an assist against Charlton in the last round.

The midfield will be an interesting selection tonight for Iraola as it has been a constant pain for his side so far this season. Trey Nyoni could get the nod from the start, and having impressed in preseason and off the bench, and with fans calling for him to be given a chance, it seems like if he has a good performance, he may be in line to get more starts in the pivot of midfield. Jeremie Frimpong is also another interesting selection, as he hasn’t started any of the Reds' last three games; the Dutch international could be used at right back or right wing and with the use of his pace, he could be a threat in behind that Tottenham defence.

Tactical Overview and Key Battles

Both sides play a 4-2-3-1 formation to start off, and both look to keep the ball and stay in possession, but Tottenham may change their approach to suit the players they have available, to more of a counter-attacking style and try to hurt Liverpool on the break. We have seen many times this season already teams hurt Liverpool on the counter, with Newcastle profiting twice off this on the opening day of the season.

Liverpool will look to dominate the ball and midfield, and Nyoni and Mac Allister could both play in the pivot for the Reds. Spurs may allow Liverpool to have the ball and stay in compact shape as they have Savio and others to hurt the Reds on the break. Both sides like to press high and win the ball back as quickly as possible, so it will be interesting to see if either manager steers away from their usual plan.

Predicted XI 

Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Araujo, Gomez, Kerkez, Nyoni, Mac Allister, Barcola, Munoz, Koumas, Isak.

Tottenham: Dubravka, Gray, Tosin, Senesi, Udogie, Bentancur, Bergvall, Gallagher, Kudus, Marmoush, Savio.