With a 3-1 victory over Tottenham, Liverpool advanced in the Carabao Cup fourth round. Making ten changes from the side that drew 0-0 against Fulham, what was expected to be a repeat of that fixture turned out to be an encouraging night that showed the quality in the Liverpool depth.

Story of the Match

Mac Allister gave Liverpool the lead after 21 minutes, and Gakpo doubled the lead early in the second half. Still, a moment of hesitation from Mamardashvili allowed Conor Gallagher to pull one back and set up a nervy final stretch. It took a stunning Szoboszlai volley from 25 yards in stoppage time to finally put the tie beyond doubt and send Liverpool through to the round of 16.

Iraola handed starts to Lewis Koumas at centre forward and James McConnell in midfield, with second-choice goalkeeper Giorgio Mamardashvili getting a rare opportunity between the posts. The early stages were tight. Lucas Bergvall had the clearest chance of the opening exchanges, his close-range shot finding the legs of Mamardashvili when a goal looked certain. Mohammed Kudus, making his first start since January, somehow missed a sitter at 1-0 in the first half, a miss that likely sealed Tottenham's fate that night.

Mac Allister's goal on 21 minutes was the moment that settled Liverpool. The Argentine picked up the ball on the edge of the area and drove a composed finish into the corner. The side's energy, particularly from the young starters Koumas and McConnell, gave Liverpool a brightness noticeably absent against Fulham. Gakpo added the second just after the hour mark, Liverpool comfortable and in control.

Tottenham gave themselves a lifeline when Gallagher headed in from a corner, the one blemish on an otherwise solid evening for Mamardashvili, who had been exceptional up until that point. Spurs pushed for an equaliser and Mamardashvili produced a stunning fingertip save to deny Marmoush from close range with the score at 2-1. The tension was building at Anfield. Then Szoboszlai came off the bench and spectacularly ended the game, arrowing a volley from 25 yards beyond Dubravka in stoppage time.

Match Verdict

The man of the match was Giorgi Mamardashvili. Coming into this game, his quality had been doubted, and in this game he silenced every one of those doubts. 5 saves and kept them in the game when Tottenham searched for an equaliser, one of which was a save of the highest order to deny Marmoush at a critical moment when the tie was at 2-1. Mac Allister and Gakpo also deserve credit, two players whose futures were questioned this summer, reminding everyone exactly what they are capable of when given the chance. Szoboszlai's late cameo settled any nerves that remained.

For Tottenham, the night offered a first goal against top-flight opposition this season through Gallagher, but the overall picture remains deeply concerning. Roberto De Zerbi is under pressure, and a run of fixtures that offers little respite is not going to make the next few weeks any easier.

Player Ratings

Giorgi Mamardashvili 8.5/10

Jeremie Frimpong 7/10

Ronald Araujo 7/10

Joe Gomez 6.5/10

Milos Kerkez 6.5/10

Trey Nyoni 6.5/10

Alexis Mac Allister 7.5/10

Rio Ngumoha 7/10

James McConnell 7/10

Cody Gakpo 7.5/10

Lewis Koumas 7/10

Bradley Barcola 6.5/10

Jeremy Jacquet 7/10

Dominik Szoboszlai (sub) 8/10

Liverpool advance to the Carabao Cup fourth-round draw on Wednesday night. Iraola now knows his squad can carry a knockout match without his first-choice eleven.