Dominik Szoboszlai’s 25-yard stoppage-time screamer put a full stop on a familiar sentence at Anfield: Tottenham looked the part for long spells, then found nothing at the end of it. Liverpool won 3-1 in the Carabao Cup third round, and while the Guardian’s match report credits Spurs with playing a pretty game in harmless areas, Liverpool produced the only effective one. That’s the whole match in a sentence, and it reflects a problem De Zerbi acknowledged afterwards.
Same story, different Merseyside opponent
This followed Saturday’s stalemate with Everton, from which Roberto De Zerbi made eight changes; Andoni Iraola made 10 from Liverpool’s own draw with Fulham. New faces, but a familiar script. For the second successive match against Merseyside opposition, Spurs seized control from the start and failed to capitalise while in the ascendancy, a pattern that points towards a tactical problem worth examining.
Control without conversion
Lucas Bergvall and Mohammed Kudus both should have scored from Destiny Udogie crosses in the first half. Bergvall had the entire goal to aim at but allowed Giorgi Mamardashvili to make an improvised save, while Kudus volleyed over from four yards. Those were the sort of openings Tottenham needed to take if their early control was to count. There is also a wider question about who should be leading the line when clear chances go begging.
Spurs did get a goal back when Conor Gallagher headed home after Mamardashvili and Jeremie Frimpong failed to deal with a Mateus Fernandes corner. It gave the visitors a lifeline, but not a route back into the tie. The Guardian judged Liverpool deserving winners despite De Zerbi’s view that the result was unfair.
Liverpool made their moments count
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring after Udogie’s attempt to stop Rio Ngumoha’s run put the ball in his path, and he finished with power and placement. Cody Gakpo doubled the lead nine minutes after half-time following good work involving James McConnell, Ngumoha and Milos Kerkez. Szoboszlai’s late strike, after controlling Gakpo’s flick, was beyond Martin Dubravka.
Mamardashvili, despite his role in Gallagher’s goal, also produced several important saves. His best came to deny Omar Marmoush after the forward’s shot took a slight deflection, an intervention that helped Liverpool protect their advantage before Szoboszlai settled the contest.
Verdict
Liverpool progress to round four; Spurs are out after missed chances and defensive errors undermined an otherwise competitive display. De Zerbi said his players needed to shoot more, shoot better and finish clearer situations, while also expressing confidence in the quality of his squad. It is a straightforward diagnosis, but one Tottenham must address if promising spells of possession are to produce results.
Szoboszlai celebrated his stoppage-time goal by pointing to his ear, perhaps in response to criticism of his display against Fulham. For De Zerbi, the more pressing concern remains Tottenham’s lack of cutting edge when their opportunities arrive.
