Liverpool Echo

Roberto De Zerbi makes Tottenham claim after Liverpool defeat - 'I think it is unfair'  Liverpool Echo

That's all from us here on tonight's match blog. We'll be back on Sunday when Andoni Iraola returns to Bournemouth.

And the Liverpool head coach should be in positive mood after his much-changed did the business this evening.

But before we go, just a plug for Paul Gorst's big-match verdict, which has just been published on our website.

Read in HERE.

Goodnight. Take care of yourselves.

Had Tottenham Hotspur got their way, Cody Gakpo would have been lining up against Liverpool here rather than helping them take their first step towards Wembley.

The repeated failure of the Reds to recruit a new right-winger during the summer transfer window meant both the Londoners and Manchester City, who were willing to spend £85million on Gakpo, ultimately had to look elsewhere.

And how Liverpool have benefited from the circumstances that saw the Dutchman not only stay, but also subsequently emerge as their key player during the formative stages of Andoni Iraola’s tenure.

To think it was mere months ago Gakpo was among those being targeted by the angry Anfield crowd as Liverpool lurched from one disappointment to the next under the beleaguered and ultimately banished Arne Slot.

Here, though, the Kop crowed by chanting the name of the Holland international during the second half of a deserved Carabao Cup third-round triumph against the attacker’s former suitors. Rare has redemption been so rapid.

READ IAN DOYLE'S ON-THE-WHISTLE ANALYSIS IN FULL HERE

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the Reds boss said: "I am pleased with the performance. I think there have been different phases in the game but overall I liked the energy. We scored but I am happy because we are in the next round.

"I think at 2-0, they have to take a risk and win some territory. We were defending well but conceding a lot of set-pieces and when they scored that put us under some pressure. Luckily for us we found a way to score a third and finish the game properly."

The midfielder, whose fine strike set Liverpool on their way to victory this evening, has been speaking to ITV post-match: "We played against a very good team who know what to do on the ball.

"I like getting in the box and scoring, really important to score for our confidence and to win but we need to understand this is one game.

"I am feeling really good and I am feeling the love of the fans which is really important for me.

"The young players show every day in training they want to be here. They deserved this. I focus quite a lot on them and sometimes get angry but I think that is me wanting them to succeed.

"They are going to be really, really important for us during this season."

Giorgi Mamardashvili 7

Tested patience of crowd with some early moments of hesitation before great point-blank save to thwart Lucas Bergvall. Good stop from Mohammed Kudus second half and outrageous one to keep out Omar Marmoush but unconvincing for Tottenham goal.

Alexis Mac Allister 7

Looked to get Liverpool moving in midfield with his passing and tackling and excellent finish for the opener before laying on the second.

Cody Gakpo 8

Purposeful play down the left initiated the opener and playing with real confidence. Put himself about against the team who wanted to sign him.

READ IAN DOYLE'S PLAYER RATINGS IN FULL HERE

Liverpool have been really good this second half for me.

They are first to everything; stronger and quicker.

The hunger is clearly there and they are feeding off the noise here at Anfield.

A third kills this as a contest, which it definitely still now after 67 minutes.

Giorgi Mamardashvili 6

Tested patience of crowd with some early moments of hesitation before great point-blank save to keep out Bergvall.

Jeremie Frimpong 6

Steady enough at right-back where he was kept busy by Tel first half. Booked.

Ronald Araujo 6

Shifted across to centre-back where much of his defending was proactive. Booked.

Joe Gomez 6

Skipper on his first appearance in more than six weeks, kept things simple defensively.

Milos Kerkez 7

Involved in real tussle with Kudus from first whistle and willing to push forward when possible.

Trey Nyoni 6

Somewhat nervy in the opening exchanges but settled as the deeper of the two central midfielders.

Alexis Mac Allister 7

Looked to get Liverpool moving in midfield with his passing and tackling and excellent finish for the opener.

Rio Ngumoha 7

Caused problems whenever given the opportunity to run at his marker, not least when helping create the first goal.

James McConnell 6

Took a while to adjust to the number 10 role but began making an impact before the interval.

Cody Gakpo 8

Purposeful play down the left initiated the opener and playing with real confidence. Put himself about against the team who wanted to sign him.

Lewis Koumas 7

Early chance denied by Dubravka and pressing and energy meant he was a real pest to the Tottenham defence.

After Saturday’s snoozefest, this was the ideal way for Andoni Iraola and his Liverpool team to blow away the cobwebs.

Into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, courtesy of an absorbing and entertaining 3-1 win against a strong Tottenham Hotspur side, it was the perfect tonic after the minor stumble against Fulham.

It may make it more difficult to put a defining finger on just how good Liverpool's start to the season has been but victory against Bournemouth on Sunday will make it look like the glass is at least half full as club football presses pause until October on Sunday afternoon.

They say there are two ways to execute a successful League Cup campaign: you either fall at the first hurdle or you win it. As 10-time winners, the Reds would say they only know one route and a strong cup run would greatly aid a team for whom it is tough to say what would represent genuine progress this season besides the obvious amassing of trophies.

Liverpool's opener came from a controlled finish by Alexis Mac Allister after Rio Ngumoha's dazzling footwork was crowded out inside the Spurs area. The Argentina international met the ball with his in-step when it would have been easy to thrash at it, resulting in a high finish past Martin Dubravka.

Much has been made of Iraola's midfield makeup and what is the best combination for the engine room at present. Mac Allister was one of the many whose form toppled off a cliff last season but he has been reinvigorated so far under Iraola on the back of World Cup final heartache.

Alongside the inexperienced duo of James McConnell and Trey Nyoni, Mac Allister seemed to relish the responsibility as the senior pro in the middle of the park. The only surprise when captain Joe Gomez was replaced by Jeremy Jacquet was that the armband wasn't passed to Mac Allister.

For all the questions that area of the pitch is throwing up presently, Mac Allister should be considered a regular on this form. The rest can be worked out as the time on the training pitches begins to be reflected in rhythm and momentum on the pitch.

It was a big night in the young careers of McConnell and Nyoni. With Iraola keen to see if he can call upon some of his fringe players more often in what is a light squad, both showed the head coach they are more than capable against Premier League opposition. McConnell in particular is an intriguing prospect now and the fact Wataru Endo didn't get on the pitch at all presents room for debate.

Liverpool's second goal came from the rejuvenated Cody Gakpo, who fired home into the far corner after escaping Archie Gray's attention on the left. It was a textbook strike from the Netherlands international, whose impressive start to the campaign continued here. He, much like Mac Allister, looks like a far better player than the one who limped to the finish back in May.

It seems absurd now, just a couple of weeks on, that Gakpo's future was in such doubt as Manchester City lurked in the background at the end of the transfer window. Even if he was sold for an eye-watering £85m, it would have left Iraola's squad short of such quality at a time when too many forward players are still cutting their teeth at this football club.

Gakpo's excellent few weeks means he now has four assists and two goals across five appearances and he represents the most trustworthy operator for Iraola right now, who made a point of demanding more from his expensively assembled forward line earlier this week. It feels like a corner has been turned now where Gakpo's indifferent form of 25/26 is concerned.

Stand-in goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili didn't cover himself in glory as Tottenham cored their first goal in five attempts against Premier League opposition this term. The Georgia international should have commanded his penalty box much more decisively to stop Conor Gallagher heading home but he made amends with a couple of important interventions as the visitors searched for a late leveller. One save in particular from Omar Marmoush drew gasps.

Substitute Dominik Szoboszlai wrapped things up with a special strike that might just sit atop the particularly impressive list he has assembled since joining over three years ago. Dubravka could get nowhere near the wicked, dipping volley in stoppage time.

But if Szoboszlai’s goal was a mere reminder of his gifts, this night was more instructive for the performances of Nyoni, McConnell and Lewis Koumas, whose player-of-the-match performance wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by Iraola, who has championed him almost from day one at the club.

It was Iraola who stepped in to tell the decision makers in the summer of his hope that Koumas wouldn’t be sent on loan and the Wales international will be needed in the coming weeks and months. His languid style meshes well with an ability to play across the frontline and he has surely nudged ahead of the injured Federico Chiesa now.

Liverpool secured their place in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup with an entertaining 3-1 third-round victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday evening. Alexis Mac Allister gave a much-changed Reds team a half-time lead and, after Cody Gakpo and Conor Gallagher traded goals, substitute Dominik Szoboszlai made the game safe with a late belter.

The result means Andoni Iraola's side remain unbeaten under the new head coach and will head into Sunday's Premier League trip to his former club Bournemouth with renewed confidence.

The ECHO was in attendance at Anfield and here we run the rule over the performance of the Liverpool players.

Giorgi Mamardashvili 7

Tested patience of crowd with some early moments of hesitation before great point-blank save to thwart Lucas Bergvall. Good stop from Mohammed Kudus second half and outrageous one to keep out Omar Marmoush but unconvincing for Tottenham goal.

Jeremie Frimpong 6

Steady enough at right-back where he was kept busy by Mathys Tel first half and stuck to his task as Tottenham poured forward late on. Booked.

Ronald Araujo 6

Shifted across to centre-back where much of his defending was proactive. Much more testing time second half, though. Booked.

Joe Gomez 6

Skipper on welcome return after more than six weeks on the sidelines, kept things simple defensively during his 45-minute outing. Subbed.

Milos Kerkez 6

Involved in real tussle with Kudus from first whistle and willing to push forward when possible. Involved in second goal but became increasingly wild with his defending. Booked.

Trey Nyoni 6

Somewhat nervy in the opening exchanges but settled as the deeper of the two central midfielders. Solid showing. Subbed.

Alexis Mac Allister 7

Looked to get Liverpool moving in midfield with his passing and tackling and excellent finish for the opener before laying on the second.

Rio Ngumoha 7

Caused problems whenever given the opportunity to run at his marker, not least when helping create the first goal and heavily involved in second. Subbed.

James McConnell 6

Took a while to adjust to the number 10 role but began making an impact before the interval. Subbed.

Cody Gakpo 8

Purposeful play down the left initiated the opener and playing with real confidence. Put himself about against the team who wanted to sign him.

Lewis Koumas 8

Early chance denied by Martin Dubravka and pressing and energy meant he was a real pest to the Tottenham defence. Held ball up well when Liverpool needed him to second half. Subbed.

SUBS

Jeremy Jacquet (for Gomez 46) 7

Strong challenge denied Marmoush and decent outing.

Ryan Gravenberch (for Nyoni 62) 5

Not the cameo contribution the midfielder was looking for.

Dominik Szoboszlai (for McConnell 62) 6

Less than convincing until he absolutely smashed home the third goal.

Bradley Barcola (for Ngumoha 71) 6

More minutes for the new signing.

Alexander Isak (for Koumas 86)

Had shot well saved by Tosin, although no penalty given.

Liverpool line-ups vs Tottenham Hotspur as Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister decisions made  Liverpool Echo

I played in Liverpool Carabao Cup final - but manager never spoke to me so I joined Tottenham

This former Liverpool star cited his relationship with Gerard Houllier as his primary reason for leaving the club prematurely

Christian Ziege says his breakdown in relations with ex-manager Gerard Houllier led him to leave Liverpool for Tottenham, the Reds' Carabao Cup opponents on Tuesday night. The German joined Liverpool from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2000.

His transfer was contentious to say the least. Liverpool were accused by Middlesbrough of an illegal approach before they activated the full-back's £5.5million release clause.

It was only in March 2004 that details emerged about a discreet settlement between the two clubs over compensation. It was agreed on just before the dispute was set to be heard in court.

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It was hardly worth all the turmoil as Ziege, now 54, made just 32 appearances for Liverpool. One of those came as a substitute in the 2001 League Cup final against Birmingham City, a game the Reds won on penalties as part of their memorable treble that season.

Ziege, while full of respect for Liverpool, previously admitted the move was the wrong one for him at the time. "It was really a big mess, and I didn't like it at all," Ziege said in 2017.

"It was a bad time, I don't like to speak about that move. I didn't really know what was going on. Everyone was fighting and blaming people, and I didn't know anything about it as people behind the scenes were talking and trying to get me to sign for Liverpool.

"I'm not like that. I prefer to say, 'Okay, if I can't go, I'll stay'. It affected me a lot because questions always came up about it, and people from Middlesbrough were not happy, which I understand. I made the wrong decision."

Ziege had stints at Bayern Munich and AC Milan before joining Boro, but struggled to settle at Anfield. He ultimately failed to solve the club's left-back issues and was eventually replaced by Jamie Carragher, who cemented his place in the Liverpool first XI from there on out.

He cites his communication, or the lack of it, with the late Houllier as a major issue. "Liverpool, a massive club with a massive stadium and history. But unfortunately, I had some problems there, problems with the manager. He never talked to me," he said.

"There was no relationship. I was training hard and I asked all the assistant coaches, and my team-mates. 'What am I doing wrong? What can I do better? Do I have to train more?'

"Everybody said, 'No, you're doing everything you should do and you're training well'. He never told me (why I wasn't playing). There was no relationship between him as a manager and me as a player."

Ziege continued: "I realised it was a bad move because I really enjoyed my time playing for Boro. Liverpool were in the UEFA Cup, which we ended up winning that year. We won the FA Cup and the League Cup, and qualified for the Champions League, so it was a great season.

"However, it was the wrong decision, football-wise. I didn't play enough. The League Cup final at the Millennium Stadium was amazing. I came on for the penalties at the end I guess that was why I got brought on! But I didn't even get on the bench for the UEFA Cup final in Dortmund and that was a tough one to take but that's football."

After contributing two goals in his short stint at Anfield, Ziege moved to Spurs for £4m in 2001. Injuries blighted his development, however, leading to just 55 appearances for Spurs across three seasons before he retired in 2005 with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Liverpool latest: Andy Robertson ready for Anfield return and ex-player rejoins in new role

Liverpool will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup third round tonight

Liverpool will look to rediscover their winning momentum as they host Tottenham Hotspur in a Carabao Cup third-round clash. The cup tie arrives on the heels of a frustrating weekend for the Reds, who were held to a goalless stalemate by Alvaro Arbeloa’s embattled Fulham on Saturday.

Despite Andoni Iraola deploying a high-profile attacking trio of Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola, and Florian Wirtz, Liverpool were remarkably subdued. The star-studded forward line offered little offensive bite, sleepwalking through a lifeless Premier League draw that asked few questions of the Cottagers.

This evening's encounter with Spurs presents Iraola with a valuable platform to assert his team's ambitions in this year's League Cup.

The fixture also promises to be a poignant occasion for the Anfield faithful, as it marks the highly anticipated return of revered club icon Andy Robertson following his departure in the summer. In broader club developments, a legendary figure has officially been welcomed back into the Liverpool fold.

Andy Robertson primed for Anfield return

Robertson will make his first appearance back at Liverpool since his poignant departure this summer as Tottenham visit Anfield tonight for the Carabao Cup fixture.

The Scotland international claimed eight major honours during a nine-year stint, including two Premier League crowns and the Champions League in 2019.

Robertson departed after Milos Kerkez displaced him from the Liverpool starting eleven. While Kerkez has found things difficult, and was omitted from the starting line-up against Fulham, the Scotland captain has started in three of Tottenham's four Premier League matches this campaign.

Spurs arrive at Anfield following a goalless stalemate against Everton on Saturday, a result that prolonged the side's winless streak in the Premier League.

Robertson, though, has been amongst the few positives for Roberto De Zerbi's team this season. Like Milner, fellow Scotsman Alan Hutton reckons Robertson will eventually return to the Reds in a coaching role.

"Could we see Andy Robertson return to Liverpool as manager someday or take the Scotland or Celtic jobs? I think he can go on and do that if he wants to," the former Spurs and Aston Villa right-back said.

James Milner makes Anfield return

Liverpool icon James Milner has returned to the club following his 2023 departure. The former Man City midfielder is pursuing his coaching career by assisting youngsters at the Academy in Kirkby.

Milner brought the curtain down on his remarkable 24-year playing career this summer after a stint with Brighton. The ECHO understands Liverpool's arrangement with the ex-Leeds United stalwart is informal in nature.

He is not an official permanent member of staff, but is accumulating experience towards securing additional badges. The 40-year-old was overseeing the under-11s at the weekend.

The three-time Premier League winner, who arrived at the club in 2015, is also set to collaborate with several other age groups in the coming months.

Milner has already secured his UEFA A Licence and is working towards completing his Pro Licence. He previously assisted with the Academy during his playing days at Liverpool.

James Tarkowski lists five factors that make Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite 'amazing'  Liverpool Echo

Liverpool vs Tottenham injury news as 11 players to miss Carabao Cup tie  Liverpool Echo

I didn't feel like I was respected at Liverpool after making my name at Tottenham  Liverpool Echo