The Empire of The Kop

Dominik Szoboszlai singled out two Liverpool players for praise after the 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Andoni Iraola made 10 changes to his starting line-up for that game, giving youngsters like Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni, Lewis Koumas and James McConnell a chance from the outset.

Each of those seized their opportunity to impress, with the Welsh striker even being named the official Player of the Match, and the Hungarian midfielder has welcomed the added competition for places that those players have brought at Anfield.

Szoboszlai heaps praise on Liverpool youngsters

Speaking after the win over Spurs, Szoboszlai said (via Liverpool Echo): “Of course, for Lewis Koumas and James McConnell, they both did a very good job. Koumas with his timings and Macca (McConnell) with his running ability, both of them deserved to play and I think both did it very well, and now they will make it hard for the gaffer.

“That is our goal to be always consistent and being there every week in the same week how we wanted.

“There is a lot of competition, always – I don’t even know, six midfielders maybe? Trey, Macca [Alexis Mac Allister], Ryan [Gravenberch], Flo [Wirtz], me and Wata [Endo] and James McConnell. We have a lot of competition but it is good to have competition. It is good to have a big squad because you saw it [v Spurs], we need everybody.”

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Added competition can only be good for Liverpool

Szoboszlai is spot on – Iraola will be delighted that youngsters like Nyoni, McConnell and Koumas have given him food for thought when it comes to future games and can be considered as genuine first-team options.

The Welshman earned widespread praise for his indefatigable pressing in the final third, fitting the head coach’s high-intensity blueprint perfectly, while the two young midfielders became increasingly influential as the game against Spurs progressed.

Many Liverpool fans were fearful over squad depth in the middle of the park after Curtis Jones was sold to Inter Milan and not replaced in the transfer market, and concerns over the lack of a new no.6 grew after the Reds were cut open by Newcastle and Nottingham Forest in August.

Iraola must be careful not to overburden the younger players at the club and ask too much of them too soon, but their performance on Tuesday indicated that they can be trusted if the head coach needs to call upon them, should some of our more senior options succumb to injury.

Nyoni, Koumas and McConnell will likely remain as backup options for the foreseeable future, but their displays against Spurs could keep the regular starters on their toes, which is exactly what the Basque will want.

It’s hugely exciting to see how much further those young talents can progress as the season goes on!

Andoni Iraola has explained his reasoning for substituting Joe Gomez at half-time in Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night.

The long-serving defender had missed the opening weeks of the campaign due to an injury sustained in pre-season, but he made his return to action in the Carabao Cup as part of a much-changed line-up.

The 29-year-old played for 45 minutes against Spurs before he was withdrawn at the interval, with Jeremy Jacquet coming on in his place.

Iraola explains half-time Gomez substitution

Any fears that Gomez may have suffered a recurrence of his previous injury were put to bed by Iraola after the match, with the head coach revealing that his intention was to play the Reds’ number 2 for roughly 45 minutes and see how he fared.

When asked if the half-time substition was pre-planned, the Basque replied (via liverpoolfc.com): “Yes. Joe has been doing the recovery process very well and with him it made sense. It wasn’t set but the plan was not a lot more than 45, yes.”

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Gomez had a solid 45 minutes on his return to action

With Gomez having had numerous injury problems in the past and not played since the last weekend of July, it always seemed unlikely that he’d play the full match against Spurs, and even getting half the game under his belt should stand to him.

He was steady if unspectacular as he captained the Reds upon his return to action, with Liverpool Echo writer Ian Doyle handing him 6/10 in his post-match player ratings as he ‘kept things simple defensively’ throughout his time on the pitch.

He fulfilled his core duties with commendable consistency, racking up four clearances, two blocks and one interception in 45 minutes (Sofascore) as he eased his way back into action.

Gomez will probably revert to the substitutes’ bench for the Premier League visit to Bournemouth on Sunday, with Virgil van Dijk and Jacquet set to be the centre-back partnership and Ronald Araujo likely to be restored to the right flank.

He can still be pleased with how he performed last night as he got back onto the pitch and handed Liverpool a most welcome addition to their defensive options with a hectic fixture schedule on the horizon once the upcoming international window is completed.

Andoni Iraola made 10 changes to the Liverpool starting XI for tonight’s Carabao Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur, and one of those who came into the team justified his selection inside the opening few minutes.

The Basque confirmed on Monday that Giorgi Mamardashvili would start between the sticks, with Alisson Becker dropping to the substitutes’ bench, and the Georgian will be hoping for a big performance as he gets a rare starting appearance for the Reds.

The 25-year-old had a shaky start to the game as he botched what should’ve been a simple pass to Milos Kerkez and then was involved in a momentary mix-up with Joe Gomez, but he’d soon more than make up for those lapses.

Mamardashvili saves Liverpool with brilliant stop from Bergvall

Ten minutes into the game at Anfield, Destiny Udogie sent a low cross into the Liverpool penalty area and Lucas Bergvall seemed poised to score from eight yards out, but Mamardashvili denied him with an outstanding reaction save with his legs.

The Reds goalkeeper then turned to the Kop and roared in delight at his vital early contribution.

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A big monent for Mamardashvili and Liverpool

Liverpool’s number 25 didn’t have the most convincing first season at Anfield, keeping just three clean sheets in 20 appearances and being culpable of some suspect ball distribution.

The recent signing of Belgian teenager Lucca Brughmans, who’ll spend the 2026/27 campaign with Genk, seemed to put more pressure on the Georgia international to demonstrate that he could be Alisson’s long-term successor as the Reds’ first choice in goal.

He’ll therefore be delighted to respond to the doubters with that fantastic early save from Bergvall, especially after the couple of uncomfortable moments he had prior to that.

Liverpool put that scare behind them to take the lead through Alexis Mac Allister 10 minutes later, and Mamardashvili’s stop ensured that the home crowd wouldn’t be subdued by the concession of a goal in the opening quarter-hour, off the back of a dour display against Fulham at the weekend.

That’s what we want to see from the Georgian whenever he gets his chance for the Reds!

You can view Mamardashvili’s save below, via ITV Football on X:

Liverpool have a third Anfield fixture in seven days tonight (in three different competitions) as they welcome Tottenham Hotspur in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The Reds go into the game off the back of a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to Fulham, and having won just two of their first five matches of the season, Andoni Iraola’s side have plenty to prove as they welcome the north Londoners, who’ve yet to score a Premier League goal this term.

The Basque already confirmed one line-up change a day in advance of the match, with Giorgi Mamardashvili coming in to start between the sticks and Alisson Becker beginning from the substitutes’ bench.

Meanwhile, Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi has stated that Liverpool tormentor in chief Richarlison – who’s been omitted from their top-flight squad – won’t be recalled for this game despite being eligible to play in the Carabao Cup.

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Liverpool starting XI to face Spurs

Iraola makes no fewer than 10 changes from the side which began the goalless draw against Fulham three days ago.

As mentioned already, Mamardashvili replaces Alisson in goal, and there are three changes to the defensive unit ahead of him as full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are recalled. Ronald Araujo moves into the centre to partner Joe Gomez, who returns after several weeks out with injury.

The midfield is a blend of youth in Trey Nyoni and James McConnell, and the experience of Alexis Mac Allister. The forward line is also changed completely as Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo are restored to the starting XI, with Lewis Koumas playing in the number 9 role.

The cavalry is on the bench if needed, with Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak, Victor Munoz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch all in reserve for Liverpool.

You can view the Liverpool starting XI and substitutes below, via @LFC on X:

Liverpool fans are sure to welcome one piece of team news from Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi ahead of the Carabao Cup clash between the clubs on Tuesday night.

Both sides are likely to feature several changes from their respective Premier League fixtures at the weekend, with Andoni Iraola already confirming that Giorgi Mamardashvili will start in goal as Alisson Becker is rested.

The Basque’s opposite number has had to deal with a complex situation regarding Richarlison, whose request to leave Spurs in the final days of the summer transfer window went unfulfilled, with the ex-Everton forward left out of the north London club’s top-flight squad for this season (BBC Sport).

De Zerbi won’t recall Richarlison for Anfield clash

The Brazil international is eligible to feature in the Carabao Cup, but De Zerbi is adamant that the 29-year-old won’t have any involvement at Anfield tomorrow night.

When asked about the forward in his pre-match press conference, the Spurs head coach replied (via football.london): “Richarlison, you already know everything, so nothing changes with the Carabao Cup or Premier League. [Reporter: Richarlison won’t be involved even though he can play?] No.”

The Italian continued: “I said in the last last press conference, I know what happened in the last 45 days. It’s not right if I explained. It’s not my behaviour, the relationship. The problem is between the player and the club. I stay within the club. It’s coach and club together.

“At the start of this season I spoke to him many times to convince him to stay and he didn’t want to. I can’t go every day to pray for him to stay.”

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Liverpool fans won’t miss Richarlison in the slightest

It’d be an understatement to say that Richarlison has a bit of history when it comes to playing against Liverpool, especially at Anfield.

Five of his six goals against us have come at the Reds’ home ground, including a stoppage time equaliser for Spurs in April 2023 which was cancelled out by Diogo Jota’s last-gasp winner, and a 90th-minute leveller last season which did earn the struggling visitors a point.

In the reverse fixture in north London last December, the ex-Evertonian disgracefully pushed Hugo Ekitike in the back of the neck while the LFC striker was face-down on the ground and then ran to ‘celebrate’ in Dominik Szoboszlai’s face after scoring for his side to pull a goal back in their 2-1 defeat.

However, with De Zerbi clearly in no mood to extend the olive branch to Richarlison despite his eligibility for the Carabao Cup, the provocateur-in-chief won’t be on the pitch to do damage to Liverpool this time around.

While we never like to see players missing out due to injury, the circumstances behind the Brazilian’s absence are rather different, and the home fans won’t exactly miss him tomorrow night given his extensive previous when it comes to facing the Reds.

Andoni Iraola has shared one piece of good news for Liverpool fans ahead of the Carabao Cup fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

The Reds will hope to make amends for the drab goalless draw at home to Fulham on Saturday by defeating another London opponent in their first domestic cup tie under the 44-year-old.

The Basque has already confirmed that Giorgi Mamardashvili will come to start in goal tomorrow night, and one of several other likely line-up changes could potentially see Joe Gomez making his first appearance of the season.

Liverpool given Joe Gomez injury boost ahead of Spurs clash

Liverpool’s longest-serving player has been sidelined since incurring a muscle injury against Sunderland in pre-season, but Iraola told reporters at today’s pre-match press conference that the defender could be involved against Spurs.

The Reds’ head coach said (via Liverpool Echo): “Joe is training with the team and is available for tomorrow. It’s a matter of deciding how much he can play.”

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Will Gomez start against Spurs tomorrow night?

Iraola will no doubt want the luxury of being able to rest as many of his first-team regulars as possible, and having Gomez available increases the likelihood of him being able to give Virgil van Dijk the night off.

It remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old will be fit enough to start against Spurs or whether he might have to be content with minutes off the bench, given that he’s been out of action since late July, but any bit of game-time at all tomorrow night would be a significant step forward.

The upcoming international window will also give the Reds’ long-serving number 2 more time on the training ground to hopefully be in prime condition once the club season resumes in October, keeping him ticking over while several of his fellow defenders jet off to represent their countries.

Ideally Gomez will be able to start so that Van Dijk will get a welcome rest and Liverpool will still have a highly experienced presence in their backline. As one of Iraola’s new vice-captains, the Londoner might even have the armband for tomorrow, should he come into the first XI.

We fully expect to see him in the team sheet against Spurs – the question will be whether it’s as a starter or a substitute.

According to reports from Netherlands, Liverpool may have more than one club to worry about in the race to sign Cody Gakpo this summer.

The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur over the past few weeks, with the north London club reportedly viewing him as a ‘serious option’ to reinforce their attack.

Spurs are on the cusp of doing just that with an imminent double raid on Manchester City for Savinho and Omar Marmoush (Sky Sports), although it seems that they haven’t abandoned their attempts to sign the Dutchman either.

Man City could rival Spurs in the race to sign Gakpo

As reported by Soccernews.nl, Roberto De Zerbi’s side are preparing to submit another bid for Gakpo after their opening offer of roughly €60m (£51.3m) was rejected by Liverpool, with the Italian head coach said to be pushing for the hierarchy to sign the forward.

However, Man City are claimed to have informed the player that they’re interested in him, although there’s been no formal contact between the two northwestern clubs (though that could change in the coming days).

Anfield chiefs have taken a ‘clear stance’ on the 27-year-old, for whom they’d only be prepared to entertain a departure if a ‘very attractive’ offer is tabled and they manage to sign an attacker themselves before next Tuesday’s deadline.

Liverpool can’t afford to sell Gakpo, especially to a domestic rival

If (as seems likely) Spurs complete the double signing of Savinho and Marmoush, could we then see something of a merry-go-round with Man City offsetting those exits by snapping up Gakpo from Liverpool?

When the Reds’ prospective deals for Bradley Barcola and/or Yankuba Minteh are factored in as well, it certainly carries the feel of a late-window transfer domino effect, with the fate of one transfer potentially having a knock-on effect on multiple other moves.

From an LFC perspective, there’s simply no way that the club should consider offloading the Dutchman unless another attacker comes in, and even then we’d much rather not see our number 18 leave the building, especially for a Premier League rival.

The 27-year-old showed his importance to Liverpool again on Sunday by netting superbly in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle, and he’s looked much sharper in recent weeks than he did during a difficult 2025/26 campaign.

James Pearce and Ian Doyle have both implored FSG not to sell Gakpo in the final few days of the transfer window, and we’d agree with the two journalists in that regard.

Speculation over the Dutch winger’s future could persist right up to the 11pm deadline next Tuesday, but hopefully when the market shuts, he’ll still call Anfield home.

A fresh report from a top-tier source has subtly indicated that Tottenham Hotspur might have moved on from their rumoured interest in Cody Gakpo.

The Liverpool winger has reportedly been a primary target for Spurs throughout the summer, with some sources claiming that the Dutchman would be open to joining Roberto De Zerbi’s side and swiftly reuniting with Andy Robertson.

There have been conflicting reports in recent days as to whether or not the north London club have abandoned their pursuit of the 27-year-old, but it now seems as though they might have switched their attention to two other attacking targets.

Spurs now targeting double raid on Manchester City

The widely respected David Ornstein has reported for The Athletic that Spurs are now working on a potential double raid on Manchester City to sign Savinho and Omar Marmoush.

Nothing has yet been finalised regarding the two players, but the Londoners’ talks with Enzo Maresca’s side are ‘advancing’, and a deal for the Brazilian winger – who was omitted from his club’s Community Shield squad last weekend – is said to be ‘progressing’.

Tellingly, there was no mention of Gakpo in the report, which could suggest that he’s no longer in ENIC’s plans.

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Spurs might feel they no longer need Gakpo

While we wouldn’t go as far as saying that a move to Spurs for the Liverpool winger is dead in the water, their reported pursuit of the Man City duo seems to indicate that the Dutchman isn’t a priority for De Zerbi and co.

If the north Londoners were to sign both Savinho and Marmoush, they’d have nine forwards in their first-team squad (including four left wingers), though it should be noted that Wilson Odobert is another few months away from returning from a horrific ACL injury.

In that instance, they surely wouldn’t need to pursue Gakpo any further, perhaps sensing that a strong pre-season from the 27-year-old has made Liverpool all the more determined to keep hold of him.

There have been signs in the friendlies against Monaco and Como that the Reds’ number 18 looks more like the forward who excelled in the title-winning campaign under Arne Slot than the one who struggled through the 2025/26 season.

With Spurs still carrying the momentum of last term’s surge to the finish line to avoid relegation, and a summer transfer outlay of £229.5m (The Athletic), De Zerbi’s side look like they’ll be a much more fearsome prospect in 2026/27.

Having already snapped up Robertson from Liverpool on a free transfer, we could do without them snaring Gakpo as well. Thankfully, it now seems more likely that they’ll raid Man City for attacking reinforcements instead.

Liverpool fans have been kept guessing as to the future of Cody Gakpo, with conflicting reports emerging about the winger over the past 24 hours.

It’s been claimed within Dutch media that the 27-year-old would be open to joining Tottenham Hotspur amid strong interest from Roberto De Zerbi’s side, and TEAMtalk reported that Andoni Iraola could give the green light to the foward’s exit if the Reds can bring in a replacement before the transfer deadline.

Amid rumours of a potential exit for our number 18, the Anfield giants continue to be strongly linked with a potential double raid on Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, so there could yet be a significant changing of the guard in L4 over the next two weeks.

Conflicting reports emerge about Gakpo

On Tuesday, Alex Crook told talkSPORT that Liverpool are unlikely to sanction a move to Spurs for Gakpo.

He stated (via Last Word on Spurs): “I don’t think it will happen. Speaking to sources at Liverpool they think he’s had a good pre-season under Iraola, they think he’s a player that Iraola can get the best out of.

“I think he probably would be open to the move, but at the moment that’s not one I expect to happen between now and deadline day.”

However, Fabrizio Romano claimed on his eponymous YouTube channel that a move to Spurs for Gakpo is certainly not dead in the water.

He said: “For Gakpo, Tottenham remain in conversations. I know in the last 24-48 hours there are rumours that the deal is not happening, but my understanding is that the negotiation for Cody Gakpo is still ongoing.

“Cody Gakpo is open to joining Tottenham, personal terms are not a problem, so the deal remains on. Cody Gakpo to Tottenham Hotspur is still absolutely on.

“Then they need to reach a financial agreement, and remember: if Gakpo is going to Tottenham, Liverpool will sign two wingers, their top target Barcola plus one more… Nothing has changed yet. There is no deal off. The conversations remain ongoing.”

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The guessing game over Gakpo goes on

Right now, it seems like anyone’s guess as to whether or not the Dutchman will swap Merseyside for north London in the next 13 days, and his fate might well be contingent on Liverpool’s pursuits of Barcola and Mbaye.

We can’t see the Anfield hierarchy sanctioning an exit for Gakpo unless they bring in the France winger from PSG first, something which is far from assured considering that it’d likely take a fee in the region of the club-record £125m that we spent on Alexander Isak last year.

If the Reds sign Barcola, that could potentially open the door for our number 18 to join Spurs, but even then FSG should be highly reluctant to let him leave for anything less than his true market value.

The 27-year-old played well below his usual standards last term but has looked rejuvenated over the summer, impressing for Netherlands at the World Cup and for Liverpool in their pre-season games against Monaco and Como, scoring and assisting against the latter.

It’s a tremendous testament to Gakpo’s strength of character that he’s performed so commendably only a few weeks after the heartbreaking loss of his unborn son in June.

We’re getting ever closer to the transfer deadline, but seemingly no closer to knowing whether or not the Dutchman will remain a Reds player two weeks from now.

A variety of updates from European reporters over the past 24 hours would indicate that a move to Tottenham Hotspur for Cody Gakpo is a growing possibility.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side have been strongly linked with a potential raid for the Liverpool forward throughout the summer, and Fabrizio Romano has reaffirmed that the Dutchman is a ‘priority’ target for Spurs.

Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider earlier this week that it’d require further recruitment by the Reds and a £70m+ offer from north London for Anfield chiefs to even consider sanctioning a sale, although one report on Friday suggested that there might now be a change to that stance.

Gakpo ‘open’ to joining Spurs as ‘concrete talks’ continue

According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, Spurs are in ‘very concrete talks with’ Gakpo and have ‘made contact’ with Liverpool, and while sources close to the player insist that no agreement has yet been reached, a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is now regarded as a ‘serious option’ for the 27-year-old.

Also on Friday afternoon, Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink claimed (via X) that the winger has ‘already spoken with’ De Zerbi and is ‘definitely open’ to joining the north Londoners. He also stated that the Merseyside club ‘now seems willing to go along with it’.

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Could Liverpool plausibly sell Gakpo this month?

For the first time this summer, it’s beginning to feel as though a move to Gakpo for Spurs is plausible, and that’s partly because of a domino effect set in motion by matters elsewhere.

With Paris Saint-Germain seemingly closing in on the additions of Ferran Torres and Mika Godts, they might be much more amenable to selling Bradley Barcola to Liverpool if an agreement on a fee can be reached.

Should the Frenchman arrive at Anfield, the Reds could decide that taking £70m for the Dutchman (and restoring their Premier League squad to the non-homegrown limit of 17 players) might make pragmatic sense.

We’d only be OK with Gakpo being sold if LFC bring in Barcola and can reap a fair market value for our number 18, rather than underselling him just for convenience.

It nonetheless feels as though Spurs might ultimately get their man, especially if he’s open to the move and Liverpool might be prepared to deviate from their hitherto ‘not-for-sale’ stance on the 27-year-old.