Liverpool secured their passage into the Carabao Cup fourth round with a convincing 3-1 triumph over Tottenham at Anfield on Tuesday evening.
Alexis Mac Allister broke the deadlock midway through the first half before Cody Gakpo extended the advantage early in the second period.
Conor Gallagher’s header gave Spurs a lifeline with just over 20 minutes remaining, but Dominik Szoboszlai extinguished any prospect of a comeback by thundering home a spectacular effort from distance in added time.
The result means Andoni Iraola’s side progress to Wednesday’s draw for the next stage of the competition.
Dominik Szoboszlai extinguished any prospect of a comeback by thundering home a spectacular effort from distance in added time
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For Tottenham, managed by Roberto De Zerbi, the defeat continues a dismal run against top-flight opposition this season, with the north London club still without a goal against Premier League sides in the current campaign.
Tottenham carved out the first clear opening after 11 minutes when Lucas Bergvall found himself unmarked centrally, eight yards from goal. His side-footed strike appeared destined for the net but Giorgi Mamardashvili got a knee to it to turn the ball away.
Liverpool responded swiftly, with teenager Rio Ngumoha teeing up Lewis Koumas for a one-on-one that Martin Dubravka saved well.
The breakthrough arrived on 21 minutes. Ngumoha collected a Gakpo pass on the right side of the penalty area, drove past Destiny Udogie and laid the ball back towards the edge of the box.
Mac Allister met it first time, whipping a curling effort into the top corner to put the hosts ahead.
Mohammed Kudus squandered a counter-attacking chance shortly afterwards, lifting the ball over the bar from close range.
Jeremy Jacquet came on for Joe Gomez at half-time, and Liverpool wasted little time adding a second goal after the restart.
Mac Allister fed Gakpo inside the left side of the area, where the Dutchman cut past Archie Gray onto his right foot and fired a low shot across Dubravka into the far corner.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring with a beauty of a strike
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Spurs then introduced Andy Robertson, the former Liverpool full-back, who received a standing ovation from every corner of Anfield.
Mamardashvili twice denied Kudus and Milos Kerkez produced a vital last-ditch tackle to block Omar Marmoush’s effort from inside the box.
Tottenham’s persistence was eventually rewarded when Gallagher nodded in from a corner at close range on 69 minutes, reducing the arrears and injecting fresh tension into the contest.
The closing stages produced further drama as Szoboszlai was initially denied by Dubravka after a pressing error from the Spurs goalkeeper, while substitute Alexander Isak had a shot blocked by Adarabioyo amid appeals for handball.
Then, in the first minute of stoppage time, Szoboszlai settled matters emphatically. The Hungarian midfielder struck a bouncing ball from roughly 25 yards out in a central position, lashing it into the net to make it 3-1.
Iraola had made ten alterations from Liverpool’s weekend match against Fulham, with Ronald Araujo the sole survivor. Gomez wore the armband on his first outing of the season following injury before being replaced at the interval.
The nine Premier League clubs involved in European competition all entered the tournament at this stage.
