Five things we learned as Tottenham crash out of the Carabao Cup with 3-1 defeat at Liverpool

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Tottenham have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup in round three of the tournament after their 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

Let us take a look at five things we learned from the match:

Tottenham down to one competition until January

We are just one month into the start of the 26/27 season, and Tottenham Hotspur already have one less game to worry about.

Roberto De Zerbi stated before the clash against Liverpool that his aim in the Carabao Cup was to go far into the competition, but that ambition has now been brought to an abrupt end in round three of the tournament.

The draw against Liverpool following the 5-1 beating of Charlton was always a tricky one for Spurs, given their record at Anfield.

The Lilywhites’ run of no wins on Liverpool’s home turf since 2011 now continues, while their focus is set to turn to the FA Cup, which arrives in January 2027.

Spurs created better chances than Liverpool but were still outscored

Tottenham did manage to get a goal in this encounter despite their struggles for goals in the Premier League so far this season.

But it could well have been more than just one had the Lilywhites brought their finishing boots to Anfield.

Two sitters were missed, including Bergvall’s early chance which, had he converted, would have given Tottenham the lead.

Mohammed Kudus then followed suit, missing from point‑blank range after meeting Destiny Udogie’s cross into the box, but the Ghana international fired high.

On paper, Tottenham should have walked away with at least two goals after managing an xG of 2.34.

However, when you play against an opponent with Liverpool’s quality, such missed chances are always going to be punished.

Despite the Reds managing an xG of 1.53, they were able to score three goals, all of which were absolute belters.

The only silver lining for De Zerbi is that his side managed six shots on target, more than they have produced in their last two Premier League outings. Hopefully the goals follow.

Destiny Udogie was a bright spark for Tottenham in Carabao Cup defeat

The full‑back can walk away with his head held high as he was the best player on the pitch for Tottenham.

Udogie was immense in both facets of play, in attack and defence. He created two big chances for the Lilywhites with his overlapping runs down the left and could easily have walked away with two assists.

Defensively, he also kept Rio Ngumoha quiet, with the wide forward hardly getting a sniff on the left side of Spurs’ defence.

He was eventually subbed off on the hour mark as he is only just returning from injury. He should be in line for a start this weekend.

Maddison needs to start against Aston Villa, even if only for 45 minutes

Spurs have looked lethargic in attack in their last few outings, with the players on the field offering little creativity.

Against Liverpool, there were so many runners both from deep and on the flanks, but the players on the pitch simply could not play the through balls required to get them in.

At the moment, James Maddison remains the one capable of doing that, but he has not been fit enough to start games this season.

He has had a few minutes off the bench, stacking up to 50 minutes in all competitions, with 15 of those coming tonight.

It is already becoming panic stations in north London as Spurs run the risk of being sucked into a relegation scrap should they fail to get wins on the board soon.

The midfielder simply needs to start for Spurs against Aston Villa at the weekend, even if he only plays the first half.

Why was Dominic Solanke only given five minutes?

Tottenham spent most of the game behind as Liverpool went two goals up before the Lilywhites managed to get one back.

Spurs scored their goal in the 70th minute, and with them chasing the game and in need of another, Dominic Solanke was only brought on for the final five minutes.

That screams poor game management from De Zerbi and raises questions as to why he waited so long before introducing the centre‑forward when Tottenham were in search of an equaliser.

Of course, Solanke’s eventual introduction had no impact as the forward had little time to influence proceedings.

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