Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur | Carabao Cup | 15 September 2026

Result Summary

Liverpool advanced in the Carabao Cup with a convincing 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, with goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, and a late clincher from Dominik Szoboszlai sealing the tie. Conor Gallagher pulled one back for Spurs on 69 minutes, but it proved little more than a consolation. Andoni Iraola's side demonstrated clinical efficiency, while Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham generated the greater volume of chances without the finishing to show for it.

Match Analysis

The opening exchanges belonged to Tottenham on paper, with the visitors ultimately finishing the game with 56% possession, 17 total shots to Liverpool's 12, and a remarkable 13 key passes compared to Liverpool's 7. Yet it was the home side who struck first, and more devastatingly.

Mac Allister broke the deadlock on 21 minutes with a composed right-foot finish, setting the tone for a Liverpool performance built on ruthless counter-attacking efficiency. Tottenham's Martin Dúbravka was tested, but the visitors struggled to convert their dominance into goals in the first half.

The middle period was disrupted by a flurry of bookings — Araújo (36') and Frimpong (40') were cautioned for Liverpool, before Omar Marmoush and Rodrigo Bentancur received yellows in quick succession for Spurs, the latter just before the whistle. The disciplinary heat reflected a match growing in intensity.

Gakpo doubled Liverpool's advantage nine minutes into the second half, finishing from a Mac Allister assist — the Argentine's second direct contribution of the night. De Zerbi responded immediately, introducing Mateus Fernandes and Andrew Robertson at the hour mark, and those changes briefly shifted momentum. Gallagher headed home on 69 minutes from a Fernandes assist to give Spurs a foothold, and suddenly the tie had life.

Iraola countered by introducing Ryan Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, and later Bradley Barcola, reshaping his midfield and adding fresh legs. Despite Tottenham piling forward — they earned 9 corners to Liverpool's 5 and registered 64 dangerous attacks — they could not find a second goal. Instead, it was Szoboszlai who ended the contest in stoppage time, finishing from a Gakpo assist to make it 3-1 and send Anfield home satisfied.

Milos Kerkez picked up a yellow card on 75 minutes, and an unnamed Liverpool player was booked for an argument four minutes from time, but neither incident threatened Liverpool's grip on the game.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match forecast called for a 2-1 Liverpool victory, with a 52% probability assigned to a home win. The prediction outcome was correct — Liverpool did win — though the final scoreline of 3-1 exceeded our projected margin. The forecast confidence of 56/100 reflected genuine uncertainty, particularly given Tottenham's attacking quality under De Zerbi, and the stats vindicated that caution: Spurs were the more dominant side in terms of possession and shot volume, yet Liverpool's superior clinical edge proved decisive.

Key Takeaways

• Mac Allister was the standout performer, contributing a goal and an assist across both halves.
• Tottenham's statistical dominance — more shots, more possession, more key passes — ultimately counted for little without the finishing to match.
• Szoboszlai's late goal as a substitute underlines the depth Iraola can call upon.
• De Zerbi's side will need to sharpen their attacking conversion if they are to be genuine contenders as the competition progresses.