Liverpool welcome struggling Tottenham to Anfield as the Carabao Cup pits two heavyweights against each other in the early rounds.
The Reds begin their Carabao Cup campaign tonight, while Tottenham – without a goal in the Premier League – travel north off the back of their thumping second-round triumph over Charlton.
Andoni Iraola’s start to life as Liverpool boss has been hit and miss, with Saturday’s drab goalless draw at home to Fulham stunting momentum picked up from back-to-back wins over Ipswich and Atletico Madrid.
He finds himself in a less desperate position than Roberto De Zerbi, however, who will hope legendary former Reds left-back Andy Robertson can provide the inside track on Anfield on his emotional return to Merseyside.
Follow all the action from Anfield in our live blog below:
How did Tottenham fare in the second round?
This is Liverpool’s opening Carabao Cup tie of the season but for Tottenham, their first rodeo has been and gone.
While they remain goalless in the Premier League, Roberto De Zerbi’s men hit five against Charlton in their second-round tie to reach this stage, with Savio’s debut cameo stealing the show as he scored within seconds of coming off the bench.
Mikey Moore, Dominic Solanke, Kevin Danso and Ben Davies made up the rest of the scorers – two of those players are no longer Spurs players, with Danso and Moore out on loan.
However, their defence did not go unbreached, with once Liverpool youth product Lloyd Jones scoring a consolation in N17 to end the game 5-1.
Yesterday: Leeds’ rout of Newcastle shows there is no limit to their Premier League ambition
Leeds United gave Matthias Jaissle a reality check after a promising start to life as Newcastle boss, thrashing the Magpies 4-0 at Elland Road, as Richard Jolly reports:
The final whistle blew and then, as is the case at Elland Road, the Kaiser Chiefs’ ‘I Predict A Riot’ began to blare out across the Yorkshire sky. It was a letter away from being accurate. Riot? This was a rout. Leeds United have not had a bigger Premier League win at Elland Road since a 6-1 demolition of Bradford a quarter of a century ago.
This was a thrashing of Newcastle, who were flattered by the eventual scoreline, and, before he conducted his usual lap of Elland Road, applauding the fans, Daniel Farke stood just outside the penalty box, seemingly in contemplation, wondering, perhaps, how far Leeds have come and how far they may go. “We have to dream big and think big,” said Farke.
“We have created a winning culture within this club and high standards. We don’t have the best individual quality but we can be an outstanding team,” he added. The perfectionist in him meant it led to a post-match rebuke for his captain Ethan Ampadu, for the goal conceded to Bazoumana Toure in the 90th minute. It grated him. Leeds have the sense of a team who could end the campaign with one of the best defensive records; one of the best home records, too.
What the managers said
While Andy Robertson is the notable returning figure to Anfield, he isn’t the only former Liverpool man to now don the Spurs shirt.
Dominic Solanke also faces his old club tonight (though like Robertson, he’ll have to do it from the bench) and Roberto De Zerbi has no doubt he can rediscover his form of his Bournemouth days.
“I can’t understand why I have to think negative. OK, because the last season he was injured many times, yes,” De Zerbi explained.
“It’s not the same last season (compared to) this season. This season, I repeat, we have a top physical, medical staff. We have not three games per week.
“I spoke with him and I would like to manage him in the best way I can. In physical aspect and in mental aspect, because he’s a sensitive guy, he needs to feel full confidence and from myself he has big, big confidence.
“I believe he can score 10-15 goals for sure. He’s already scored in Bournemouth and why not he can score in Tottenham? It’s the same sport, different stadium, no pressure, because in our stadium if we push, if we play well, the fans are with us.
“Tomorrow I would like (Solanke) to play part of the game. I don’t know if at the beginning or at the end but one part of the game. It can be important for him.
“And then I think he comes back the player who was in Bournemouth. I remember Brighton-Bournemouth in the Amex Stadium, he was incredible. I said to my assistant, ‘Who is this striker?’
“My challenge is to help him and to put him in the right condition to score.”
What the managers said
After mixed beginnings as Reds manager, Andoni Iraola has insisted that Liverpool must accept fluctuating performances are an inevitable part of the process as his squad continues adapting to his tactical approach.
“I understand the frustration the other day because we were also frustrated,” he said.
“I think we were coming from two good games and we were considering it’s a step forward, Ipswich was a step forward and Atletico Madrid, and we wanted it to be another step forward. But no, it was a step backwards. The performance level is not like the other two. But this happens in football.
“I think we have to accept that there are going to be ups and downs in the process, but we are clear where we want to go is more towards where we’ve been – Atletico Madrid, Ipswich – that’s more the style of football that we want. I think now the key is the consistency to perform like this.”
‘More changes than expected from Iraola’
Here’s Richard Jolly inside Anfield:
Andoni Iraola had suggested there would be changes but 10 is probably more than most expected. A fit-again Joe Gomez makes his first appearance of the season. Lewis Koumas makes just his second start for Liverpool. Not yet sure who the No 10 will be. Tottenham’s team looks stronger, which may mean they have a deeper squad. Roberto De Zerbi has made eight changes, giving Mohammed Kudus a first start since January. Andy Robertson’s return to Anfield comes as a substitute.
Tottenham line-up
No start for Andy Robertson is the big headline from Roberto De Zerbi’s team, meaning an Anfield return for the left-back will have to come from the bench. Destiny Udogie is preferred.
Summer signings Tosin Adarabioyo and Marcos Senesi line up in the centre of defence, in front of second-choice stopper Martin Dubravka.
Lucas Bergvall and Conor Gallagher come into midfield for Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, while Savio and Dominic Solanke drop out for Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel going forward.
Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur and Omar Marmoush keep their places.
Tottenham XI: Dubravka; Gray, Tosin, Senesi, Udogie; Bentancur, Bergvall, Gallagher; Kudus, Marmoush, Tel.
Subs: Kinsky, Robertson, Van Hecke, Maddison, Savio, Fernandes, Solanke, Davies, Van de Ven.
Liverpool line-up
Andoni Iraola goes with a heavily rotated side from the team that played out a goalless draw with Fulham, with 10 changes made.
Joe Gomez makes his return from injury while the likes of Milos Kerkez, Cody Gakpo, Jeremie Frimpong and Alexis Mac Allister return to the side, with Gakpo chosen to lead the line.
Youngsters Lewis Koumas, James McConnell and Trey Nyoni are handed starts, along with teenage starlet Rio Ngumoha.
Giorgi Mamardashvili starts in between the sticks, as expected.
Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Araujo, Gomez, Kerkez; McConnell, Nyoni; Ngumoha, Mac Allister, Koumas; Gakpo.
Subs: Alisson, Endo, Jacquet, Szoboszlai, Isak, Munoz, Barcola, Gravenberch, Chambers.
Team news
We’ll be expecting confirmed team news in the next few minutes, but here’s what we know so far.
Liverpool will likely rotate from the squad that looked lethargic against Fulham. Cody Gakpo, back from injury, could lead the line, while Iraola confirmed Joe Gomez is fit again. Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to start between the sticks.
