Tottenham Hotspur crashed out of the Carabao Cup third round after a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday.
Alexis Mac Allister put Liverpool ahead in the 21st minute before Cody Gakpo doubled the hosts’ lead nine minutes into the second half.
Tottenham reduced the deficit through Conor Gallagher in the 69th minute, giving the visitors a chance of levelling the tie.
However, Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool’s two-goal advantage in the first minute of stoppage time to send the hosts through to the fourth round.
The result ended Tottenham’s Carabao Cup campaign at the third-round stage, while Liverpool advanced to the next round.
Liverpool entered the competition in the third round after qualifying for the Champions League, while Tottenham had reached the third round after a 5-1 win over Charlton Athletic in the previous round.
Liverpool will now turn their attention to the Premier League, where they travel to Bournemouth on Sunday, while Tottenham host Aston Villa on Saturday.
Tottenham went into the tie having failed to score in their opening four Premier League matches of the season and collected two points from a possible 12. Their goalless run was the longest start to a league campaign without scoring in the club’s history, according to Reuters.
Their only win before Tuesday came in the Carabao Cup, when they defeated Charlton 5-1 in the second round.
The start to the league season has also brought increased scrutiny on head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who took charge of Tottenham in March. Reuters reported on Monday that De Zerbi had brought in 10 new players during the off-season, with the Italian saying several of his attacking options were still adapting to his system.
Among the players De Zerbi identified as needing time to adapt are Sávio, Omar Marmoush, Mohammed Kudus, Conor Gallagher and Mathys Tel. Dominic Solanke, who joined Tottenham in 2024, was not part of the club’s 2026 summer recruitment.
Tottenham were also one of the biggest spenders in the summer transfer window. Sky Sports reported that Spurs spent around £320m on seven first-team signings, while also bringing in Marmoush on loan.
The major permanent additions included Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sávio, while Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dúbravka joined on free transfers. Marmoush and Mykhailo Mudryk arrived on loan, while Tosin Adarabioyo joined from Chelsea.
Tottenham’s confirmed 2026 summer arrivals were: Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Martin Dúbravka, and Mateus Fernandes.
Others include: Sandro Tonali, Sávio, Omar Marmoush, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Tosin Adarabioyo.
The Carabao Cup defeat leaves Tottenham with the Premier League as their immediate domestic focus, with Aston Villa their next opponent on Saturday.
themomentng reports that both Spurs and Villa are without a win after the four opening games of the season.
