Liverpool saw off Tottenham 3:1 in the Round of 32 of the League Cup on Tuesday evening. The home side took control through Alexis Mac Allister's early strike and held firm despite a late Tottenham response from Conor Gallagher.
And here's the thing — the opening goal came at minute 21, just after the sort of period Étienne would remember most vividly. Mac Allister finished a Liverpool move that saw them press forward with purpose. By then, Tottenham had already shown they weren't going to sit back, with Jeremie Frimpong picking up a yellow card at minute 40 and Omar Marmoush following suit a minute later.
To be fair, the match shifted after the break. Cody Gakpo restored the two-goal cushion at minute 54, but Tottenham's Gallagher pulled one back at minute 69. The away side had been more comfortable on the ball — 56 per cent possession — and created more from distance with six shots outside the penalty area compared to Liverpool's six inside it.
The statistics tell an interesting story. Tottenham registered 2.33 expected goals against Liverpool's 1.53, yet that doesn't account for the quality of chances or the discipline of the finishers. Liverpool's goalkeeper made five saves to his counterpart's two, and the hosts managed 17 successful tackles against 12 from the visitors.
What matters now is the progression. Liverpool advance while Tottenham's cup campaign comes to an end, adding to a run of difficult fixtures — two consecutive 0:0 draws before this defeat.
