Liverpool pile on misery for Spurs in League Cup

LONDON - Liverpool piled on the misery for troubled Tottenham with a 3-1 win in the League Cup third round on Sept 15.

After a woeful start to the Premier League season, Tottenham’s hopes of a morale-boosting cup run came to a dispiriting end at rain-lashed Anfield.

They were swatted aside by Liverpool, with Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai scoring for the Reds.

Roberto De Zerbi’s fourth-bottom team are without a win or even a goal in their first four league matches, losing twice and drawing twice.

Tottenham’s only win this season has come in the League Cup against second-tier Charlton.

After successive 17th place finishes – including avoiding relegation on the final day of last season – the north London club spent over £300 million (S$513 million) on 10 new signings since the end of last term.

But the return on that eye-watering investment has not been immediate, sparking fears of another relegation battle.

Adding to De Zerbi’s problems, unsettled striker Richarlison took to social media to lament the Italian’s decision to leave him out of the squad to face Liverpool.

Richarlison wants to leave but moves to Everton and Vasco Da Gama have fallen through recently.

Tottenham host Aston Villa on Sept 19 in a game that De Zerbi desperately needs to win to ease the pressure on him going into the international break.

Liverpool remain unbeaten at the start of the Andoni Iraola era, although they have won just once in four league matches.

Iraola made 10 changes but Liverpool went ahead after 21 minutes with a flowing move.

Gakpo picked out Rio Ngumoha and he teed up Mac Allister to blast a first-time finish past Martin Dubravka into the roof of the net.

Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s advantage in the 54th minute, whipping a fine strike into the far corner.

Tottenham finally scored a goal against top-flight opposition this season – albeit in a different competition – when Conor Gallagher punished poor marking to net from a corner in the 69th minute.

But Szoboszlai rubbed salt into Tottenham’s wounds in stoppage-time with a 25-yard rocket. AFP