Familiar face haunts Roberto De Zerbi and key talking points from Tottenham defeat at Liverpool | OneFootball

Same problems plague north Londoners in Carabao Cup exit

Tottenham were undone by a clinical Liverpool performance as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup at Anfield.

Spurs were made to rue missed opportunities against Everton at the weekend, but their wastefulness went unpunished as the Toffees spurned a couple of excellent opportunities to take all three points.

They were to enjoy no such good fortune against Tuesday’s Merseyside outfit, though, as Alexis Mac Allister struck against the run of play to give the hosts the lead.

Goals from Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai either side of a Conor Gallagher header then ensured the Reds sailed through while Spurs were left frustrated once again.

It must be incredibly infuriating for Roberto De Zerbi to see his side start so brightly time and again, yet be unable to capitalise.

The first 20 minutes at Anfield followed a similar pattern to so many of Spurs’ games this season. They made all the early inroads but lacked the final touch.

Lucas Bergvall’s scuffed effort at the end of a lovely flowing move just about summed up the north Londoners’ issues.

Denied: Omar Marmoush

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Their ability to work the ball through the lines is not in question, but their finishing leaves a lot to be desired, and Mac Allister showed Bergvall how it is done when he struck superbly from the edge of the area.

Liverpool only needed one chance to open the scoring, while Spurs went straight up the other end and spurned another glorious opportunity when Mohammed Kudus reached Destiny Udogie’s cross.

The visitors can argue they had the better of the play, but ultimately it means nothing if you cannot convert your chances.

It was another frustrating evening for De Zerbi, in which his side showed plenty of promise without finding that final piece of quality to make their dominance count.

Missed transfer target haunts

It was with good reason that De Zerbi pushed so hard to try to get a deal over the line for Cody Gakpo.

The Dutchman has his limitations, but he knows where the back of the net is, and he showed that to devastating effect here as he doubled Liverpool’s lead with a curling right-footed effort.

Failed pursuit: Cody Gakpo

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Gakpo did not need a host of opportunities to make an impact, scoring with his only shot of the game to continue his fine start to the season against the club that so publicly touted him this summer.

While Spurs’ wingers were heavily involved but struggled to produce the decisive moment, Liverpool scored three goals from just five shots on target.

Both teams can consider themselves to be in transition this season, but that is where the difference lies. Liverpool have finishers in their squad, while Spurs lack the confidence and composure needed in the final third.

De Zerbi will have learned nothing new from this game, and that is perhaps the most concerning part. His Spurs side continue to repeat the same mistakes and against top-level opposition they will always get punished.

Back: Mohammed Kudus

PA

Returning star a shining light

This was not a night of overwhelming negativity for Spurs as they created more than enough to win the game on another day.

There were bright performances from Destiny Udogie and Conor Gallagher, while Mohammed Kudus was a real threat on his return to the side.

It has been eight months since Kudus last started a competitive game for Spurs, but the club’s patience looks to have paid off, with the winger producing a confident and aggressive performance at Anfield.

Spurs have been cautious with the Ghanaian. Return to play time is important to them, but more than anything, they want to ensure Kudus is not going to suffer another setback.

His game time has been carefully managed, and Spurs look set to reap the rewards. A fully fit Kudus makes Spurs a different proposition, and his quality from out wide is unmatched in this team.

He probably should have scored when he got on the end of Udogie’s near post cross, but the fact he felt comfortable attacking that space with such authority shows his match sharpness is steadily building.

This was an important step in Kudus’ recovery, and Spurs will now have to ensure he is managed carefully if he is called up for international duty.