A spot in the EFL Cup fourth round will be on the line when Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur face off at Anfield on Tuesday.
The EFL Cup returns this week with the third round, and Tuesday will feature the marquee fixture of the latest stage at Anfield. Liverpool will aim to continue the unbeaten start to the 2026/27 season vs Tottenham Hotspur, with the two sides arriving into this game in heavily contrasting frames of mind.
Both sides played a goalless draw in their respective Premier League games over the weekend. While Fulham held Liverpool to a stalemate, Tottenham struggled to trouble Everton at home. However, that is where the similarities end for the two teams.
While the Lilywhites are on a two-game unbeaten run, they have not found the back of the net in the Premier League season, a goalless run that has extended to 407 minutes. Such struggles on the back of an unprecedented spending spree in the summer transfer window have sent alarm bells ringing in North London.
Reports have suggested that pressure is rising on Roberto De Zerbi, though the Italian tactician remains unperturbed. On the other hand, the mood in the Liverpool camp is optimistic, even though they have won only one of their first four Premier League games.
However, the Reds have shown some character even when they have dropped points, mounting a comeback in the 2-2 draws with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest. However, the most impressive performance came in the come-from-behind 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last week.
The most recent match featuring Liverpool and Tottenham at Anfield ended in a 1-1 draw, with Richarlison scoring a late equaliser for the North London club. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Andoni Iraola has received a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Liverpool head coach will be bereft of the services of only four first-team players vs Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
Joe Gomez has resumed training and will be available to take on Tottenham on Wednesday. That leaves only Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (ACL), Federico Chiesa (back), and Hugo Ekitike (achilles) in the treatment room.
Iraola has confirmed that Giorgi Mamardashvili will start between the sticks, with Liverpool lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday. The backline will feature Jeremie Frimpong, Ronald Araujo, Wataru Endo, and Kostas Tsimikas.
As for the midfield unit, Trey Nyoni will get an opportunity to feature from the get-go, with Alexis Mac Allister lining up alongside him in the double pivot. Lewis Koumas should reprise the no. 10 role, with Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz being the two wide attackers. Finally, Cody Gakpo should lead the line for the home side against Tottenham on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Araujo, Endo, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Nyoni; Ngumoha, Koumas, Munoz; Gakpo
Tottenham Hotspur
Unlike his counterpart in the Liverpool dugout, Roberto De Zerbi has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Anfield. The Tottenham Hotspur head coach will be without six first-team players on Tuesday.
Sandro Tonali is the latest absentee after sustaining a knock in the Premier League clash with Everton this past weekend. The Italian international accompanies Pedro Porro (muscular), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Mykhailo Mudryk (ankle), Xavi Simons (ACL), and Wilson Odobert (knee) in the treatment room. However, Destiny Udogie (muscle) is fit and available to take on Liverpool.
Antonin Kinsky should retain his spot between the sticks, with Tottenham Hotspur lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Liverpool on Tuesday. The backline will feature Archie Gray, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marcos Senesi, and former Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson.
As for the midfield unit, Mateus Fernandes will line up alongside Lucas Bergvall in the double pivot, with Conor Gallagher reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Dominic Solanke will spearhead the Tottenham attack, with Savio and Mohammed Kudus being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Gray, Adarabioyo, Senesi, Robertson; Fernandes, Bergvall; Kudus, Gallagher, Savio; Solanke
Key Stats
- Liverpool have lost just one of their last 30 meetings with Tottenham at Anfield in all competitions. Overall, the Reds have been beaten on only eight occasions by Spurs at home in 93 previous matches. Meanwhile, the Lilywhites have kept only three clean sheets in their last 33 visits to Anfield in league and cup, and none in any of the last 16
- Liverpool have won the EFL Cup more than any other club (10 times).
- Tottenham Hotspur have scored only five goals in five competitive games thus far in the 2026/27 season, though each goal came in the EFL Cup second-round tie with Charlton Athletic. Over in the Premier League, Spurs are on a 407-minute barren run dating back to last season.
- Andoni Iraola is unbeaten in his last four matches against Tottenham Hotspur as a coach.
- Alexander Isak has scored seven goals in six prior appearances against Tottenham Hotspur.
Player to Watch
Cody Gakpo
While Rio Ngumoha, Mateus Fernandes, and Dominic Solanke were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Cody Gakpo as the Player to Watch for Wednesday’s EFL Cup third-round tie between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
Of the current squad, the Dutchman (9) has scored more EFL Cup goals for Liverpool than any other player. He has also been hot off the blocks in the 2026/27 season, contributing 1 goal and 3 assists in the Premier League thus far. So, after regaining fitness after a minor issue, he will be the go-to player again for Andoni Iraola in the final third.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool may still be coming up to speed and getting used to Andoni Iraola’s methods, but they have shown considerable spirit, scoring two goals in three of their four outings thus far. On the other hand, the visitors have shown little to no quality against Premier League clubs, and those issues will continue on Tuesday.
While Liverpool’s defensive issues will create opportunities for Tottenham, they cannot solve the problem of looking listless in the final third. On the other end, the hosts will have the in-form Cody Gakpo running riot in the final third, and he will deliver the goods to earn his team a spot in the next round. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Andoni Iraola and his charges.