Tottenham suffered their second defeat of the season as they bowed out in the round of 16 of the EFL Cup, losing 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield. Daniel Sturridge gave the hosts a two-goal lead after the hour mark and, although Vincent Janssen halved the deficit with fifteen minutes to go-- with another EFL Cup spot-kick -- Spurs were unable to equalise.
Positives
An embarrassment looked possible when Liverpool went 2-0 up in the 64th minute so Spurs' reserves did well to not only stop the rot but fight back and threaten to take the game to extra time. The youngsters will also have gained useful experience and the pressure on Janssen has eased after his first goal in seven games for Tottenham.
Negatives
While Spurs have bigger fish to fry, this was nonetheless another blow to morale following the draws against West Bromwich Albion, Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth. Goals remain an issue and a number of squad players will now struggle for game time.
Manager rating out of 10
7 -- Mauricio Pochettino's desire to rest the majority of his senior stars was understandable, but he probably made one change too many in picking Tom Carroll, whose Spurs career has stalled. Had he played Erik Lamela from the start then the tie could have turned out differently. The substitutions had the desired effect though.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Michel Vorm, 8 -- Kept Spurs in the game with a series of outstanding saves, notably denying Divock Origi, Georginio Wijnaldum and Danny Ings.
DF Kieran Trippier, 7 -- The right-back had an enterprising first half and put in a couple of dangerous crosses, but he was quieter after the break and can still look suspect defensively at times.
DF Cameron Carter-Vickers, 6 -- Generally looked solid in the first half, making a brave block to stop a Wijnaldum shot. But Liverpool broke through too easily in the second period and he was a little lucky that a tug on Sturridge in the box was not seen.
DF Kevin Wimmer, 5 -- Supposedly the senior partner at the heart of the defence, the Austrian did not inspire confidence and he played Sturridge onside when the Liverpool man ran through to score his second goal.
DF Ben Davies, 5 -- Liverpool found space a few times down his flank and he also failed to offer as much as Trippier in an attacking sense.
MF Eric Dier, 5 -- Spurs needed a dominant performance from the England international, who was the only member of Saturday's line-up to start this game. However, he failed to stamp his authority on the match. The back line looked vulnerable and some of his passes were careless.
MF Harry Winks, 7 -- Predictably had less time than he enjoyed against Gillingham and he lost the ball a few times, but there were also some impressive moments when he showed off his passing ability, pace, skill and deceptive strength. He will thrive in a stronger line-up.
MF Josh Onomah, 5 -- Struggled to make an impact and contributed to the lack of a cutting edge.
MF Tom Carroll, 5 -- Ditto. Tried to link the play with quick passes but could not provide the goal threat that Spurs, and Janssen, needed in the role behind the striker. The visitors improved as an attacking force when he was substituted.
MF Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, 5 -- Got his first start and looked bright in the first few minutes but his unfortunate slip resulted in the opening goal and, although he saw a shot blocked after that, he was unable to provide a consistent threat.
FW Vincent Janssen, 7 -- Missed a header from a Trippier cross but then forced a good low save from Simon Mignolet, and he put away his penalty with aplomb. Will this second spot-kick now bring the best out of him, or will it take a goal from open play to truly lift the weight from his shoulders?
Substitutes
MF Erik Lamela, 7 -- Initially struggled to make an impact but won the penalty, had a good shout for a second spot-kick after being impeded by Alberto Moreno, and created a golden opportunity for youngster Shayon Harrison.
MF Victor Wanyama, 8 -- It looked like a case of damage limitation when the Kenyan replaced Dier in the 67th minute but he helped to haul Spurs back into the game, dominating the midfield, getting his side on the front foot and even going close to scoring an equaliser himself.
FW Shayon Harrison, N/A --The 19-year-old debutant had a huge opportunity to level the scores but was unable to kill Lamela's pass with his chest.