Tottenham Hotspur face Liverpool in the EFL Cup third round on Tuesday after failing to score in their first four Premier League games this season. The north London club sit 17th in the table with just two points from four matches, having drawn 0-0 with Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
The match against Liverpool kicks off at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Paramount+. Both teams are in the early stages of a season of transition, with Liverpool having kept two clean sheets in five games across all competitions this season.
Tottenham’s only win so far came against Championship side Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup, while their recent form reads DDLWL from the last five games. The side managed just 0.64 expected goals from 14 shots in the goalless draw with Everton, with only one effort worth more than 0.1 xG, a rising flick from Van Hecke off an Andy Robertson free kick that Jordan Pickford saved.
James Benge said: "[Spurs] ended this game with 0.64 expected goals (xG) off 14 shots." He also noted: "An early, rising flick at the back post from Van Hecke off an Andy Robertson free kick was the only shot Spurs took worth more than 0.1 xG (0.14 to be precise)."
Dominic Solanke played 63 minutes in that Everton game and recorded no shots, no shot assists, and 11 completed passes worth 0.01 expected assists. Omar Marmoush was deployed to shadow a higher-quality forward, according to Benge’s assessment.
Tottenham’s back four combined for five shots in the draw, while the front three managed three. The club have scored zero goals and conceded five in the Premier League this season, leaving them ten points behind leaders Arsenal.
With the EFL Cup tie against Liverpool approaching, Tottenham turn their attention to the next fixture: a home match against Aston Villa on Saturday, September 19. Villa currently sit 19th in the table with zero points and seven goals against after four games, having lost 1-2 to Tottenham in their last meeting on January 10.
Fans can check the upcoming schedule on our fixtures page, review the squad for availability, and see how the team compares in the standings. The club will look to end their goal drought against Liverpool before preparing for the Villa test at home.
Read the full report at CBS Sports
Tottenham lost 3-1 to Liverpool at Anfield in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. Conor Gallagher scored their goal, assisted by Mateus Fernandes, ending the club's drought against top-flight opposition. Manager Roberto De Zerbi told reporters, "We created chances to win the game. I believe in my players, and I told them to stay calm." The defeat leaves Spurs 17th in the Premier League with two points from four games. They host Aston Villa next.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 21st minute, according to the match report. Cody Gakpo added a second after the break before Conor Gallagher headed in for Spurs, assisted by Mateus Fernandes. Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the win with a late volley. Manager Roberto De Zerbi made eight changes to his lineup, the club confirmed. The defeat leaves Spurs 17th in the Premier League with two points from four games.
