Koumas shines as Liverpool's fringe players fire past Spurs in Carabao Cup

Lewis Koumas led a youthful Liverpool side to a 3-1 Carabao Cup third-round victory over Tottenham, with Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo putting the hosts in control before Dominik Szoboszlai’s stoppage-time strike killed off the tie after Conor Gallagher pulled one back.

Head coach Andoni Iraola made 10 changes from Saturday’s goalless draw against Fulham, handing rare starts to several fringe players. Koumas, 20 and in only his fifth appearance for the club, was deployed as centre-forward in the absence of the rested Alexander Isak and proved a constant threat to the Spurs defence across his 86 minutes on the pitch.

“I see him training every day. He knows very clearly what he needs to do, what the team needs and also the energy he shows is contagious for the rest,” Iraola said of Koumas, son of former Tranmere and West Brom midfielder Jason. “When you see the runs up front, giving everything, you are kind of forced to go behind and use the same intensity levels. I am very happy for him.”

Koumas was not alone in impressing. Midfielder James McConnell, 22, winger Rio Ngumoha and 19-year-old Trey Nyoni all earned praise from Iraola, who noted the physical toll the game took on his squad as a mark of their commitment.

“They have been very athletic, willingness to win their duels, making their presence felt. I was happy for them,” he said. “Trey was cramping, Rio couldn’t have run a lot more. McConnell the same. When this happens, it’s because you’ve given us what you’ve got.”

A star-studded bench that included new signings Bradley Barcola, Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet — a combined £220 million worth of talent — underlined the depth Iraola now has at his disposal, with Szoboszlai coming off the bench to deliver the decisive third goal.

For Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi, the defeat extended a difficult run of results. His side did manage to score — something they had failed to do in the Premier League this season — but De Zerbi acknowledged that was far from sufficient.

“We have to shoot more times and we have to shoot better and we have to finish better the clear situations,” he said. “We have to be stronger in these unlucky moments. I believe in my players, but I think this five or six games we have been for sure not lucky.”