Liverpool star praises energy and performance after Spurs victory

Liverpool star praises energy and performance after Spurs victory Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham: Gakpo and Koumas salute Carabao Cup progress at Anfield Anfield has a way of demanding conviction from those who step onto its turf, and Liverpool gave it in abundance in a 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Tottenham. There was intensity, there was composure and, when the moment required it, there was the kind of quality that settles a cup tie and sends a crowd home warmed by more than just the result. Goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai carried Liverpool through, with Conor Gallagher replying for Spurs. Yet this was about more than the scoreline. It was about a team showing its depth, younger players stepping into the light and a side finding calm under pressure when the game threatened to tilt. Afterwards, Gakpo captured the mood neatly. “I think it was a good performance from our side. The young guys put in a lot of energy, which is required at this level. I think they’ve shown it in training every day and they’ve shown it in a game as well. I think all of them can be very proud of themselves.” IMAGO | Anfield Index Liverpool energy sets tone in Carabao Cup Liverpool’s best work arrived when they were aggressive without the ball and decisive with it. The press was sharp, the recoveries high up the pitch and the finishing clinical at key moments. For long spells, that blend gave them control over Tottenham and allowed the hosts to build the 2-0 lead that shaped the night. Gakpo explained that side of the display with the clarity of a player who understood exactly where the damage had been done. “I think it was a solid performance. Like I said, there was a lot of energy from our side. We recovered the ball a few times high up the pitch, which is good and what we want. We showed some quality in the finishes, which was great. Unfortunately, we conceded as well but it was a good performance.” There was encouragement, too, in the maturity shown by the younger figures in the side. Gakpo made clear that daily work on the training ground is beginning to show itself under the floodlights, and that development gave Liverpool an edge in the moments that matter. Gakpo and Koumas praise composure under pressure When Gallagher reduced the deficit, the cup tie briefly shifted. Tottenham pressed, Liverpool had to absorb pressure and the atmosphere tightened. Those are the passages that expose a team’s nerves. Liverpool, according to Gakpo, stayed level-headed. He said: “We needed that and I think everybody knows Dom’s shot. He showed it again today. It was a good goal. We needed it. We were under pressure, but I have to say that even though we were under pressure, we were not nervous. Maybe games before we would’ve conceded a second one and we were focused and sharp to not concede and that’s what we did well.” Szoboszlai’s strike restored breathing space, and Koumas spoke with the enthusiasm of a young forward who knows exactly what elite quality looks like up close. “It’s scary! Not many people hit a ball like Dom as well. It’s just top quality.” Anfield stage fuels Liverpool youngsters Koumas also pointed to the simplicity of the task set before kick-off, to transfer the lessons from training onto the pitch. Liverpool did that, and in front of Anfield, that matters. The stadium can inspire and intimidate in equal measure. For a young player, the chance to perform there remains precious. “You can never take it for granted. It was very enjoyable,” Koumas said. That sense of perspective mattered. So did ambition. Liverpool moved on because they had more incision, more purpose and more self-belief. Gakpo summed up the wider standard at the club when he said: “It’s not a bad record, I think. It’s always good to score goals and it really doesn’t matter which competition. I think if you play for Liverpool you want to win as much as possible.” Koumas echoed that hunger, adding: “We’ll try and do the best we can and ultimately try to win the cup.”