Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the third-round Carabao Cup match on Tuesday, advancing into what should be an intense fourth-round matchup against Chelsea FC. Both sides rotated their lineups, with the Anfield inhabitants changing out 10 of their 11 starters from their 0-0 draw with Fulham three days prior. Three youngsters in particular made impressions with their Liverpool Carabao Cup performance:
Rio Ngumoah Belongs On The Left
Ngumoah is one of the Premier League’s most exciting young talents; an electric dribbler who has shown flashes of clinical finishing in his limited time playing with the first team. He introduced himself to the English top flight last season with a winner in the 100th minute of a Matchweek 1 battle with Newcastle.
It is no coincidence that this goal, like much of Ngumoah’s eye-popping play, came from the left wing. His threat from the left to either cut inside onto his stronger right foot or go on the outside and cross represents that of the modern inverted winger; having a winger’s stronger foot on the inside (right-footer on the left wing, or left-footer on the right) not only allows them to influence the game closer to the goal, but it also pairs well with overlapping fullbacks who will supply the crosses a “traditional” winger may have in the past.
It’s clear from his performances that the English youngster feels more comfortable with this arrangement. Ngumoah only attempted two dribbles in his 72 minutes of action on Tuesday, one more than he did in 63 minutes off the right against Newcastle in Liverpool’s opener. Comparatively, he attempted three dribbles in a 19-minute cameo off the left against Nottingham Forest and five in an hour against Atlético Madrid.
Ngumoah’s best moment in Tuesday’s game came when he cut inside and threaded an intricate pass with his right foot into the path of forward Lewis Koumas, whose shot was saved by the keeper. It was the kind of position that would be straightforward to get to from the left wing, a movement made perhaps twenty times a game from that side.
The 18-year-old’s performance provided more evidence for a case that had already been mounting: to get the best out of their exciting young talent, the Reds must play Ngumoah on the left wing.
Trey Nyoni Keeps Things Ticking During Liverpool Carabao Cup
Liverpool’s midfield has been a topic of discussion amongst fans and analysts alike since the back half of last year’s campaign. A variety of combinations, formations, trios and duos have been proposed by outsiders and experimented on the pitch, but the fact of the matter is that Liverpool does not have a natural holding midfielder in its squad. The Reds’ best three are still yet to be found despite no summer midfield transfers and a full season of tinkering. Until (at the earliest) January, the answers will have to come from within.
Tuesday’s match showed a potential path forward. Nyoni played his role effectively against Tottenham, completing 95% of his passes and making 6 defensive contributions in 62 minutes of action. He was Liverpool’s deepest midfielder in possession, receiving the ball from the back line and distributing it efficiently up the pitch.
The 19-year-old midfielder won’t fill up the score sheet or produce a Twitter-compilation-worthy portfolio of full-field switches of play, but Liverpool doesn’t need him to do so. They already have that profile in their squad in Nyoni’s Carabao Cup midfield partner Mac Allister, Tuesday’s third goalscorer Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch with his silky dribbling. The Reds lack a water carrier (a term of endearment coined by French legend Eric Cantona), someone who will keep play ticking and clean up the messes left in front of him. Nyoni showed that capacity on Tuesday, and should be given more minutes across the season to build on that success.
Lewis Koumas, Energizer Bunny
Like his teammate Nyoni, Koumas’ stat sheet against Tottenham was unimpressive. He missed a big 16th-minute chance, had his other two shots blocked, lost his only aerial duel, and was dispossessed four times. The 20-year-old had just 26 touches in his 86 minutes on the pitch.
Anyone who checked only the stats after the game would be surprised to learn that the Welsh international was named Man of the Match. This was in large part due to his relentless pressing and selfless running off the ball. Koumas hounded Tottenham’s backline throughout the match, forcing defenders into reckless passes and helping Liverpool win the ball back high up the pitch.
Koumas presents a much different profile to Liverpool’s first-choice options Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. While the two 2025 transfers are much more refined on the ball and sharper in front of goal, Koumas suits Andoni Iraola’s out-of-possession system better. His stamina and desire to press match those of Szoboszlai; the prospect of those two forming the front line of a Liverpool press must be exciting for Iraola and his staff.
The Welsh international probably won’t get much game time outside of cup ties and brief cameos off the bench, but he has shown in his limited time on the pitch that he is up to the intensity of the Premier League. At the very least, he has made the case that, if Isak and Gakpo were to be injured, Koumas could fill in at the number nine position and bring a new dynamic to a talented Liverpool front line.
