EFL Cup: Reds fly over Spurs with three screamers, Dowman shines for Arsenal

Liverpool and Arsenal both booked their places in the League Cup fourth round on Tuesday night, but they did it in very different ways.The Reds edged Tottenham 3-1 at Anfield, while Arsenal turned their trip to Portman Road into a comfortable night's work, beating Ipswich Town 4-2.Andoni Iraola's Reds are still some way from looking like the polished side they should become, but they had enough to deal with Spurs, who offered plenty of effort and little cutting edge.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MAC ALLISTER ROCKET OF A GOAL TO GIVE LIVERPOOL THE LEAD 🚀🇦🇷🔴<br> <a href="https://t.co/iuQ8CJDszj">pic.twitter.com/iuQ8CJDszj</a></p>&mdash; centrekop. (@centrekop) <a href="https://x.com/centrekop/status/2099942111420563713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##With several big names rested, the hosts struggled to impose themselves during the opening stages. Spurs had the clearest chance of that period when Lucas Bergvall was left completely unmarked inside the Liverpool box, only for Giorgi Mamardashvili to produce a superb close-range save.The punishment was almost immediate.Alexis Mac Allister, who had already produced a spectacular strike at Anfield a few days earlier, did it again. The Argentine found the top corner in the 21st minute with another beautifully controlled finish to put Liverpool ahead.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GAKPO WITH A BRILLIANT FINISH TO DOUBLE THE LEAD FOR LIVERPOOL 🇳🇱🔴<br> <a href="https://t.co/lWjGwVipgx">pic.twitter.com/lWjGwVipgx</a></p>&mdash; centrekop. (@centrekop) <a href="https://x.com/centrekop/status/2099955306436743178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##Tottenham kept pushing, but Liverpool gradually grew into the game. Their reward came nine minutes after the restart, when Cody Gakpo finished off a slick attacking move to double the advantage.Spurs finally found a way back through Conor Gallagher, who headed home from a corner in the 69th minute and suddenly made the closing stages uncomfortable for Liverpool.Mamardashvili then had to come to the rescue again, producing another excellent save as the rain came down heavily over Anfield. On the other end, Dominik Szoboszlai put his name on the scoresheet with another jaw-dropping belter to seal the deal and make it 3-1.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="hu" dir="ltr">🚨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 WHAT A FANTASTIC GOAL FROM DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI AGAINST TOTTENHAM! 🤯🤯<a href="https://t.co/KJv630Ks4B">pic.twitter.com/KJv630Ks4B</a></p>&mdash; Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) <a href="https://x.com/tekkersfoot/status/2099964435959845255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>####EDITORS_CHOICE##Across the country, Arsenal were already making their own statement.Mikel Arteta's men treated Portman Road like a training ground, and 16-year-old Max Dowman once again provided the headline.The teenager opened the scoring after just seven minutes with a wonderful solo effort. Starting down the left, Dowman played a neat one-two, glided past an Ipswich defender and calmly slotted the ball beyond the goalkeeper. ##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 MAX DOWMAN OPENS THE SCORING FOR ARSENAL! WHAT A GOAL!<br><br>Ipswich Town 0-1 Arsenal.<a href="https://t.co/f5Q8K0R0W2">pic.twitter.com/f5Q8K0R0W2</a></p>&mdash; Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) <a href="https://x.com/tekkersfoot/status/2099938439957295218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##Nine minutes later, Arsenal were two up. Noni Madueke was given the time and space he needed on the right and made no mistake, firing a superb finish beyond the Ipswich goalkeeper.From there, it became a one-way street. Dowman struck again just two minutes into the second half, showing the composure and confidence that have made him one of the most talked-about young players in English football.Mikel Merino then added a fourth with a cool finish from the edge of the box before Ipswich managed a consolation, but that was all they could do.EFL CUPRound 3TuesdayPeterborough – Barnsley 7-6 on penalties (3-3)/Leonard 19, Ormerod 27, 88 – McGeehan 1, Cleary 40, 74/West Ham – Fulham 2-3 (2-2)/Morato 16, Felipe 45+2 – Muniz 13, Palacios 37, Bobb 78/Ipswich – Arsenal 2-4 (0-2)/Mehmeti 62, Akpom 90+1 – Dowman 7, 47, Madueke 16, Merino 58/Liverpool – Tottenham 3-1 (1-0)/Mac Allister 21, Gakpo 54, Szoboszlai 90+1 – Gallagher 69/Reading – Brentford 1-2 (0-2)/O'Connor 72 – Wilson 3, Carvalho 45+1/Wednesday21.45: (1.58) Everton (3.70) Wolverhampton (5.60)21.45: (5.40) Fleetwood (3.70) Sheffield Utd (1.60)22.00: (2.90) Coventry (3.40) Aston Villa (2.25)22.00: (1.83) Man.Utd. (3.60) Brighton (3.90)Thursday21.30: (1.12) Man.City (8.00) Norwich (16.0)***odds are subject to change***