Tottenham has yet to score a Premier League goal this season, which is bonkers after all the cash they’ve thrown around! Seriously, both they and Liverpool have poured nearly a *billion* dollars into their front lines since last season kicked off, and what do we have? A serious struggle to light up the scoreboard. Tonight’s EFL Cup tie at Anfield isn’t merely a game, it’s a frantic search for answers.
Liverpool’s Attack: Still Waiting for the Spark
For Liverpool, the immediate crisis might not scream “MAYDAY,” but don’t let the surface fool you. Six goals from their first four games sounds okay, right? It’s the eighth-best in the division. Their expected goals sit at 6.72, sixth best. But hold up, if you scrub penalties from that, Andoni Iraola’s squad drops to ninth, barely cracking one and a half xG per game. That’s… not great. Especially when you consider they’re without last season’s top scorer, Hugo Ekitike, and they’re still figuring out a new head coach’s demands.
And get this: their early schedule? It’s been a cakewalk! An emotionally charged road game against Newcastle was probably their toughest test in a four-match stretch. You’d expect them to be absolutely smashing goals and xG during that kind of run. Instead, Liverpool has lumbered along: a measly 1.75 xG when chasing against Nottingham Forest, and just 1.3 against Fulham. Those are straight-up middling numbers for any team hoping for a top-six finish, let alone a Liverpool team that’s built its post-Kloppian era on these hyper-priced attackers. What gives?
Who’s Stepping Up?
So, where are the individual flashes of brilliance? Bradley Barcola has only had 98 minutes, which isn’t enough time to even assess him, and Ekitike? He’s still recovering from an Achilles injury from last season, nowhere near his impressive old form. The spotlight’s shining bright on the others, though, and for some, it’s actually looking pretty good.
Take Alexander Isak, for example. The dude is absolutely tearing it up, trailing only Erling Haaland in the scoring charts with three goals from his first four games! And he’s not getting lucky; he’s had three shots in every league game so far, except for that win against Ipswich where he already buried two goals right away. Yeah, he didn’t have the same shooting joy against Atletico Madrid, but hey, he still snagged an assist in that one. Those are some seriously encouraging signs.
Then there’s Florian Wirtz. This guy is averaging nearly 40 high pressures per 90 minutes! That’s huge, especially in a possession-dominant squad coached by Iraola, who demands everything from his players when they don’t have the ball. It shows some real grit.
EFL Cup Showdown: Time to Deliver
Tonight at Anfield, this isn’t just another EFL Cup tie; it’s a massive moment for two clubs desperate to see their massive investments pay off. Can Liverpool finally find that attacking rhythm, or will Tottenham finally break their Premier League goal-scoring duck? The pressure’s on for these high-priced front lines to deliver.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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