Arsenal can’t stop winning. As for big-spending Tottenham, just scoring a goal is a feat in itself this season.
The current gulf between the two north London rivals was highlighted in the English League Cup on Tuesday, with Arsenal fielding almost an entire second-choice lineup and still overwhelming fellow Premier League team Ipswich in a 4-2 win in the third round. Max Dowman, a 16-year-old prodigy, enhanced his budding reputation with a goal early in each half, while Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino also netted for the English champions as they soared into a 4-0 lead. It was a sixth straight win across all competitions to open the season for Arsenal, which is showing impressive strength in depth that should enable Mikel Arteta’s squad to challenge on multiple fronts.
A 3-1 loss in the pouring rain at Liverpool means Spurs’ only victory in six games this season was against second-tier Charlton in the previous round of the League Cup. Conor Gallagher’s header at a corner in the 69th minute gave Tottenham hope after goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo put Liverpool 2-0 ahead. They have played four matches in the Premier League — drawing two and losing two — and have yet to score a single goal. Dominik Szoboszlai’s long-range piledriver in the first minute of stoppage time ended any chance of a comeback. Tottenham isn’t playing in European competition this season, so its only realistic chance of silverware lies with the FA Cup starting in January.
