Robertson returns to Anfield with Tottenham to take on Liverpool
Andrew Robertson will return to Anfield to take on Liverpool as a Tottenham Hotspur player on Tuesday in the EFL Cup‘s third round.
The returning left-back will encounter a Reds team under pressure following a goalless stalemate with Fulham on Saturday, though Spurs are also under significant scrutiny following their own 0-0 draw with Everton on the weekend.
Andoni Iraola‘s Liverpool will not look back fondly on their Premier League clash with Fulham, as while they maintained their unbeaten start to the season, they were alarmingly lacklustre in the final third.
Midfield has been a problem area for the hosts for some time, and there are fears in the fanbase that the lack of a deep progressor and defensive anchor could cost them the chance of competing at the top of the table.
Iraola will be expected to focus most of his attention on the league and Champions League, though the Reds’ pedigree in the EFL Cup demands that the boss take the competition seriously in an attempt to win an 11th title and extend their record haul.
Liverpool may not have been free flowing against Fulham, but pressure is building at Spurs, and the players may be impacted by it on Tuesday.
The Reds will enjoy playing against a more open defence, and even if they make wholesale changes, they should still be more threatening than Spurs.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Arsenal travel to Ipswich Town for EFL Cup third round
Still searching for their first EFL Cup triumph since the turn of the millennium, Arsenal travel to Ipswich Town for Tuesday’s third-round tussle at Portman Road. While the Gunners received a bye to this point of the tournament, Ipswich Town strolled past crisis club Leicester City 3-1 in their second-round showdown.
Much has been made of Arsenal’s perpetual failure to conquer the Champions League, but the League Cup is just as cursed a competition for the North London giants, whose last success in the tournament came before any member of their playing squad was even alive.
While Arsenal fans are sick of the sight of second-placed EFL Cup finishes, Ipswich are yet to even reach the competition final, only advancing as far as the semi-finals on four previous occasions.
The most recent of those last-four showdowns – in the 2010-11 season – coincidentally ended in heartbreak at the hands of Arsenal, whom the Tractor Boys stunned 1-0 in the first leg before a 3-0 second-leg reverse sent them packing.
The defensive statistics make for unpleasant reading for Ipswich, who are still waiting for their first clean sheet of the season and have shipped a whopping nine goals across their last three matches. Therefore, even a second-string Arsenal XI should have no trouble firing the Gunners into the fourth round.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
West Ham welcome familiar foes Fulham to London Stadium
West Ham United will welcome familiar opponents Fulham to the London Stadium on Tuesday, for a showdown in the third round of the EFL Cup.
The Irons are looking for a fifth consecutive win in midweek, while the Cottagers are hoping to build on their draw last time out.
Nuno Espirito Santo‘s West Ham may have been relegated from the Premier League last season, but they come into this clash in excellent form, and will be confident up against their capital rivals.
Nuno’s side will be optimistic about translating that league success into the EFL Cup, especially considering they have scored an impressive 16 goals across their last four outings.
Meanwhile, Alvaro Arbeloa has endured a difficult start to life as Fulham manager, collecting just a single point in the Premier League to date.
However, that point was earned in their most recent outing, and the Spanish boss’ only previous victory this term came in this competition’s second round.
Arbeloa’s side held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield on Saturday. Despite failing to score, that performance will give the team some hope, alongside their comfortable 3-0 triumph over AFC Wimbledon last time out in the EFL Cup.
That being said, Fulham’s goalless draw on Merseyside means the visitors have yet to find the back of the net on the road this season, a fact that will weigh on the minds of those travelling to the London Stadium in midweek.
West Ham have been in impressive form this season, and their recent goalscoring record suggests they could find some joy going forward, despite their lower-division status.
Fulham have struggled so far in 2026-27, and a tricky away game against the Irons could see them eliminated in a tight clash.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Real Madrid to record a third victory when they face Elche
Real Madrid will look to record a third consecutive victory in all competitions when they face Elche in Tuesday’s clash at the Estadio Martinez Valero.
Los Blancos are currently sitting in second spot in La Liga, while the hosts are languishing in the relegation zone. Real Madrid are sitting three points adrift of leaders Barcelona after winning four of their five La Liga games of Jose Mourinho‘s second spell in charge.
Los Blancos netted 10 goals across three consecutive league victories before they drew a blank in a frustrating 1-0 away defeat against Real Betis, a game in which Carlos Espi had an effort ruled out, and Kylian Mbappe had a penalty saved.
The record European champions bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Mourinho’s former side Inter Milan, representing a positive start to their bid to win a 16th Champions League trophy.
Real Madrid then returned to La Liga action with a comfortable 4-1 success over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu, thanks to a Mbappe brace and goals from Alvaro Carreras and Jude Bellingham.
After drawing with Deportivo La Coruna, Elche suffered three consecutive defeats against Barcelona, Racing Santander and 10-man Real Sociedad.
Real Madrid will be keen to warm up for Sunday’s Madrid derby with a strong performance, and we think they will do just that by recording a commanding win over an Elche side that has demonstrated a worrying habit of leaking goals.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Peterborough United 18:30 Barnsley
Liverpool 19:00Tottenham Hotspur
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Rayo Vallecano v17:00 Espanyol
