There is quite a difference between losing and losing. For the second time in two weeks, Liverpool were humbled by a rejuvenated Spurs, and in a season which started with Liverpool being unbeaten, they were humbled twice by "doomed" Tottenham.

Roman Pavlyuchenko, the match winner earlier this month, netted the opener before Frazier Campbell, on loan from Manchester United, helped himself to a brace. This only goes to prove that Tottenham Hotspur are on the way up and that the cogs have finally managed to turn properly.

But what of the title aspirations of Liverpool? Fair enough, many claim the Carling Cup is a Mickey Mouse Cup, thus not a lot of resources and attention should be allocated there in the first place, when in front of a team there is a long and arduous campaign. But surely, the alarm bells around Anfield are ringing?

Pavlyuchenko's second goal basically terminated the hope of a second-half comeback for Liverpool with goals from Damien Plessis and Sami Hyypia merely a case of damage limitation.

Liverpool entered the cup tie with several key players missing from the starting line-up, with Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Dirk Kuyt, Alvaro Arbeloa, Fabio Aurelio and Pepe Reina all being rested. But the worrying factor is that should Liverpool rest five or six players from their starting eleven, Rafa basically has no quality substitutes - unlike Chelsea or Manchester United - and Liverpool are next to clueless on the pitch.

Players who fail to win a regular first team place and often complain that they don't get enough action, failed to make the most of their opportunities. The disappointment for the Mersey camp was that players like Ryan Babel and young duo David Ngog and Nabil El Zhar only started playing football when the cause was all but lost to Spurs.

"We didn't play well, that is clear," said Benitez, as quoted by the Liverpool official website. .
"We made too many mistakes in defence and gave the ball away too easily. To concede three goals in the way we did at the end of the first half we must be disappointed. We were really poor at the end of the first half. If you make a mistake and concede just one, then okay you can change it and make things better in the second half, but to concede three goals made it very difficult for us.

Meanwhile Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp paid tribute to his men after a team showing seven changes stormed past Liverpool and into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup. They once again displayed a tremendous fighting spirit, after equalising against Arsenal 4-4, beating Liverpool for the Premiership a fortnight ago and kicking Liverpool out of the Carling Cup on Wednesday night.

"It was a great night, a cracking atmosphere and a terrific result for us," beamed Harry. "We played well, we were a threat, the front two were always lively and Aaron Lennon was dangerous. It's a squad game and all the lads who came in did a good job. We've got to enjoy it now because we'll have ups and downs throughout the season. Fulham on Saturday is another massive game and we need league points to get up that table." said the delighted Spurs manager on the Tottenham Hotspur website.