Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur's EFL Cup clash wasn't exactly the thriller in Manilla - in fact, quite the opposite.

Both managers fielded weakened teams consisting of youngsters and squad players; consequentially, it had the aura of a glorified reserves match for extended periods.

Nonetheless, the ninety minutes produced three goals and was fought between two teams who insist on entertaining, energetic styles of football. At the same time, it's always good to see youngsters get chances at top Premier League clubs - even if they do come in the League Cup.

And the unusual dynamic of the match due to the aforementioned selections lead to some rather curious statistical results as the Reds beat Spurs by just one goal.

We, like much of the footballing world, have gone stats mad over the past few years. So with that in mind, we've taken a look at the three most intriguing stats to have emerged from yesterday's 2-1 affair at Anfield.

WINKS AND STEWART IMPRESS IN MIDFIELD

winks-vs-liverpool

Harry Winks and Kevin Stewart find themselves along similar paths at their respective clubs, with both prodigious midfielders pushing for a place in their manager's first-team plans.

Neither did their chances any harm yesterday evening; Winks (above) completed the joint-most successful dribbles and created the joint-most chances of any Spurs player, whilst Stewart (below) ranked first for interceptions and second for tackles throughout the Liverpool team. Courtesy of Whoscored.

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STURRIDGE DOMINATION

Daniel Sturridge may be struggling for game-time in the Premier League but he certainly rose to the occasion yesterday evening, claiming the Man of the Match award with a result-deciding brace.

He was the best player on the pitch by some distance and it appears the England international has some form in the League Cup - in fact, his goals-to-games ratio is outstanding.

SPURS HOODOO

Spurs don't have the best track record against Liverpool, to say the least. In fact, the Lilywhites' win-rate versus the Reds is just 27.9% - also suffering 42 losses from 86 meets.

That includes a win-less run of eight against the Anfield outfit, further extended by last night's 2-1 defeat.