Liverpool rode their luck at times during their victory over Tottenham at Anfield last night, with goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and a wonderful volley from Dominik Szoboszlai moving the Reds into the next round.
Georgi Mamardashvili was key in keeping the Reds in the driving seat, making several key saves throughout the course of the match.
And despite an array of changes, with many of the 'kids' playing, it was a performance that had echoes of the victory of this very same trophy against Chelsea under Jürgen Klopp.
So, who caught our eye and who struggled? Let's take a look:
1 - The 'Kids' are alright
Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha, James McConnell and Lewis Koumas were all thrust into the limelight last night with a start in the cup for the Reds.
Ngumoha has been used to this for some time now, but for the other three, this was a true test of what they can bring to Iraola and his plans for the rest of the season.
And it's safe to say they repaid his faith.
Koumas was relentless with his pressing and almost scored, Nyoni brought stability into midfield and McConnell was helpful in a position that isn't his natural one.
Ngumoha is constantly improving on his performances on the right-wing too, which is encouraging.
The combination of Nyoni and Mac Allister in midfield really showed just what is missing when neither of those two are playing in the pivot / deeper role.
And the biggest 'compliment' Liverpool's number 42 can take from yesterday's performance is how the Reds lost control once he went off.
Just seven minutes after Nyoni left the pitch, the Reds conceded after sloppily losing possession in midfield, which eventually led to the corner and Conor Gallagher's goal.
It's clear that Nyoni should be starting more games - questions around his physicality may remain, but the young midfielder proved that he is more than ready to positively impact the way Liverpool build up and approach the opposition.
Koumas is also doing well in filling the void that Federico Chiesa has left as a result of his injuries. The Welsh forward is comfortable everywhere across the front line and seemingly has endless energy.
2 - Giorgi Mamardashvili stepped up when we needed him most
It must be hard being a back-up goalkeeper, especially when you know how good you are. CaoimhÃn Kelleher was aware of it and knew he had to begrudgingly leave Liverpool for first team chances.
Mamardashvili is in a similar spot. The Georgian is obviously a good goalkeeper, but displacing Alisson is an almost impossible task.
And it looks like Alisson isn't exactly declining, either. The Brazilian has had his injury issues in the past, but he seems fitter this season.
Hopefully Liverpool's number 1 is here to stay, but rumours are floating around that the Reds are unlikely to renew his contract.
Despite being caught between a rock and a hard place, Mamardashvili has remained steadfast and awaited his opportunity.
Last night he took it.
The number 25 made several outrageous saves to keep the Reds in front, and the most impressive was at 2-1 up right at the death after a shot deflected off of Araújo and he palmed it up and away.
There was the reflex save at 0-0 in the first half, which was also vital.
With Lucca Brughmans joining next season, it looks like the club are preparing for Alisson's exit at the end of the season. Which is a shame, since the Brazilian still has a lot to offer.
Last night's performance proves that Mamardashvili is ready to step up, no matter what happens.
3 - Gravenberch and Szoboszlai need to improve, and fast
It's becoming a bit of a problem now.
When Nyoni and McConnell came off, the level of control Liverpool had dropped off by a noticeable amount.
Their replacements struggled during the remainder of the match. Both failed with simple passes, making correct decisions and keeping the game ticking in Liverpool's favour.
For senior players, both Gravenberch and Szoboszlai didn't bring what was needed of them when they came on.
You would expect them to help see out the match and not make things difficult.
The Hungarian gave the ball away cheaply in midfield ahead of Gallagher's goal, and indecisiveness from the Dutch midfielder left Araújo and Jérémy Jacquet vulnerable on the counter.
Szoboszlai's unbelievable volley to make it 3-1 masked a poor performance. And his celebration was puzzling. Who was it aimed at?
4 - Wataru Endo's time may be up
Perhaps in other circumstances the Japanese international would have come on, or even started, in a game like this.
Yet to feature competitively under Iraola, Endo's time at Liverpool may be coming to an end.
The number 3 has been a bit of a cult hero, particularly in his first season with the Reds under Klopp, but has since struggled for game time under Arne Slot and Iraola.
He may yet have a role to play during the season, especially in the cups, but for now the Japanese midfielder will have to be patience for opportunities this season.
Liverpool's next game is away at Bournemouth on Sunday. A return to the South coast for Iraola.
5 - The squad depth issue is fine, for now
Liverpool's bench last night was surprisingly strong.
Yes, there were a few 'different' names in the starting XI, but Iraola clearly trusts the younger batch of players so there shouldn't be an issue with that.
Having Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak, VÃctor Muñoz, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Jacquet to call on during the game was a welcome sight.
And don't forget Florian Wirtz and Virgil van Dijk weren't even in the squad.
This is also excluding players with long term injuries in Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike, Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley.
This sentiment may change should there be any injuries over the course of the season, but for now, the squad is in a good place.
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