Liverpool won a high-scoring match against Tottenham as Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour in the Premier League draws to a close.
Goals from Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, Cody Jacobo and a stunning goal from Harvey Elliott gave the Reds a 4-0 lead and their performance was more than justified.
Tottenham’s performance improved dramatically after a series of substitutions and scoring through Richarlison and Son Heung-min, but in truth, it was a mostly disappointing performance from Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Mark Curry, Ahmed Walid and Jack Pitt Brook discuss the key talking points…
Liverpool’s right winger wins the day
Stories are often not far from Salah, and for the vast majority of his time on Merseyside, it has been full of positives.
In recent weeks, there have been some rare negatives to add to the collection, with performances that have been questioned by many. Was this a sign of his inevitable decline, or just a misstep? And based on his presentation on Sunday afternoon, it appears to be the latter.
There was an extra spring in the step when he received the ball, often cutting in behind to introduce himself to his midfield teammates. Ball was rewarded with a header at the back post in the first half for his renewed display.
In fact, it was difficult to determine whether Liverpool’s strength on the right flank was due to Salah’s energy or Spurs’ defensive weakness. Emerson Royal performed well with the ball when he broke free from left-back, but the Brazilian was not a natural player on that side and looked like he lost the ball.
Salah was constantly escaping Royal’s line of sight, and Liverpool were clearly looking to increase the pressure on that side of the pitch to cross or shoot.
Alexis Mac Allister occasionally drifted in to help add to the numbers, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross eventually found its way to Robertson to capitalize on, and Elliott’s cross for Gakpo’s goal came from a high recovery on the right flank after Royal failed to clear his lines. .
Elliott then scored Liverpool’s fourth, cutting back and working his way past Rodrigo Bentancur before curling a stunning left-footed shot into the top corner.
It was an afternoon to forget for the Spurs full-back, who was replaced by Oliver Skipp after 61 minutes. His poor performance and Liverpool’s dominance in that part of the pitch showed how much Spurs have missed injured player Destiny Udoji in the past three games.
Mark Curry
The Spurs’ offense raises as many questions as the defense
Much will be said about Tottenham’s defensive performance today, but football is not broken down into compartmentalized units – and the problems they faced in the first hour at Anfield were not just about the back four.
This was another match when Postecoglou’s chosen attack could not make any impact. It took Richarlison and James Maddison coming off the bench after the hour mark for Spurs to launch an attack that made the scoreline at least respectable.
Richarlison gave Spurs a pivotal point when he came in and scored well (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)
Spurs have a problem up front. This season, Son has played on the left flank to accommodate Richarlison in the centre. But today, Son was up front and Richarlison was on the bench. The problem is that Son, who started the season brilliantly, has declined recently. While he is devastating running forward in space, he cannot carry the ball.
This hurts the entire Spurs team because they can never relieve the pressure. The team has a better balance with Richarlison up front and Son on the left – whatever you think of the former’s consistency in front of goal.
This also means that if Brennan Johnson plays, he has to be on the right so he can get to the goal line and hit balls into the box. This in turn means that if Dejan Kulusevski plays, it should be in midfield – not on the flanks.
Tottenham will need answers to these questions – answers that can only be found in the transfer market, perhaps – if they are to improve next season.
Jack Pitt Brook
Endo may not be perfect, but he fits this Liverpool team perfectly
Given that most teams in the world want their No6 to be elite both on and off the pitch, Liverpool’s acquisition of Wataru Endo in the summer seemed strange – especially since he was replacing Fabinho, even if the Brazilian was out of form.
However, as the season progressed, Endo’s performances were important for Liverpool. The Japanese midfielder isn’t perfect – he doesn’t look the most comfortable on the ball and feels sensitive to opposition pressure – but he fits the way Jurgen Klopp’s side want to play perfectly.
this chapter, Liverpool have been more direct and transitional in their style Compared to previous seasons, and a return to their former self in Klopp’s early years at the club, this approach has helped Endo. The midfielder’s qualities off the ball – pressing, counter-pressing and fighting for second balls – flourish in these volatile matches of duels.
It helps that Liverpool don’t leave him stranded when they want to build and advance the ball through the thirds. Typically, Mac Allister will drop alongside Endo during the build-up phase or Alexander-Arnold will move into a tight position. On fewer occasions, Endo dropped back between the two centre-backs with the players in front of him taking more responsibility for pushing the ball up the pitch.
Ahmed Waleed
What did Jurgen Klopp say?
We’ll bring you that after he spoke at the post-match press conference.
What did Ange Postecoglou say?
We’ll bring you that after he spoke at the post-match press conference.
What’s next for Liverpool?
Monday 13 May: Aston Villa (away), Premier League, 8pm GMT, 3pm ET
Jurgen Klopp’s side comfortably beat Aston Villa 3-0 at Anfield the last time the two sides played each other in early September, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Salah scoring twice from Matty Cash’s own goal.
Liverpool have lost just twice of their last 22 visits to Villa Park in the Premier League. But their last defeat – in October 2020 – was Which 7-2 multiplication. Since then, Liverpool won the next two matches by scores of 2-1 and 3-1 respectively.
What’s next for Tottenham?
Saturday 11 May: Burnley (H), Premier League, 3pm GMT, 10am ET
After a thrilling north London derby followed by trips to Stamford Bridge and Anfield, Tottenham may finally feel like they can breathe a little easier with their next home game against Burnley.
History would certainly agree. In addition to beating Vincent Kompany’s Burnley 5-2 away in the league in September and 1-0 at home in the FA Cup in January, Tottenham have never lost at home to Burnley in the Premier League. They won seven of those eight matches (tying the other) by an overall score of 19-2.
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(Top image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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