Tottenham summon admirable fight to leave Liverpool as the club in crisis | OneFootball

Literally and figuratively, Igor Tudor is no longer pointless. The Tottenham manager lost his unwanted 100 per cent record, got his first result to savour and, just perhaps, brought the first signs of a revival that may save a beleaguered club. Spurs’ club-record run of defeats is over, halted at six after their first draw in six weeks. For Liverpool, an inability to beat a club seemingly in crisis could come at a cost. They are stumbling when they could have strolled back towards the Champions League.

Their scorer feels they could be sleepwalking into a rather lesser competition. “We have to wake up because if we carry on like this, we should be happy with the Conference League,” said Dominik Szoboszlai. “In the last minute, again, I don't know how many times this season already.” That was one theme. Another was that Liverpool have failed to beat four of the bottom six at home this season. They were thwarted at the last by a familiar foe. For the fifth time in his career, Richarlison scored at Anfield.

Liverpool led for 72 minutes but Tottenham’s best performance under Tudor meant this was no smash-and-grab raid. “We can say it was deserved,” said the Croatian. “They showed fight.” His side had seven shots on target, a spirit and a resourcefulness that meant they scarcely looked a team in freefall. At the fifth time of asking, Tudor, the supposed relegation firefighter, appeared a man putting out a blaze, rather than adding fuel to the flames. “This is something really big,” said Tudor.

open image in gallery

Igor Tudor picked up his first point in charge after four consecutive defeats (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

After the embarrassment against Atletico Madrid, there was also a shift in the narrative. This time, Tudor did approach his goalkeeper when his involvement ended. He had been at fault for a goal, too, but there had been an appreciative tap. There was no early substitution, but it was no career-defining mistake. The recalled Guglielmo Vicario probably should have saved Szoboszlai’s free kick; but Tudor did not panic and, later, there were redemptive saves from Cody Gakpo, tipping his drive on to the near post, and Mohamed Salah, turning a half-volley wide, that kept Tottenham in the game. If Vicario’s initial inability to deal with Szoboszlai’s shot underlined why goalkeeper has been a problem position for Spurs this season, the Italian had coped well after being summoned in the Metropolitano. After the 18th minute, he excelled. “Vicario was good today,” said Tudor.

Antonin Kinsky, meanwhile, watched on from the bench, one of two goalkeepers there; had Vicario got injured, it would have been instructive if Tudor turned to him. Instead, he did make an influential substitution. It felt an indictment of Spurs’ summer business that, shorn of 13 players, the only two senior outfield players who did not start were Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani. Tudor brought both on and the France forward outmuscled Virgil van Dijk to square for Richarlison to finish.

The goal had been coming: for Tottenham in general and the Brazilian in particular. He had come close three times earlier; twice with headers, with Alisson saving the latter, and once with a shot his Brazil teammate saved after he had wriggled away from Van Dijk, claiming the Liverpool captain fouled him. The former Everton forward can take pleasure from annoying Liverpool; but until he struck, only goal difference was keeping Tottenham out of the drop zone. As Liverpool missed the chance to go fourth, there was an importance at either end of the table.

“Of course it is damaging,” said Slot; that damage extended to the relationship with the supporters who booed at the end. “I think it's understandable for fans to be frustrated,” Slot said. Liverpool’s latest underwhelming performance suggested his decisions backfired. He could have been forgiven for assuming that Spurs’ plight was such that they were very beatable and starting with Hugo Ekitike and Ibrahima Konate in reserve suggested they were being rested for a rematch with Galatasaray, though there was a greater case to say Salah, out of sorts in Istanbul on Tuesday, was dropped.

open image in gallery

Arne Slot accepted there was frustration as Liverpool conceded another late goal (REUTERS)

Yet while Gakpo hit the post and Rio Ngumoha sparkled on his first Premier League start, Liverpool’s front three comprised a winger operating as a striker, a teenager and a full-back, in Jeremie Frimpong. Liverpool had too little creativity, too little firepower, too poor decision-making. Indeed, the teams who finished third and fourth in the Champions League group stage lost the ball with alarming regularity.

But, not for the first time, Liverpool could be grateful for the increasingly remarkable Szoboszlai. Now only David Beckham and Laurent Robert have scored more free kicks in a Premier League campaign. This was not as superlative as the specials against Arsenal and Manchester City, not hit with the same velocity or finding the top corner. Vicario got his hand to it, but tipped it in.

Yet Liverpool could not get a second. Once again, they conceded late on. “Every time it happens in the last minute it is an enormous frustration,” said Slot. For Tottenham, frustration was replaced by jubilation. Just a fifth point in 12 games got Tudor off the mark and means he will not leave with nothing to show for his time in London. “I was never thinking one second about my future,” said Tudor. “Future is just imagination, future don't exist.” But the manager who seemed to have no future now looks likelier to survive at least another week.