Liverpool 1 (Coutinho) Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Kane)
Blog by dedlfc (David Douglas)
Pregame Thoughts: Prior to the game there were some
very interesting comments from our manager Klopp that sometimes pressing is
about the appearance of pressing and coaxing the opposition into anticipating a
press that doesn't come. Three changes from our team vs Southampton with
Firmino again out with a hamstring injury, Moreno, Henderson and Milner brought
back in.
Two smart clearances from Dejan early on were a catalyst
to the frenetic game.
Wonderful utilization of wide areas from the
Tottenham fullbacks to present a shot for Eriksen which is straight at Migs,
that was an early warning shot.
Wonderful shape in this game with both sides
playing the pressing game forcing smart possessional play by both back lines.
Tottenham having the better of it with our boys being sloppy in possession, but
Milner almost got his shot off for a stellar chance on goal.
Three minutes of mayhem and madness from Mignolet
sees him involved in a mix up with Clyne for a complicated clearance, then a
terrible clearance from a pass back, then he's involved in a mix up with Lovren
for a nearly disastrous clearance.
Moreno forces a sharp save down low to Lloris'
right.
Coutinho given a yellow card for diving after he
does wonderfully well to nip the ball off Eriksen in midfield and gets chopped
down by the Spurs CB on the subsequent break.
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| Coutinho booked for diving |
Kane on a break with a far post daisy cutter curls
wide of Mignolet's far post.
End to end stuff, Lallana ball in evades both
Studge and Milner. He has been in an excellent spate of form in recent weeks
for both club and country.
Sloppy pass from Can, almost sets up a chance for
Spurs, but Hendo cleans up.
Our number one striker Sturridge misses a great
chance with him hitting a one on one straight at the keeper Lloris – no finesse
or invention to trick the keeper – very disappointing failure to convert that
great chance!!!
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| Sturridge shocked at missing the one v one vs Lloris (Spurs) |
Lallana with a turn and shot well saved by a fully
stretched Lloris. Subsequent break by Spuds gives Kane a chance and Dejan Lovren once again with an important intervention.
Lovren has saved Sakho a couple of times in the first half.
The brilliant Lloris again comes to Spurs rescue.
Lallana bangs his spinning half volley on the ground to loop one goal bound,
but Lloris miraculously uses his agility with his arms and decides he's not
letting it in.
Kane really giving the exceptionally poor Sakho the
total runaround, his willingness to work out wide parting the Reds down the
middle like he was Moses the lawgiver!!!
Half-time Thoughts: We again had chances to bury
Spurs title chances but again our inability to score has meant we go into a
game at halftime 0-0.
***GOAL*** Coutinho 51' Excellent link up play between
Studge and Coutinho, with an excellent unselfish off the ball run by Lallana
freeing up space for our brilliant Brazilian magician to calmly slot home to
Lloris' left with his right foot. That'll do lads.
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| Coutinho celebrates his goal vs Spurs |
Henderson's and his midfield intervention and feed
forward highlights an all around robust performance from the man. He seems to
have taken the mantle of the more defensive of the double pivot, which has the
double bonus of simplifying things for Can.
Bit too over stretched out on that header from
Sturridge. Great crossfield delivery from our little Brazilian magician
Coutinho deserved a goal but not this time !!!
A lovely chip from Dier, taken out of the air and
towards goal by Son. Wide, but woulda been one helluva equalizer. Spurs are
looking increasingly threatening.
***GOAL*** Kane 53' Worthy equalizer produced by Spurs. Excellent little
flick from Eriksen keeps the ball in and feeds Kane in one. Feeding Kane is a
good idea, as the English striker shows by turning and putting it out of Mignolet's
reach into the far corner of the net. Game on. Lovren should and could have
done better defensively – his first mistake of the game but it has cost us
severely!!!
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| Kane gets the equaliser vs Liverpool |
Kane involved again to give Eriksen a chance that
Mignolet spots through Sakho's legs and does well to stop and push wide for a
corner – Credit where its due for a very good save by Mignolet !!
We are a bit deflated after that equalizer – think Klopp
needs to make a change to freshen us up a bit.
There goes that magician again! Coutinho
bamboozling Walker on the left and earning a corner that Milner puts in a
decent area only for Lloris to be first to the ball.
Origi on for Studge. Studge for the umpteenth time
since returning from injury looks not too happy about being taken off – what I
would suggest to our number one striker is to put the ball in the back of the
net when the chances come along and stop moaning when you haven’t worked hard
enough for the side – he has played today like he is either carrying an injury
or is scared of getting injured. He really needs to do better.
Eriksen with a pacy break and excellent ball to
find Chadli in space, but Henderson once again shows that he's prepared for the
defensive workload today, and slides in to force a corner. A corner that
Mignolet impotently flaps in the air for and misses, but mercifully the ball
goes beyond everyone.
Kane's guile in going from wide areas in continues
to give Liverpool's backline headaches. For a guy with regrettable athleticism,
he really utilizes and manipulates space in his favor so well.
Lallana doesn't quite break Danny Rose's right
ankle from behind, but it was a solid effort.
Little Joe Allen on for Lallana causes havoc with
his pressing around the Spurs' box which provides a chance for Coutinho, but
the Brazilian's cut inside goes wide.
Christian Eriksen's sterling game continues with a
dangerous free kick that goes just wide.
Holy late heroics surprisingly by Mignolet. Great strike from
Dembele pushed wide for a corner that Alderweireld heads off target.
Moreno switched on rather than his normal ball watching in a dangerous Spurs attack inside our
box. Good defending to stop that cross.
Game ends on a late Spurs corner kick that goes
nowhere. Phew!
Man of the match – Coutinho – our Brazilian
magician keeps producing the goods, he needs more support from his team mates
and next season you never know where this will take us – if Leicester can
challenge after just avoiding relegation last season why can’t we challenge
next season!!!
Philippe Coutinho v Spurs
33 passes
5 chances created
5 shots
1 goal
2/2 take-ons
5/8 tackles - Excellent stats for our best player.
Full-time analysis
It was a fair result we created the better chances
in the first half – title contenders Spurs dominated the chances and possession
in the second half – Coutinho was outstanding throughout ably supported by
Lallana – we are missing the goal threat and skill of Firmino and also need our
main striker to get back his goalscoring touch. On another day we would have
won this game comfortably.
Spurs look like a well functioning unit with their
pressing game giving our defence kittens and our midfield consisting of Can,
Henderson and Milner struggling to contain the midfield control of Dembele,
Dier, Alli and Eriksen. Dembele was excellent throughout and is a very under
rated midfielder especially when Alli has been getting all the plaudits.
Leicester now have a great chance on Sunday to move seven points clear if they
beat Southampton at home.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno,
Henderson, Can, Milner (Ibe 90), Lallana (Allen 82), Coutinho, Sturridge (Origi
72).
Subs Not Used: Toure, Skrtel, Smith, Ward.
Booked: Coutinho, Can.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld,
Wimmer, Rose, Dier, Dembele, Son (Chadli 66), Alli (Mason 88), Eriksen, Kane.
Subs Not Used: Vorm, Trippier, Onomah, Carroll,
Davies.
Ref: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire).
Our manager Klopp’s comments:-
When asked about the Coutinho
dive which resulted in a yellow card 'I don't want to answer this question. I
am not long enough in this country to know what I can say and what I can't say.
It is a good rule that I have to wait half an hour after the game before I can
talk to the referee if I want to.'
Then, clearly taking Coutinho's side, he added: 'He
is in a full sprint and he falls, if he doesn't want to give a free kick, we
have to accept it. But it is two decisions, not a free kick [and a booking].
But you are experienced enough to write what you think.'
TV replays indicated the midfielder's fall had been
exaggerated.
Coutinho recovered to score a brilliant opening
goal and was hailed by Reds legend Jamie Carragher afterwards as one of the
best players in the Premier League.
Klopp concurred: 'He is a genius player. It is
about his talent and potential.'
