Tottenham Hotspurs 1 Liverpool 1: Liverpool spurn winning opportunity

Make no mistake for 70 minutes there was only one team going win this game and we could and should have had it wrapped up by half-time.  With Harry Kane well marshalled by Joel Matip on his Premier League debut and Lovren, barely having a kick in anger Liverpool proceeded to dominate the first-half pressing Spurs into continual mistakes.

Sadio Mane was seriously brilliant from one end of the pitch to the other. Potent and sharp at the business end, patrolling and studious at the other.  Liverpool were focussed and should have been ahead within 6 minutes.  Leader of the press gang Lallana dispossessed Eriksen, before sliding the ball onto Mane who in turn sent Firmino in the box.  The Brazilian sensibly found his countryman Coutinho on the left-hand side of the box and the Brazilian saw he shot saved after shooting slightly to the keepers right with both sides of the goal invitingly waiting.

Liverpool were playing well in all parts.  Matip as befits a central defender with experience as a holding midfielder, exudes calmness on the ball and if Alberto Moreno was paying attention he will have been given a schooling on how to play left-back.  That’s not to say that long-term James Milner should be in the role, but it was educational, both defensively and when to provide support in attack.

Mane scuttling through almost got to the ball before Spurs keeper Vorm acting as a de facto sweeper got their just before him, something not in the Joe Hart book of keeping.  He did so not once but twice in the opening half hour.

Unbelievably, referee Booby Madley after seeing Matip manhandled in the box trying to get to Henderson corner preferred to deliver a sermon rather than award a penalty as referees have been commanded to do this season.

Vorm was soon to be in action again as Spurs, defensively negligent allowed Coutinho to chest down a cross before seeing his shot saved by the keeper at the near post.

To be fair Sours should have a penalty as Matip blocked off and then grappled Janssen as he charged through just inside the area.

Just as it seemed Liverpool’s good work would not be rewarded, Firmino bustled past Lamela down the left before being brought down, possibly inadvertently, but his fall took him inside gaining his team a penalty.

Milner strode up and dispatched the penalty inside the post.  It was nothing more than Liverpool deserved to go into half-time ahead even it should have been more decisive.

Three minutes into the second-half and Georginio Wijnaldum playing in a more conservative holding role, found himself on the end of short pass from Firmino before whipping a curled shot fractionally over the top corner of the net.

Liverpool started the second-half as they ended first, on top and Matip fastening on to a Milner corner, got in front of Vertonghen before seeing his back header marginally slide over the bar.

Liverpool were playing with joie de vivre in attack.  Going forward with speed and sharpness, we should’ve ended the Spurs challenge 12 minutes into the second half.

Wijnaldum galloping forward released Lallana who appeared to be level with last defender before squaring for Mane to smash home the coup des grace.  Apparently, the referee’s assistant saw differently flagging offside.  Later the reverse camera angle suggested they were inline.

As is always the way, the let off acting as a stimulus for Spurs who were now beginning to get a firm footing back in the game and Eriksen with a golden chance from Dier’s whipped cross on the ground blazed over from inside the box unchallenged.  Minutes later Mignolet pulled off a stunning save from a power pact Aladerweireld header.

With Spurs now in the ascendency one wondered if Klopp would make the change to reassert the sudden decrease in energy levels.  In attempt to hold the ball up the top end of the pitch Origi entered fray for the disappointing Coutinho.

Two minutes after the substitution Spurs were back on level terms.  With Milner seemingly tiring and receiving less protection Alderweireld found Dier down the right, his cross came of Lamela into the path of Rose who dispatched his shot with the expertise of a seasoned striker.

It was disappointing because Liverpool had dominated the game for nigh on 70 minutes and but for our profligacy in front of goal and a stray flag the game should have been sown up.

But should doesn’t pay the rent.

As the game closed out it was notable for Daniel Sturridge replacing Mane in with 3 minutes to go.

Man of the Match: James Milner – Was imperious throughout and says a lot for his performance that he didn’t look out of place at left-back.  Took his penalty with the composure we have come to expect and one can only hope if Liverpool are not to buy a left-back in the death throes of the transfer window, Alberto Moreno recognises that concentration is for 90 minutes.

Sadio Mane was at times unplayable in the first half and appears to have a fully rounded game.  If his goal hadn’t been chalked would have probably gone on to dismantle Spurs.

Joel Matip was excellent. He plays in a quiet mode and looks comfortable as one would expect from a player with experience as a holding midfielder.  Strong in the air and very comfortable on the ground, he snuffed out the threat of Harry Kane without much fuss.

Jordan Henderson had a very strong game in an unaccustomed holding role and deserves a mention.

Daniel Sturridge is undoubtedly the best striker at the club and if a few of those chances which went begging had dropped to him we would almost certainly have gone home with a win.  The problem is that Sturridge doesn’t press as well as Origi, Lallana or Firmino and many of Liverpool’s chances emanate from the pressure the pressing game causes.  That said, one would like to think that Liverpool under Klopp are not a one-dimensional team and can play to Daniel Sturridge’s strengths.  He came into the game on the back of two goals yet, Divock Origi who appeared undercooked in the fitness stakes came on barely adding anything to the equation.

Klopp once again, in my opinion, failed to react quick enough to bolster his team once Spurs began to get a foothold in the game and as such the home team bossed the final 20 minutes.  Kevin Stewart’s (or Grujic/Lucas or that matter) substitution may have come 25 minutes too late as Victor Wanyama who had erstwhile been anonymous began to show up.

Teams: 13 Michael Vorm, 2 Kyle Walker, 4 Toby Alderweireld, 5 Jan Vertonghen, 3 Danny Rose, 15 Eric Dier, 12 Victor Wanyama, 11 Eril Lamema, 20 Dele Alli, 23 Christian Eriksen, 10 Harry Kane

Subs: 7 Heung-Min Son, 9 Vincent Janssen, 25 Joshua Onomah, 29 Harry Wicks, 21 Luke McGee, 33 Ben Davies, 38 Cameron Carter-Vickers

Liverpool: 22 Simon Mignolet, 2 Nathaniel Clyne, 32 Joel Matip, 6 Dejan Lovren, 7 James Milner, 20 Adam Lallana, 14 Jordan Henderson, 5 Georginio Wijnaldum, 19 Sadio Mane, 11 Roberto Firmino, 10 Philippe Coutinho

Subs: 13 Alex Manninger, 15 Daniel Sturridge, 16 Marko Grujic, 18 Alberto Moreno, 21 Lucas Leiva, 27 Divock Origi, 35 Kevin Stewart

Referee: Bobby Madley

Attendance: 31, 211