Liverpool 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1
The Reds go back to the top of the League but it’s advantage Manchester City.
The Reds go back to the top of the League but it’s advantage Manchester City.
With 16 minutes remaining, new Kop darling Luis Diaz rescued a point that could be construed as to be oh so vital come 22nd May and without his energy tonight, it could have been a whole lot worse. True the Reds have retaken their spot at the summit of the Premier League, and it’s equally true that a win for Manchester City tomorrow at home to Newcastle United will take them 3 points clear. But the light blues from Manchester have always had to lose a game in order for the Reds of Liverpool to lift the English League Title. Why not tomorrow, and after their horrific exit from the Champions League?
Why not indeed.
Liverpool have always been playing catch up and from a hefty amount of points behind too, lest we forget. With Luis Diaz’s heavily deflected 74th minute equaliser they’ve squeaked back to the top of the league, and of course it’s 2 points dropped. Of more concern is twofold (1) It was a cold and leggy performance tonight, especially so in the second half and (2) The Reds have magnificently ground out 2nd and 3rd gear wins against packed and rigidly organised defences all season, and without the need to accelerate through the gears. Tonight they needed that extra gear.
And it wasn’t there.
The game as a whole fluctuated in fits and starts. First 10 and last 5 minutes of the first half for example, or the opening 15 minutes of a second half were Liverpool were floundering, pressurised and alarmingly leggy, and Tottenham took great advantage to score their only goal of the game. Both sides hit the frame of the opposition’s goal in the first half, Virgil van Dijk’s header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner crashed against the top of Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Loris’ bar on 39 minutes, before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg glanced the post of Alisson Becker’s goal with a glorious skimming shot from long range on the cusp of half-time. The 30 minutes period in the middle of the first half was entirely dominated by a Reds team unable to break down a white and blue Tottenham defensive “wall”, with Fabinho magnificent in midfield as a first line of defence and initiator of the change of pace and forward, attacking transitions for Liverpool. The Brazilian stood out in a goal less first half alongside Dejan Kulusevski who was at the centre of everything positive and attacking from the visiting London side.
The second half’s star players for each side were the goal scorers. Where Dejan Kulusevski faded, Son Heung-min grew into the game and became Tottenham’s “out ball” and largest attacking threat. His goal on 56 minutes was a simple tap-in after fantastic work from an unselfish Harry Kane and pinpoint cross from Ryan Sessegnon. What was more of a concern was that from Hugo Loris’ goal kick forward there wasn’t any pressure whatsoever from a tired looking Liverpool team who somewhat “shadowed” Kane, Sessegnon and Son Heung-min rather than any meaningful tackles whatsoever. Tottenham were fantastic either side of their deserved goal.
The footballing out ball all second half for Liverpool was to the mercurial 25 year old kid from Colombia, Luis Diaz. He roared and implored everyone with a Red heart inside Anfield to scream and shout them onto victory as he ran back to the halfway line after his deflected goal levelled the scores at 1–1. It wasn’t to be, but what was clearly apparent yet again was that Liverpool have a world beating talent in this kid, and a kid who plays with his heart as well as a beautiful footballing brain. He seems forever on the verge of emotional tears to me, but his tenacity, pace and raw enthusiastic energy drove a tired looking Liverpool team forward and, perhaps, to a priceless point in 15 days time.
Here’s my cockeye thinking:
(1) It’s a point gained (considering the lethargic performance)
(2) The Reds are top of the League (game played, and out of their hands)
(3) Nothing’s really changed (Positive? The Reds are top of the League again)
(4) Manchester City had to lose a game for Liverpool to win the league
(5) The 2 best club football teams in the world are separated by 1 (ONE) goal
But here’s the rub:
In under 3 days time they have to go out and do it all again, this time at a no doubt vociferous Villa Park before 3 days later playing Chelsea in the FA Cup Final at Wembley then just 3 days later travelling to play away to play a very hot/very cold Southampton team. 5 days later sees the final game of the league season at home to Wolves before just 6 days later they entertain Real Madrid in a Champions League final.
Thus is the price of success.
Top of the Premier League with 3 games to go and 2 Cup Finals in the space of 2 weeks.
That’s just success.
Thanks for reading. There’s a plethora of articles within my archives on Liverpool FC and I’ve linked the 3 most recently published articles below:
Villarreal 2 Liverpool 3
Luis Diaz illuminates El Madrigal as the Reds march on to the city of lights.medium.com
Newcastle United 0 Liverpool 1
Utterly forgettable, but an utterly priceless 3 pointsmedium.com
Liverpool 2 Villarreal 0
90 minutes from a European Cup Final as the Reds break down the Yellow Submarines Yellow Brick Wall.medium.com