Liverpool were left with a bitter pill to swallow at Anfield on Sunday as Tottenham twice came from behind to hold them to a controversial 2-2 draw.
The hosts set the tone for an exciting game just two minutes in as Mohamed Salah capitalised on a mistake by Eric Dier to put his side in front. The Reds then sat back, absorbing all the pressure that Tottenham could create and replying on counter-attacks, yet creating the better opportunities in the first half.
Post-break though, Spurs took charge of the game, creating more clear cut chances before their persistence was finally rewarded with Victor Wanyama’s long range screamer, ten minutes from time.
Points shared. pic.twitter.com/z76QutgGRB
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 4, 2018
The goal set up a frantic finale that saw Salah giving Liverpool the lead again and Tottenham receive two contentious penalties, with Harry Kane converting the second to salvage a 2-2 draw for the visitors. The hosts were left with a sense of resentment as both sides shared the spoils, and The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Loris Karius: 7/10
After a number of performances that ended with him copping flak, Karius can hold his head up high following Sunday’s outing. The only real blot in his performance was the poor punched clearance, from Christian Eriksen’s cross, that landed straight at Victor Wanyama, who produced a breathtaking half volley from long range.
The German did make the slightest of touches on Harry Kane that resulted in Tottenham’s first penalty, but his resulting stop from the spot-kick was extremely smart. Other than these major moments, he also produced a couple of brave saves, and this was certainly one of his better performances in a Liverpool shirt.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 7/10
Picked ahead of Joe Gomez, who had sustained a knee injury in training, Alexander-Arnold was just the kind of catalyst Liverpool needed in the final third with his dangerous, bending crosses into no man’s land. In the first half, the youngster sent in a number of crosses into the Tottenham box, any of which could have resulted in goal.
He was largely solid on the other end of the pitch as well, bar a foolish challenge on Ben Davies that could have easily seen him get sent off. All in all, it was a solid showing by Alexander-Arnold, who is adding to the defensive side of his game.
Dejan Lovren: 7/10
Preferred to Joel Matip on Sunday, Lovren justified his manager’s faith for the most part, keeping Harry Kane under check. Tottenham attempted to amp up the pressure on him and Virgil van Dijk by playing a two-pronged strike partnership of Kane and Son Heung-Min, but the Croat held his own at the heart of the Liverpool defence.
His performance, however, wasn’t all faultless as a miscued clearance helped Kane escape an offside call before earning Tottenham’s first penalty. Otherwise, Lovren was pretty solid, exorcising the demons of the reverse fixture at Wembley, when he didn’t even last one half.
Virgil van Dijk: 7/10
This angle shows Van Dijk clearly kicked Lamela. You can argue it wasn’t enough for him to go down but equally you can argue it was. Personally no complaints with the decision. pic.twitter.com/6lJWcNM35W
— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) February 4, 2018
Like Lovren, Liverpool’s record signing was largely flawless on Sunday, but for the injury time incident involving Erik Lamela that led to Spurs’ equaliser. While one can argue that the decision was contentious, replays from various angles suggest that he definitely made contact on the Argentine, even if it wasn’t a big one.
Apart from that one moment though, there was very little past van Dijk, with none of Tottenham’s crosses going behind him. The Dutchman was also a major threat during set-piece situations, with most of the deliveries headed his way.
Andrew Robertson: 7/10
Another credible performance by Robertson, who seems to have established himself as Liverpool’s first-choice left-back now. The Scot was rarely troubled at the back as he dealt with Kieran Trippier smartly. On the other end of the pitch though, there is major room for improvement, with his crossing being extremely lax.
Emre Can: 6.5/10
In an intense contest between the two sides, Can seemed to have a personal, physical tussle of his own with Mousa Dembele. The German certainly relished the battle, but fatigue started to get the better of him in the latter stages of the game. His contract situation might be uncertain, but there’s no denying his commitment to the club while he’s still a Liverpool player.
Jordan Henderson: 7.5/10
Making his second start since returning from the hamstring injury, Henderson led from the front, in what was arguably his best performance of the season, marshalling his troops from a deep lying midfield role while also circulating the ball with purpose, at a quick tempo. The month-long layoff seems to have done him a world of good.
James Milner: 7/10
A surprise selection ahead of Georginio Wijnaldum and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. But, Milner repaid his manager’s faith by using his experience to good effect against a relentless Spurs side.
The veteran midfielder put in a shift defensively while also tirelessly working in attack to add to the numbers when an opportunity presented itself. But, playing two games in four days started to show its effects as he made a tired challenge of Kieran Trippier, before he was subbed off.
Mohamed Salah: 9/10
Mohamed Salah has scored 21 goals in just 25 #PL matches; the fewest appearances of any @LFC player to reach 20 goals in the competition pic.twitter.com/5JJw8Ghwhw
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 5, 2018
The Mohamed Salah juggernaut rolled on once again on Sunday as the Liverpool talisman stepped up to the plate in yet another big game. He was handed the chance for the first goal on a silver platter, and the Egyptian duly obliged, although he must be commended for his anticipation to go clean through on goal.
Salah was subsequently left to look for counter-attacking opportunities, and while he was diligent in his work, his final ball often betrayed him. He finally took matters into his own hands when he shimmied past three Tottenham defenders before chipping the ball over Hugo Lloris. But what looked like a winner wasn’t to be as Spurs struck late.
Roberto Firmino: 6/10
After a superb outing against Huddersfield, this was a performance that lacked imagination and energy. While he was tireless for the most part in his work off the ball, Firmino was disappointing on it, with his decision making not at its best on the night, and he began to tire out in the latter stages of the match. Needs rest.
Sadio Mane: 6.5/10
After a slew of unconvincing performances, Mane was much improved on Sunday, running Davinson Sanchez ragged. The Senegalese looked intent on making things happen on the night, commanding a lot of the ball, but his decision making at times was poor. Slowly inching back to his best.
SUBSTITUTES
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: 4/10
Took up Mane’s place on the left side of the Liverpool attack for the final half an hour, but it looked as if the game just passed him by, as he failed to make any sort of impact in the final third.
Georginio Wijnaldum: 5/10
Wijnaldum was slightly better than Oxlade-Chamberlain, but he couldn’t do much to prevent Tottenham from dominating the possession. Barely had a touch on the ball in his short stint on the pitch.
