Match of the Day pundit Micah Richards analyses how Spurs' decision to switch from playing out the back in favour of going long caused Liverpool "big problems" in their 1-1 draw in the Premier League at Anfield.
MATCH REPORT: Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham
Igor Tudor delivered a message of defiance amid Tottenham Hotspur's deepening crisis when he told his players before their visit to Liverpool: "You can stay and cry or you can fight".
The smart money was on more tears after four straight losses under the Croatian saw an alarming drop towards relegation, along with a loss at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 first leg that was nothing short of a fiasco.
Tudor came under heavy criticism, not just for replacing Antonin Kinsky after only 17 minutes following two mistakes in the 5-2 defeat, but for blanking the young keeper as he walked off.
And yet here, against all odds and without 13 players because of suspension and injuries, Spurs stood and fought every inch of the way at Anfield to earn a fully deserved point with a performance that may yet prove to be of wider significance as they fight against the drop into the Championship.
Will it be enough to buy Tudor more time? We shall see, but at least Tudor can have the satisfaction of demonstrating he can get a reaction from Spurs players who had previously looked down and out.
At the heart of it all was Richarlison, every touch jeered by Liverpool fans because of his previous Everton connections, but a constant menace as he gave Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez a torrid time.
Richarlison had already forced several saves from Brazil team-mate Alisson before finally striking gold in the 90th minute, after Randal Kolo Muani had shrugged off Van Dijk's feeble challenge and Andrew Robertson faltered.
He turned away after silencing the taunts, cupping his ear to The Kop, who were stunned into silence after his sixth Premier League goal versus Liverpool.
It was his fifth at Anfield. Only Andrew Cole, with eight, has more away goals against Liverpool in the competition.
Tudor, who has had nothing to celebrate since succeeding sacked Thomas Frank, pumped his fists in delight towards the travelling Spurs fans, who celebrated wildly as their team finally got the reward they merited.
Minutes later, the jeering that Liverpool's fans had reserved for Richarlison was turned on their own team in fury as a win that would have taken head coach Arne Slot's team into the Premier League's top four was cast aside.
Spurs even threatened a winner in the closing moments, but this was a dream still out of reach for Tudor.
The performance was in the sharpest of contrasts to what has been seen under Tudor so far â gritty, resilient, threatening.
In short, Spurs' players did not cry. They fought. And earned what might be a priceless point.
Tudor told Match Of The Day: "There was a lot of hard work, the will to do right things and be a team. We can say it was deserved. I am happy, happy for the players. It is never easy to come to Anfield.
"There was progress in terms of mentality and will to stay and suffer. That for sure is progress. I cannot speak about progress because we know what happened in the last two games. This was a game where we came here with 12 players. This is something big for our fans, for the players. This is really something big."
On his goal celebration he said: "It's nice. All the games are important because there are not too many until the end. Every point counts. We need to get players back and choose the right players."
Spurs had shown this new-found spirit even before they suffered the blow of Dominik Szoboszlai's 18th minute free-kick, a decent strike but one that a poorly-positioned Guglielmo Vicario, back in goal for the unfortunate Kinsky, should have kept out.
In Vicario's defence, he later made a magnificent save when he turned Cody Gakpo's shot on to the post. That moment kept Spurs in the game when a second Liverpool goal might have killed them off.
Richarlison, the pantomime villain, had the last word as he, above all, answered Tudor's call to fight.
He still retains hero status at Everton for his brilliant performances and efforts when they just about retained their Premier League status in 2021-22.
Spurs will need him to do the same now as he showed here just how vital he could prove to be in tandem with the tireless Dominic Solanke.
Richarlison's goal took him to 100 goal contributions (73 goals, 27 assists) in the Premier League. Roberto Firmino (132) and Gabriel Jesus (118) are the only other Brazilians to reach that milestone.
As for Liverpool, there was little comfort in this result as they missed the chance to move back into the Premier League's top four, feeling the full anger of their fans at the finale.
The one shaft of light was a superb performance from 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, selected ahead of Mohamed Salah. He received a standing ovation when he was substituted after 64 minutes, unlike the Egyptian, who simply could not do anything right when he came on.
As for Spurs, it remains to be seen if this excellent display is to be an exception rather than the rule - but for the first time in a long time there was light at the end of what has been the darkest of tunnels.
Tottenham manager Igor Tudor believes his side tried "until the last second" to earn a 1-1 draw against Liverpool in the Premier League at Anfield.
MATCH REPORT: Premier League - Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham
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Four clubs into one will not go - and they are all determined not to be "the one".
While Wolves and Burnley are off the pace and almost certain to be playing in the Championship next season, the four-way battle to avoid joining them in the second tier is too close to call.
This weekend's round of fixtures changed little, as all four sides drew their respective fixtures, but some will take far more belief and confidence from their results than others.
Currently, it is West Ham United who occupy the unwanted 18th position, although only goal difference separates the Hammers and Nottingham Forest, who both have 29 points after 30 matches.
Tottenham Hotspur scored late in a dramatic 1-1 draw at Liverpool to remain a point above the safety line on 30 points, while Leeds United are 15th on 32 points but by no means out of trouble.
West Ham were the only one of the four teams to play on Saturday and, against title-chasing Manchester City, came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw.
That moved them out of the bottom three for about 18 hours, although they ended the weekend back in the relegation zone because of results on Sunday.
A 2-1 home loss to Forest on 6 January left the Hammers seven points from safety with 17 matches remaining. At that stage, they were 13 points behind Spurs having played a game more.
Since then, Nuno Espirito Santo's team have taken 15 points from nine games and are, in terms of results, in the best form of the aforementioned quartet.
Among their remaining games is a home fixture against leaders Arsenal, while they finish the campaign by hosting Leeds.
A last-day decider, anyone?
Against Fulham, Nottingham Forest failed to find the net in a Premier League game for the 14th time in 30 outings this season.
They had the better chances in a goalless draw, while they could have had a second-half penalty and scored the opening goal had substitute Dan Ndoye not strayed narrowly offside on two occasions.
Forest full-back Ola Aina, who hit the crossbar in the second period, told BBC Sport: "Like in many other games, we're creating good chances but it's just not working right now.
"Hopefully in the games to come, those chances go in.
"We've got quality and the spirit to [change the team's luck in front of goal]. Honestly, I just think it's the rub of the green that's not going for us.
"We've just got to keep believing in what we're doing and ultimately in each other, because we're the ones that are going to turn it round."
Forest will look to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie with Danish side Midtjylland on Thursday, but also on the horizon is a huge league game at Tottenham on 22 March.
Forest boss Vitor Pereira said the game against Spurs is "very, very important", adding: "We are in a position that we need to go there to compete for three points."
Sunday's 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace extended Leeds' winless Premier League run to five games but they have maintained a small gap to the teams directly below them.
On another day, they could have won at Selhurst Park. Dominic Calvert-Lewin's missed first-half penalty was the best of their chances.
However, playing with 10 men for all of the second period following Gabriel Gudmundsson's red card, they could easily have left with nothing.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke told BBC Sport: "We are not perfect and not flawless, otherwise we would have been in the lead at half-time, but this mentality, unity and spirit in the dressing room is second to none.
"We came here to win this game and if we had converted our situations in the first half, or would have been allowed to play with 11 men, I'm pretty sure we would have won this game.
"Sometimes you have to adapt to strange circumstances and that's what we did that today.
"It was a really good clean sheet and we take a valuable point away."
Spurs and interim head coach Igor Tudor â however long he may last â can take huge encouragement from both the performance and result at Anfield.
Tudor arrived at Anfield surrounded by speculation about his future after four dismal losses, the last little short of a fiasco at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
But missing 13 players, they fully merited the draw as they were spirited and dangerous throughout.
Richarlison led the line superbly, giving Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez a torrid time in tandem with Dominic Solanke.
He had tested Liverpool keeper Alisson several times before finally beating his Brazil colleague with a scuffed finish after Randal Kolo Muani had outmuscled Van Dijk in the final minute of normal time.
The big question is whether Spurs can now build on the platform this fine display has provided.
They face a mammoth task to over-turn a 5-2 deficit from the Champions League last-16 first leg against Atletico Madrid before a vital game at home to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.
Spurs have reached the stage where every point is priceless â and no-one could possibly begrudge them this one.
Tottenham manager Igor Tudor speaking to BBC Match of the Day after their draw with Liverpool: "A lot of hard work, will to do right things and be a team. We can say it was deserved. It was not easy so I am happy, happy for the players. I'm happy. It is never easy to come here."
On what he wants from his players: "There was progress in terms of mentality and will to stay and suffer. That for sure is progress. I cannot speak about progress because we know what happened in the last two games. Today is a game where we came here with 12 players. This is something big for our fans, for the players. This is really something big.
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Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham
Marc Albrighton
Former Aston Villa midfielder on 5 Sports Extra at The City Ground
The game has become much more lively with the introduction of the players off the bench.
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Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham
It's Fulham who are looking the most likely here.
They're knocking the ball around nicely but they can't find a way through this Forest defence.
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Crystal Palace 0-0 Leeds
Mark Schwarzer
Former Chelsea and Fulham goalkeeper on Sports Extra 2 at Selhurst Park
The save from Darlow is exceptional, but it goes straight up in to the air for Lerma's diving header.
That's unfortunate for them. That was the last action of Brennan Johnson for this game.
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Crystal Palace 0-0 Leeds
Oh wow, Brennan Johnson is offside when the short corner is taken.
It's Jefferson Lerma who scores but it's chalked off.
Post
Man Utd 3-1 Aston Villa
Benjamin Sesko has eight goals in 10 league and cup appearances for Manchester United.
He's bang in form. The Slovenia forward has just delivered a message to Michael Carrick: 'Start me more often'.
DISALLOWED GOAL
Crystal Palace 0-0 Leeds
The ball is in the back of the net after a stunning save from Karl Darlow.
Palace manage to bundle it over the line but the flag goes up.
I think this is onside...
'Carrick has got it right, yet again'
Man Utd 3-1 Aston Villa
Dion Dublin
Former Man Utd & Aston Villa striker on BBC Radio 5 Live at Old Trafford
Michael Carrick has got it right, yet again.
He has come on and made a difference. He is about eight yards out and he has two white shirts haring down on him, but he smacks it in.
Carrick punches the air and does a little dance.
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Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham
Marc Albrighton
Former Aston Villa midfielder on 5 Sports Extra at The City Ground
I think Fulham would take a point. This was more of a game that Nottingham Forest needed to win and they'll be more disappointed if they don't go on to win.
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Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham
Fulham threaten down the left wing. The ball is played in for Alex Iwobi but he can't get the flick needed.
Nikola Milenkovic does well back in his own box.
GOAL - Man Utd 3-1 Aston Villa
Benjamin Sesko
Game. Set. Match.
Benjamin Sesko has surely sealed a seventh Premier League win in nine games for Michael Carrick.
The substitute turns inside the box and his attempt takes a huge deflection and flies past Emi Martinez.
Surely there is no way back for Villa now.
Everton posted their fourth consecutive victory in the Women's Super League by defeating Tottenham as Kelly Gago came off the bench to score the winner in with seven minutes remaining.
The Toffees, who sacked manager Brian Sorensen last month with the threat of relegation looming, have now won three in a row under interim boss Scott Phelan and moved up to sixth place and 11 points clear of bottom side Leicester City.
After Signe Gaupset's 76th-minute goal had cancelled out Yuka Momiki's first-half opener for Everton, Gago tapped in a cross from fellow substitute Inma Gabarro to hand her side a winning return as WSL resumed after the international break.
There was an early let-off for Spurs as goalkeeper Lize Kop rushed off her line to deny Toni Payne, who was played through on goal by Aurora Galli with less than one minute on the clock.
But Kop was left with no chance when Zara Kramzar found Momiki just outside the Spurs box and the Japanese forward fired an effort into the bottom corner to give the visitors the lead in north London.
The hosts turned to Bethany England early in the second half to find a way back but it was through Norway midfielder Gaupset that Spurs found the equaliser as the January arrival beat Everton keeper Courtney Brosnan with a low drive.
But as Spurs looked to be in the ascendancy, the visitors planted the fatal blow through France forward Gago.
While Everton are now on 20 points, Tottenham remain a place above in fifth spot, but are now three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who have two games in hand on them.
Everton were only one point away from the bottom at the start of February, with match-winner Gago staying at the club after handing in a transfer request amid interest from Paris St-Germain in January.
But a managerial change and four consecutive wins later, the Toffees can finally look up the WSL table with wind firmly in their sails.
With four players away at the AFC Asian Cup, including the in-form Honoka Hayashi, Phelan tinkered with the starting line-up for the first time in four matches but the outcome proved no different.
Everton relied on the pace of Nigeria winger Payne in north London to hurt the hosts early on.
The 30-year-old was a constant menace on the right and almost scored straight from kick-off, while also finding herself at the end of two gilt-edged chances towards the end of the half.
The breakthrough, however, came from the left where Kramzar and Momiki combined with the Japanese forward ensuring Everton did not miss the trio of her compatriots on international duty.
Tottenham, however, were much better in the second half and deserved to draw level through Gaupset - the 20-year-old now has two goals in as many matches for Martin Ho's side.
However, Phelan turned to bench for inspiration and his substitutes delivered when full-back Maz Pacheco played a delightful ball to Gabarro who cut back for French forward Gago to finish.
Their winning margin could have been greater, but substitute Melissa Lawley's shot was gloved on to the woodwork by Spurs keeper Kop in the 86th minute.
It was another setback for Ho's side, who were without Australia's Clare Hunt and Japan duo Maika Hamano and Toko Koga at the Asian Cup, and have not won back-to-back games in the WSL since October.
But with five games left, another victory will be enough for Tottenham to match their best ever WSL campaign (32 points in 2021-22).
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Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Kerstin Casparij needs to be careful. She's just been shown a yellow card and now is starting fights with some of the Villa players, with some pushing and shoving going on.
The Dutch full-back gets a warning from the referee, who doesn't look impressed.
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Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Lauren Hemp isn't too happy with Khadija Shaw. It wasn't the best of passes from the Jamaica striker and Anna Patten is able to squeeze herself in between Hemp and Ellie Roebuck and smother the ball.
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Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Anna Patten is up and raring to go again. Hard as nails.
She's got a tissue stuck up her nose and has ran over the Villa bench to put on a batman-type mask that she wore last season after picking up a facial injury.
'Very painful for Patten'
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Rachel Corsie
Former Aston Villa defender on Sky Sports
I hope Anna Patten is OK but it is a reprieve for Aston Villa because Man City had the ball.
It's a very painful one from very close range.
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Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
OUCH.
Rebecca Knaak's header is cleared off the line by Lucy Parker, but she's drilled the ball into the face of her Villa team-mate Anna Patten at close range.
That's got to hurt.
Post
London City Lionesses 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal play a corner to Katie McCabe who is completely unmarked just outside the penalty area.
She takes a little too long to set herself, so gets her shot off under pressure from LucÃa Corrales and it's well over.
Post
London City Lionesses 0-1 Arsenal
Shouts from the travelling Arsenal fans as Olivia Smith appears to be shoved out of the way by Teyah Goldie as the Gunners winger chases a through ball through the middle.
The referee doesn't see it as a foul, so play continues.
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Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
"Ooohs," from the crowd at Villa Park.
Every time that Villa get a corner, Lynn Wilms has stepped up and tried to curl the ball in directly. Perhaps taking advantage of Khiara Keating's height. She's not the tallest of keepers.
That one wasn't far off, falling onto the roof of the net.
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London City Lionesses 0-1 Arsenal
Jana Fernandez tries to thread a pass into the box towards Freya Godfrey, but Leah Williamson is there to intercept.
That's the right idea from London City though - they need more of that if they want to get back into this game.
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HT: Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Former Everton manager Brian Sorensen is in the stands at Villa Park. He was named technical advisor at Aston Villa Women earlier this week.
The 45-year-old was sacked by Everton in February after four years at the club in which he helped maintain their status as a Women's Super League club.
Sorensen was involved in recruitment while at the Toffees in addition to his head coach role and will work closely with manager Natalia Arroyo at Villa to provide extra technical support.
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Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Manchester City have not had a shot on target so far in this game.
Aston Villa have had three, but Khiara Keating has been there to stop them all.
This is just her third start of the season in the WSL and she's been thrown straight into the deep end.
HALF-TIME
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
There goes the whistle at Villa Park.
Aston Villa had their chances, but they haven't made them count.
I'd say Andree Jeglertz might have a harsh word or two for his players. They've been well off it.