Liverpool Edge Tottenham 2-1 in Premier League Clash – But At What Cost?
Liverpool’s Narrow Win Fails to Convince
In their 2-1 Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool collected all three points but delivered a performance that left more questions than answers. Speaking on the Post-Match RAW podcast, hosted by Trev Downey with contributions from Dave Hendrick and Karl Matchett, the trio dissected an encounter that exposed deep concerns despite the result.
“We’re an absolute joke,” fumed Trev Downey in his scathing summary of Liverpool’s chaotic closing stages. His frustrations echoed a broader sentiment shared by all three analysts, who were united in their criticism of how Arne Slot’s side managed the final minutes.
Chaos, Composure and Missed Opportunity
Dave Hendrick was unequivocal in his appraisal of the tactical setup. “There’s no balance in our team right now. We went from being too attack-minded to too defensive-minded. The problem with us being too defensive-minded and boring is that we actually can’t defend.”
It was a common thread throughout the analysis: Liverpool lacked identity, structure and composure when it mattered most. “That was like 15 minutes of sustained pressure for them when we had one and then two players more,” said Karl Matchett, lamenting the Reds’ inability to capitalise on their numerical advantage. “There is nothing redeemable about that last 15 minutes from the players.”
Even with Tottenham down to ten men, Liverpool struggled to control the game, and instead invited unnecessary danger. “Absolutely making a mess of it,” said Downey, describing the frantic conclusion to the match where goalkeeper Alisson Becker was forced into multiple crucial saves.
Wirtz, Konaté and Glimpses of Positivity
Florian Wirtz received rare praise from Matchett, who called him “probably the best player on the pitch today.” Despite missing a first-half chance, his involvement in the assist and overall performance were commended. “Nice to see him mostly do the things we wanted him to do,” he added.
Defensive contributions from Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté were also acknowledged. “Virgil with lots and lots of clearances, Konaté again pretty good in the air,” said Matchett, though he questioned the yellow card issued to Konaté, saying “he didn’t deserve a yellow.”
Arne Slot Under Scrutiny
Slot’s tactics came under heavy fire. Hendrick did not hold back, comparing Slot’s current phase to Brendan Rodgers’ infamous back-three era: “It feels very much like when Rodgers went back three in 14-15… it wasn’t pretty, but it was effective.”
The parallels were drawn to stress the need for Slot to learn quickly. “He’s going to be able to add some layers to this, to get a bit more creativity, a bit more dynamism, a bit more punch,” Hendrick said, before going into detail about potential tactical improvements that included playing Wirtz behind a front two and shifting Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones into advanced roles.
However, the frustration was evident. “It’s really not working,” said Downey bluntly. The overall concern was clear: while the three points are welcome, Liverpool’s performance was disjointed, vulnerable and far from reassuring.
Final Thoughts
While the scoreline reads Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham, the podcast highlighted deeper worries. Hendrick summed it up: “We did win, but ultimately I don’t think any of us look at our task here as analysing the scoreline… not much of it was good from a Liverpool perspective.”
Injuries to several players, including Conor Bradley and Alexander Isak, only added to the concerns. With Wolves next at Anfield, Liverpool face a critical moment. As Downey signed off, his words reflected the mood: “I’m atypically angry at the end of talking about these dopes at the moment.”
Victory may bring short-term relief, but long-term questions remain unanswered.