This Is Anfield

Tottenham‘s injury crisis continued over the weekend as they fell to their third successive Premier League defeat, leaving plenty in doubt for the Carabao Cup decider.

It remains a mystery how Liverpool succumbed to the first-leg defeat at Tottenham earlier this month, with Ange Postecoglou’s side having lost to Arsenal, Everton, and Leicester since then.

The Spurs boss is under increasing pressure as his side sit just eight points above the relegation zone in 15th, though he has had an extensive injury list to navigate.

Guglielmo Vicario, Djed Spence, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke all missed Sunday’s 2-1 loss.

Pape Sarr and Richarlison were then withdrawn in the aftermath of Leicester‘s quick-fire double and Postecoglou said post-match that the former “shouldn’t have played” as “he obviously wasn’t fit.”

As for the Brazilian, Postecoglou explained that “he was feeling his groin, he should have come off at halftime but he wanted to give another 10 minutes. I could see he wasn’t running well so that is why I took him off.”

Liverpool meet Tottenham at Anfield for a place in the Carabao Cup final on February 6, enough time to potentially welcome a few players back into the fold from the injury list.

Maddison will be expected to be in contention against the Reds, while defenders Romero and Van de Ven have returned to training after long-term injuries but are no guarantees to feature.

Arne Slot, however, will know he can draw a line through Vicario, Udogie, Odobert, Werner, Johnson and Solanke for the Anfield tie as they all have more serious injury issues.

It is a stark contrast to Liverpool’s injury list which currently includes Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, with an update on their progress possible in Tuesday’s pre-PSV press conference (6.45pm GMT).

The Reds have a 1-0 deficit to overturn at Anfield next week if they are to contend their first cup final under Slot on March 16 against either Newcastle or Arsenal.

Since the two teams last met, Spurs have won two and lost three with an aggregate scoreline of 10-9 in their favour – which sums up their season – while the Reds have won four and drawn one.

Liverpool succumbed to only their second defeat of the season to head into the League Cup semi-final second leg with a one-goal deficit after another lacklustre performance.

Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool

Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

January 8, 2025

Goals: Bergvall 86′

Alisson – 7 (out of 10)

A surprise starter as this has typically been Caoimhin Kelleher‘s competition, with Slot explaining it was for rhythm, and he was swiftly put to work with a reaction save.

Quick off his line but his distribution was questionable and bordering on self sabotage, gifting Spurs an open goal, which they squandered on that occasion.

Another game without a clean sheet.

Conor Bradley – 7

If there was one thing you could not question it was his work rate – though, understandably, he needed time to settle with this his first start in more than six weeks.

Battled hard and proved a reliable option on the right flank with his overlapping runs. A foundation to build on at the very least.

Jarell Quansah – 5

Has found playing time hard to come by and it showed with a nervy pass into midfield very early on that was nowhere near a teammate, his captain swiftly told him to calm down.

From then on he consistently looked on edge, but before we knew it he was forced off with an injury after just 30 minutes – it’s been a torrid season for the 21-year-old.

Virgil van Dijk – 8 (Man of the Match)

The calm presence Liverpool needed, Van Dijk was assured when others were sloppy and readily positioned himself brilliantly to deny Spurs a chance to take aim at Alisson.

It is so easy to brush over his performances such is the standards he has set for himself, but he was everywhere he needed to be, and more, and notably left Brennan Johnson in a heap.

Couldn’t cover for Konate late on but that does not take away from his individual performance.

Kostas Tsimikas – 6

It’s becoming a theme that Tsimikas’ first involvement is usually an error, as was the case here as he passed straight to the Spurs player in the box – thankfully, Van Dijk had it covered.

Tsimikas was not the only one but he was guilty of overcooking seemingly simple passes, being easily dispossessed and out of position. Insult to injury he couldn’t be on the pitch for Spurs’ winner.

Ryan Gravenberch – 7

A mix of the good with the bad like so many, but ended in the category of the former.

An understated performance on the whole, though, with his now hallmark ability to work himself out of tight spaces still very much a feature. He was vital when making a late recovery run, using his body expertly to stop Spurs in their tracks to prevent another goal.

Alexis Mac Allister – 7

Swept up a lot of the loose balls, his positioning is always spot on and he was certainly one of the players to improve as the game wore on.

Made the most recoveries of any Reds outfielder (7) prior to his withdrawal and perhaps telling that Spurs could only find a breakthrough after his substitution.

Curtis Jones – 6

With Dominik Szoboszlai still absent due to illness, Jones had the chance to put Sunday out of his mind with a strong performance – though we wouldn’t quite call it that.

Looks like a player that needs a rest, but he was at least accurate when it possession of the ball – though that hints at opting to be safe over making line-breaking passes as the No. 10.

Mohamed Salah – 5

The fewest touches of any Reds player in the first half (11) and the opportunities he did have he snatched at them as he tried to make something happen.

Salah is always capable of conjuring a moment of magic on even the poorest of days but it just never looked like happening despite his efforts.

Cody Gakpo – 6

Looked bright on the left when given the chance to run at the Spurs defence and cut inside onto his right boot, but it was a rare occurrence for the Dutchman.

The most likely route to goal before his substitution.

Diogo Jota – 6

After six successive appearances off the bench, Jota finally got his first start since October 21, and he started as the most involved of the front three in what was a stop-start first half.

Found half-spaces to operate in and did contribute defensively but one shot before his substitution on the hour mark spoke volumes of his lack of involvement in the areas where it mattered.

Substitutes

Wataru Endo (on for Quansah, 30′) – 8 – For the second time this season was tasked at coming on at centre-back, a position all too familiar to him. The best compliment you could give him was that you didn’t even question his presence there before he moved into midfield late on.

Darwin Nunez (on for Jota, 60′) – 7 – Injected energy up front and came close with an improvised shot.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (on for Bradley, 60′) – 8 – Was immediately serenaded with his song from the travelling Kop and helped inject much-needed forward impetus. Had a shot cleared off the line and there will be no question about his efforts this time.

Luis Diaz (on for Gakpo, 60′) – 6 – Did a lot without doing a lot, make sense?

Ibrahima Konate (on for Mac Allister, 80′) – 6 – Enabled Endo to move into midfield but he could not take the ball away from Dominic Solanke in the lead up to Spurs’ goal.

Subs not used: Kelleher, Robertson, Elliott, Chiesa

Arne Slot – 6

There will have been some surprise at Slot making only four changes, but he made it evident he was looking for rhythm from some while giving rest to others – he didn’t quite get that, though.

The injury to Quansah is far from ideal with Ibrahima Konate only making his return and Joe Gomez still a number of weeks away from a comeback – Endo’s stock has quickly risen!

Will have been frustrated, again, by how sloppy and wasteful his side were in possession but his changes – which looked pre-planned – did at least inject life into his side for the final 30 minutes.

His annoyance boiled over after Lucas Bergvall scored for Tottenham moments after the midfielder ought to have been shown his second yellow card, instead it was his assistant who was cautioned. Typical.

A one-goal deficit is not the end of the world but that he could not get a result with a strong XI is far from ideal, it is yet another wake up call.

Another costly refereeing decision led to a controversial winner as Liverpool lost 1-0 to Tottenham in the first of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool

Carabao Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

January 7, 2025

Goal: Bergvall 86′

Against a Liverpool side with only four changes from the weekend, Spurs began with the early momentum, but this was thwarted by a lengthy delay for a worrying head injury for midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

Liverpool’s first real effort of the game came in the 23rd minute – a statistic offset by that lengthy delay – with Mohamed Salah unable to hit the target with a low shot having been set up by Cody Gakpo.

It was soon time for the Reds’ own first-half injury, with Jarell Quansah forced out after a nervy start, with Arne Slot sending on Wataru Endo as he manages Ibrahima Konate‘s game time.

Neither side enjoyed many real chances, though a moment of quality and persistence from Diogo Jota saw Liverpool drive up the pitch in a move that resulted in a dangerous Kostas Tsimikas cross cleared away.

The half ended with Spurs just hanging on, the control shifting decidedly towards the visitors, aided by the composure of Endo at centre-back and the thrust of Conor Bradley at right-back.

HT: Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool

Neither manager opted for any further changes at the break and the landscape of the tie remained the same, though overconfidence from Alisson almost led to a goal for Spurs from Pedro Porro.

Three, likely pre-planned, substitutions came on the hour for Liverpool, with Bradley, Gakpo and Jota coming off and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez sent on.

They gave new energy, particularly Nunez off the ball, and the Reds almost took the lead with a stunning Alexander-Arnold strike blocked on the line by Radu Dragusin.

Liverpool were cut open by a brilliant run from Dominic Solanke, latching onto a through ball and finishing well, but after a lengthy review from VAR Paul Tierney he was adjudged to have been just offside.

Cowardly referee Stuart Attwell then should have sent off midfielder Lucas Bergvall with a second yellow for a clear foul on Tsimikas – but having aoided a decision and, with the left-back off the pitch, the Swede promptly scored the winner.

TIA Man of the Match: Virgil van Dijk

Referee: Stuart Attwell

Tottenham: Kinsky; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur (Johnson 15′), Bergvall; Kulusevski, Son (Werner 73′), Solanke

Subs not used: Austin, Dorrington, Reguilon, Olusesi, Moore, Min-Hyeok, Lankshear

Liverpool: Alisson; Bradley (Alexander-Arnold 60′), Quansah (Endo 30′), Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister (Konate 80′); Salah, Gakpo (Diaz 60′), Jota (Nunez 60′)

Subs not used: Kelleher, Robertson, Elliott, Chiesa

Liverpool face a tricky away test in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final up against Tottenham. We’re live to bring you the latest.

Kickoff at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is 8pm (UK), the referee is Stuart Attwell.

Watch Tottenham vs. Liverpool – Live Online Streams

Tonight’s blog is run by Henry Jackson, get involved by Tweeting @thisisanfield, @HenryJackson87 and in the comments below.

Teams

Tottenham: Kinsky; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Son, Solanke

Subs: Austin, Dorrington, Reguilon, Olusesi, Moore, Min-Hyeok, Johnson, werner, Lankshear

Liverpool: Alisson; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Jota

Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Endo, Elliott, Chiesa, Diaz, Nunez

Our coverage updates automatically below:

Arne Slot has named a strong lineup for Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Tottenham, with four changes made as Conor Bradley and Diogo Jota start.

For the second time in less than three weeks the Reds are back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but this time are aiming to put one foot into the Carabao Cup final.

Slot’s side arrive off the back a disappointing draw, though their 24-game unbeaten streak remains across all competitions – and the aim is to extend it tonight.

Watch Tottenham vs. Liverpool – Live Online Streams

Alisson has been opted for over Caoimhin Kelleher, marking only his second appearance in this competition for the club.

In the backline, Bradley replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold and is joined by Jarell Quansah, Virgil van Dijk and Kostas Tsimikas.

Ryan Gravenberch makes his fifth successive start and first in this competition this season and is joined by Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones – Dominik Szoboszlai remains absent due to illness.

Mohamed Salah remains an immovable force on the right wing and accompanies Cody Gakpo and Jota in attack, the latter is making his first start since his rib injury in October.

It is a strong lineup from Slot, who also has a deep bench to turn to with the likes of Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez among his nine substitute options.

Tottenham: Kinsky; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Son, Solanke

Substitutes: Austin, Dorrington, Reguilon, Olusesi, Moore, Min-Hyeok, Johnson, werner, Lankshear

Liverpool: Alisson; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Jota

Some potential early Liverpool team news has emerged before their League clash with Tottenham, with key players spotted during a pre-match walk in London.

The Reds head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first leg of their semi-final tie on Wednesday night, looking for a repeat of the 6-3 win there last month.

The game acts as an opportunity for Arne Slot to make changes, with Liverpool’s head coach continuing to tackle a busy schedule across three competitions.

That said, the visit of Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday gives a better chance for Slot to shuffle his pack and rest influential figures.

It certainly looks as though Liverpool could have a strong lineup at Spurs, with photos emerging on Wednesday showing the Reds enjoying a stroll around London.

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch have all travelled, with the trio yet to start in any Carabao Cup fixture so far.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was also there, with much focus on his performance if he starts, along with fellow full-back Andy Robertson.

Among those to have also made the trip are Alexis Mac Allister, Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas, Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo, meaning at last 10 high-profile figures are involved.

It remains to be seen which starting XI Slot will opt for on Wednesday night, but this suggests that it will be stronger than perhaps many are predicting.

As mentioned, the Accrington game will surely see plenty of youngsters fielded, so there is no need to rest big players for this game.

This is also an important game in its own right, with Slot no doubt desperate to reach a cup final in his first season in charge at Liverpool.

Liverpool will be facing a Tottenham team on Wednesday with nine absentees from the squad, including key midfielder James Maddison.

While Ange Postecoglou has come under criticism for Tottenham‘s recent run of just three wins in 14 games, he has had mitigating factors affecting the team.

Injuries in defensive areas have particularly affected his side, and they aren’t yet relenting.

For the first leg of their semi-final against Liverpool, they will be without first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven as well as full-backs Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie.

In addition, forward Richarlison and winger Wilson Odobert, who has played just 182 minutes since his £25 million summer transfer from Burnley, are also injured.

They also have problems in midfield, too, with both Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr suspended having picked up two yellow cards on Tottenham‘s run to the semi-finals.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is injured and, with Fraser Forster potentially still ill after missing the weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle, Tottenham could turn to new signing Antonin Kinsky.

The shot-stopper only signed from Slavia Prague on Sunday but has already been registered, trained and is available to play, confirmed Postecoglou on Tuesday.

Postecoglou was asked if Kinsky would start, to which he responded: “We will see. He arrived on Sunday. He has had a couple of days of training.

“He is registered and eligible to play. We still have got to do a couple of final things with him and then we will see.

“We’ve tracked him all season and he’s definitely someone we are really excited about.”

There was some positive news for Tottenham fans from the manager, however, as he revealed Mikey Moore “potentially could be available to be on the bench.”

The 17-year-old winger has made his debut and played 10 times this season, but hasn’t featured since October 30 due to illness impacting his fitness levels.

Rodrigo Bentancur is also now available after his seven-game suspension for saying South Korean Son Heung-min and his cousins “all look the same.”

Given Tottenham are facing pressure to win silverware after a 17-year trophy drought, we can expect Postecoglou to keep his team as strong as possible.

Liverpool head to Tottenham for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash on Wednesday, with changes expected for the Reds.

Tottenham vs. Liverpool

League Cup semi-final first leg | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

January 8, 2025 | 8pm (GMT)

Arne Slot‘s side could only draw 2-2 at home to Man United on Sunday in a bitterly disappointing result.

Premier League duty is traded for domestic cup commitments this week, starting with a midweek trip to Tottenham in the League Cup.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game.

This is the second time Liverpool have travelled the Tottenham in under a month, following the league clash on December 22nd.

The Reds romped to a 6-3 win in that game, with Luis Diaz scoring twice as well as Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah also finding the net.

In truth, the scoreline was kind to Spurs that day, too.

A similar result on Wednesday would assure that Liverpool have more than one foot in the final at Wembley on March 16.

Ange Postecoglou isn’t quite the likeable figure he was when he first arrived at Spurs, with the pressure of the job turning him more prickly.

The aforementioned 6-3 defeat to Liverpool was one of many poor recent results, and his side lost 2-1 at home to Newcastle on Saturday.

Postecoglou still has the support of some Spurs fasn, perhaps because the football is at least entertaining, but he is now pushing his luck.

Positive results need to return soon or the north Londoners could be searching for a new manager.

With Liverpool tackling a busy January schedule, Slot is likely to make changes in midweek, but not necessarily wholesale ones.

Saturday’s FA Cup third round clash with Accrington Stanley at Anfield could see a far weaker starting lineup fielded.

Jarell Quansah could start at Spurs in place of Ibrahima Konate, while Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas could come in at full-back.

The likes of Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez are all pushing to start, too.

Szoboszlai is still struggling to overcome illness and is a doubt, while Joe Gomez is Liverpool’s only injury absentee.

Predicted Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Jota

Spurs are still tackling an injury crisis, not least at centre-back, with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven still missing.

Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies are all absentees in the back-line, so Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray could again start at centre-back.

Fraser Forster and Wilson Odobert are two others who are missing.

Richarlison, Mikey Moore and Antonin Kinsky all took part in training on Monday, with the latter a new signing in goal who has now been granted a work permit.

Rodrigo Bentancur is back after suspension but Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison are banned.

Possible Tottenham XI: Austin; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Reguilon; Bissouma, Bergvall; Johnson, Kulusevski, Son; Solanke

Spurs may be seen as one of the biggest clubs in the country, but their lack of trophies in recent decades is extraordinary.

The north Londoners haven’t won a piece of silverware since their League Cup triumph in 2008, beating Chelsea 2-1 in the final thanks to a Jonathan Woodgate winner in extra-time.

In the 17 years prior to that, Spurs won just one FA Cup and League Cup apiece, in 1991 and 1999, respectively.

Supporting them must be an absolute nightmare!

After a dreadful performance against United, Slot spoke honestly about Trent Alexander-Arnold, showing him support but saying improvements are needed:

“It is normal that you talk to players, in this situation it wasn’t his best game so there were things I had to show which he has to improve.

“That’s what you do after every game. Sometimes you show them how well they did, mostly when it comes to work rate – so you don’t have to say their brilliant 80-yard pass because they know.

“And sometimes you have to show them what they can improve, but I don’t only do this with Trent.

“We were just talking about Macca, if you look at the second goal we concede, if he sprints a bit hard he can cut off the shot from Diallo as well. There’s always things you can improve.”

No team in the history of the League Cup has won the competition more times than Liverpool, with the Reds tasting glory on 10 occasions.

The first of those came in 1981, before winning the next three in succession – two under Bob Paisley and one with Joe Fagan in charge.

Liverpool had to wait until 1995 for their next triumph, before sealing victory in 2001 en route to Gerard Houllier’s Reds winning a cup treble.

Further League Cup wins came in 2003, 2012 and 2022, before last season’s memorable final win over Chelsea at Wembley, thanks to Virgil van Dijk‘s winner.

Last season, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Diaz scored 54 goals between them in all competitions, finding the net 25, 16 and 13 times, respectively.

This time around, the trio already have 45 combined, 21 of which have come from Salah, who could be enjoying his greatest-ever season for Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Gakpo and Diaz have netted 12 times apiece, highlighting how prolific they have been in half a campaign compared to a whole season in 2023/24.

Assuming they all stay fit, they should dismantle last term’s combined tally in the coming months.

• READ HERE: Explained – How League Cup VAR trial will work at Tottenham vs. Liverpool

Stuart Attwell will referee Wednesday’s game, in what is his second Liverpool outing of the season.

The first was the 2-0 win at home to Brentford in the Premier League in August, where he handed yellow cards to Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.

James Mainwaring and Constantine Hatzidakis are Attwell’s assistants, it is the latter’s first Liverpool game since elbowing Robertson in the jaw in 2023.

Tim Robinson is fourth official and Paul Tierney is on VAR.

A VAR trial will also be on show on Wednesday, with in-stadium announcements by referees made following checks. It means for the first time ever in the English game, crowds and viewers at home will be able to hear officials announce their final decisions.

Tottenham vs. Liverpool is live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm (GMT), with kickoff at 8pm.

This Is Anfield‘s matchday will be off and running from 7.15pm, with Henry Jackson in charge of keeping you entertained.

Come on you Reds!

The dates and kickoff times have now been confirmed for when Liverpool will meet Tottenham over two legs for a place in the Carabao Cup final.

Arne Slot‘s side were drawn against Spurs after securing their place in the last four with a 2-1 win over Southampton, having already overcome West Ham and Brighton.

The two teams will meet over two games, with it now been confirmed that the first leg at Tottenham will be held on Wednesday, January 8 at 8pm.

A return to Anfield for the second leg will then take place on Thursday, February 6 at 8pm.

Ange Postecoglou’s side nearly surrendered a 3-0 lead in their quarter-final against Man United before hanging on for 4-3 victory to secure their place in the semi-final.

And they now know first-hand what the Reds are capable of having been on the end of a 6-3 defeat from Slot’s men.

Who do the Reds play either side of the semi-finals?

The Reds have a busy schedule around the time of their semi-finals, but could find themselves with a free weekend after the second leg if they do not progress beyond Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.

First leg (A) – Jan 8

Before: Man United (H) – Jan 5

After: Accrington Stanley – FA Cup – Jan 11

Second leg (H) – Feb 6

Before: Bournemouth (A) – Feb 1

After: Possible FA Cup fourth round – Feb 8

When is the final?

The final will take place at Wembley on Sunday, March 16, the final game before the March international break.

If Liverpool progress to the final, their Premier League trip to Aston Villa that weekend will be forced to be rearranged to later in the campaign.

Ryan Gravenberch has given Liverpool fans an idea of the “game plan” against Tottenham, admitting the Reds targeted one specific player.

Arne Slot‘s side produced a masterclass on Sunday afternoon, thumping Spurs 6-3 at their own stadium to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

While the three goals conceded were slightly frustrating, it was a game that Liverpool completely dominated, on a day that saw their title odds shorten after Chelsea dropped points at Everton.

Arne Slot nailed his team selection and tactics at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and speaking to LFCTV, Gravenberch admitted they targeted Radu Dragusin at right centre-back.

“Yeah, we had a really good game plan, we wanted to keep them on the right side and press the right centre-back,” Gravenberch said.

“Sometimes it went well and sometimes they did it good, but by the end, I think we did really well.”

Gravenberch, who was once again outstanding, also explained other key factors behind Liverpool’s victory, including a fast start being important.

“Energy in the attacking part, I think. At the end we scored six goals and that was the key part,” he added.

“We know Tottenham give everything here from the start, so we wanted to give more than them.

“I think we did that in the beginning and we scored really nice goals.”

It’s fascinating to hear Gravenberch be so honest about Liverpool’s approach, considering how many players and managers are coy about tactics in the modern game.

The fact that Liverpool targeted Dragusin is interesting, considering 18-year-old Archie Gray was at left centre-back, in a role he rarely plays.

As Gravenberch alludes to, though, it was an approach that paid off handsomely and Spurs’ defence simply couldn’t live with the Reds’ attack all afternoon.

While the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai made the headlines in north London, the Dutchman was once again integral to Liverpool getting all three points.