Well, that was sh*te!

After a disappointing result in Europe, a struggling Tottenham Hotspur were a welcome visitor to Anfield this Sunday - that was the plan, anyway. 

Match Review:

Wrecked with injuries and without a win this year, the Spurs were on paper the best opposition for Liverpool to play, especially as Chelsea and Aston Villa dropped points prior to kick-off. 

However, with eyebrows raised as Hugo Ekitike was dropped in favour of Cody Gakpo, Liverpool never appeared to settle into a match they historically dominated.

Chances were few against a team that conceded four in the first 25 minutes against Atletico Madrid during the week, with almost all of Liverpool's genuine creativity coming from Rio Ngumoha, who has almost certainly made a strong claim to being Liverpool's first-choice left winger. 

Credit: ESPN

Eventually, when Dominik Szoboszlai’s free kick exposed some dreadful goalkeeping, Liverpool finally took the lead. It briefly looked like the Reds would build from there, but within five minutes, the Spurs began dragging themselves back into the game.

That is effectively how the entire game flowed: Liverpool had periods of domination, often encamped on the edge of the Spurs penalty box. But a lack of creativity (with the exception of one exceptional player), combined with often ponderous and unimaginative build-up play, meant that the North London team - outside of the relegation zone by goal difference alone - were able to build a foothold on a match that would have been dead and buried twelve months ago. 

Even when the cavalry, in this case Hugo Ekitike, Mo Salah and Curtis Jones, arrived in the 64th minute, Liverpool were still unable to break down a Spurs team missing thirteen first-team players. 

Arne Slot's Decisions Under the Microscope

Credit: Liverpool Echo

It's the same story that has permeated this season - Liverpool have the players, and the calibre to beat every football team in world football, but they are constantly hamstrung by tactics that at best seem conservative and worst feel regressive. 

Gakpo, for example, is not a goal scorer - in his entire career, he has scored a grand total of 21 goals in all competitions, which was during the 21/22 season when he was still at PSV in the Netherlands. So, to put him up front, especially as he has only scored eight goals (in forty appearances) this season, from the start is the seemingly myopic move that Arne Slot has been guilty of this season. 

Obviously, Ekitike needs to rest - especially as the season comes to its hectic conclusion - but rest him on sixty minutes, not bring him on and then place him on the wing. 

Gakpo's just one player in a team that seems to have lost ‘it’. For whatever reason, and this writer is putting it squarely at the feet of Arne Slot, Liverpool have lost their mojo in a manner that can't be dismissively waved away as ‘the squad is getting old'. 

Positives From the Spurs Defeat

There are some real highlights in this squad, and some real optimism can be found within the ruins of a season that could be all but over by this time next week. Ngumoha is the real deal and has the ability and raw talent to become one of the best players in Europe, given time.

Florian Wirtz has also grown into his role at the club and given better creation from the Striker in front of him, which will be the catalyst for the success Liverpool has while he is at the club.

Then there's Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool's best player this season by a country mile, who has dragged his team from the depths, driving the team forward that is reminiscent of another ‘number eight' of my youth…

Credit: The Times

And not just as an '8', mind you! He has played as an RB, Defensive Midfielder, and in the front three, and he's owned each position and made it his own. 

There are other players too, Ekitike, Conor Bradley, and even Giovanni Leoni, on his brief cameo at the start of the season, are all capable and taking it to the beast teams in Europe. But right now, they are being forced to play football that seems intent on going for the draw, rather than dominate teams - the way that league champions should. 

Verdict