Liverpool (Away) 27.04.2025

Salah had the first shot of the match in the third minute, with a curling shot wide of the far post from the right corner of the box, with Tel’s left wing cross into Johnson’s feet in the middle of the box getting away from him as he tried to control it rather than try a first time shot.  Early in the game, Liverpool were getting lots of men back behind the ball and hitting Spurs on the break.  A cross-field ball from the middle of the centre circle to the left saw Gakpo stretch to control it and nudge it high to the near post, but Vicario was there to grab it, although he didn’t think that he had taken the ball out for a corner, but it was given and when it came in, the spurs keeper punched to the edge of the box where Szoboszlai scuffed a volley that would have gone well wide, Gakpo knocked it up and tried an overhead kick.  Standing on the penalty spot, he hooked the ball wide of Vicario’s right-hand post.  It was the sort of chance that we usually end up picking the ball out of our net, with worldies a speciality against us !

Dominic Solanke’s hassling forced Konate giving away a corner on the Spurs right wing and when James Maddison played the ball into the goalmouth, it was Dom who jumped between MacAllister and  Gravenberch to power a header from a position just outside the six yard box level with the far post back across the goal leaving Alisson helpless.  Just 11 minutes had gone and it was 1-0 to Tottenham !

Tottenham almost handed Liverpool a way back into the match straight away, when playing the ball out from the back, Davies his Salah with a ball up the line and his cross was just over Diaz’s head.  When Salah slipped a pass for Szoboszlai to run in behind Archie Gray, his ball across the goal allowed Diaz to slide the ball in while on the floor a couple of yards out in the middle of the goal.  The linesman raised his flag for someone being offside, but after the customary two and a half minute delay for a VAR it was given.

A similar move two minute safter the goal saw Gakpo slide the ball into the net at the far post, but this time MacAllister had been offside before he passed to Salah to put the ball across.  it only delayed perhaps what was going to be inevitable, with Maddison looking to find Tel down the left with a pass that was cut out and moved forward, with the ball running to Gravenberch, who knocked it in front of MacAllister as he fell for the Argentinian to beat Vicario to the keeper’s left with a shot from the right edge of the D.  So, just the twelve minutes to turn the game around !

Spurs weren’t lying down and a flashing header from Solanke from 12 yards to when he met Maddison’s free-kick brought Alisson into action, tipping it over the bar.  Salah’s break won a corner, which MacAllister had trouble taking as the he couldn’t get the ball to sit still, but playing it in, Spurs got to it first.  However, the ball came out to Gakpo, who stepped past Solanke before clipping the ball into the right bottom corner to make it 3-1.  His shirt came off with a “I Belong To Jesus” vest underneath.  Quite rightly, he was booked for that.

Dom was shutting van Dyck down, but few other Spurs players were closing off options for the back four to pass to and that left them the easy task of playing out.  A coupleof miuntes before half-time, Lucas Bergvall played a ball over Robertson for Johnson to go clear and he played a low ball in to the near post that Solanke missed, but Tel came in at the far post where Konate looked to hook the ball away, but caught Mathys.  The chances of a penalty at Anfield have always been slim and so it proved – even with VAR.  Even the most blatant of fouls results in extreme morale outrage from a red shirt or their manager.  Recklessly flying into tackles that they know they will not get penalised for, they continue on regardless.  It is the entitlement that is the most egregious aspect of their success. 

With Kulusevski and Sarr coming on at half-time for Gray and Maddison, the red tide still came forward and five minutes in, Gakpo tried to be too clever to set up Salah after the ball had been worked into the left side of the box, but the pass was too far ahead of the Egyptian.  He had the opportunity to score with only Vicario to beat and three yards out, but tried to ensure Salah is in with a chance of the Golden Boot.  An endless string of corners were decently defended by Tottenham and only a shot from the right that went off past the opposite post after taking a flick off Ben Davies’ knee  caused much concern.  TAA wanted a penalty when Pape blocked his shot by turning his back with his arms tucked in and then Robertson back-heeled at goal when the ball bounced to him, but Davies was there to hack the ball away a yard off the goal-line.  

A rare shot on the Liverpool goal came when Danso moved forward to pick off a loose ball across the field 30 yards from goal and move forward before dragging his shot wide.  Vic then produced a low dive to his right to hold Gravenberch’s low 25-yarder and when Dejan run into a brick wall on the edge of the home penalty box, MacAllister knocked it short to Szoboszlai and he ran half the pitch unchallenged to slot a pass right to Salah.  He came inside Udogie and buried a low shot into Vicario’s bottom left corner.  4-1. 

Vic then pulled out a good save to deny Szoboszlai coming in from the left and a pass couldn’t be gathered in by Sarr down the left on halfway, which led to the ball being taken left by TAA and his reverse pass gave Jota a shooting opportunity.  When things don’t go for you, they really don’t go for you, with his shot going back to TAA inside the left side of the box to hook the ball across and it was put into his own net by Destiny with Salah right behind him.

At this stage, the score could have been anything.  I gave up on the Reds corner count and when substitute Nunez went through on halfway, it looked like it would be six, but with the goal only protected by Vicario, he tried to square the ball for Salah, but over-hit the pass and the chance was lost.  Another substitute, Elliott, showed a complete lack of class trying to take the mickey and when Richarlison pulled him back, he didn’t like it and both players ended up in the book.

Frankly, it took me a long time to get around to writing this match report, as it seemed like the lowest of many lows this season.  We have lost at Anfield many times before and fought until the end, but the lack of players and the upcoming Europa League semi-final probably made the players keep their powder dry for that match.  The league has gone and with the three promoted teams all heading back where they came from, there is little to play for in the league other than pride … and that was what this performance lacked.  Going ahead was a shock, but you felt it was only a matter of time before the home team kicked into gear.  With the league title there for the taking with a win, their desire was greater.

While this loss handed the title to Liverpool, it wasn’t like last season when there was the furore around fans wanting Spurs to lose to Mancashter City so that Woolwich wouldn’t win the league.  Realistically, there wasn’t much hope of us beating Liverpool on their own turf, as our record against them there is not good.  Plus the Goons were so far behind that there was only a slim chance of them catching the other Reds.

There is no doubt that they are the best team we have played this season, but failing against one of the top sides is one thing that we have not improved on over the last ten years.  Until we do, we will always be the bridesmaid at other club’s celebrations.

• The win gave Liverpool the Premier League title.