TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
3 LIVERPOOL
6
   
(1) (3)
  Date : –  Sunday 22nd December 2024
Kick off : –  16.30
  Competition : – Premier League
Venue : –   Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
  Crowd : –  61,439
  Referee : –  Sam Borratt (Yorkshire) Linesmen : – Mr. Lee Betts; Mr. Wade Smith
  Fourth official : –  Michael Oliver
  VAR official : –  Paul Tierney VAR Assistant : –  Sian Massey-Ellis 
  Weather : –  Light rain at start of match, very cold
  Spurs kicked off the first half attacking the Paxton Road end
  Playing time : –   90 + 9 minutes

 

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR LIVERPOOL
GOAL-SCORERS
      Maddison  40m 39s   Diaz  22m 05s
      Kulusevski  71m 42s   MacAllister  35m 26s
      Solanke  82m 07s   Szoboszlai  45+0m 43s
         Salah  53m 34s
        Salah  60m 02s
        Diaz  84m 43s
  CARDS
    Bergvall  (foul on Jota)  79   Gakpo (foul on Sarr)  31
         Szoboszlai  (foul on Bissouma)  52
    
TEAM
20.   Fraser FORSTER 1.   ALISSON
     
23.   Pedro PORRO 66.   Trent ALEXANDER-ARNOLD 
6.   Radu DRAGUSIN 2.   Joe GOMEZ
14.   Archie GRAY 4.   Virgil van DIJK (c)
24.   Djed SPENCE 26.   Andrew ROBERTSON 
      
29.   Pape Matar SARR (  15.   Lucas BERGVALL  58   )   38.   Ryan GRAVENBERCH
8.   Yves BISSOUMA 10.   Alexis MacALLISTER     (  2.   Curtis JONES  68
   
21.   Dejan KULUSEVSKI  11.   Mohammed SALAH           (  2.   Harvey ELLIOTT  87)
10.   James MADDISON   (  12.   Brennan JOHNSON  58  8.   Dominik SZOBASZLAI         
7.   Heung-Min SON  (c)  (  16.   Timo WERNER  82)  19.   Cody GAKPO     (  2.   Diego JOTA  68)
      
19.   Dominic SOLANKE    7.   Luis DIAZ       (  2.   Darwin NUNEZ  87)
Substitutes Substitutes
  40.   Brandon AUSTIN 62.   Caoimihin KELLEHER
  3.   Sergio REGUILON 78.   Jarrell QUANSAH
  48.   Alfie DORRINGTON 3.   Kostas TSIMIKAS
  13.   Destiny UDOGIE 5.   Wataru ENDO
  64.   Callum OLUSESI 98.   Trey NYONI
  42.   Will LANKSHEAR   

    = Assist        =  Goal scored       =  Own goal scored

Manager : – Ange Postecoglou Manager : –  Arne Slot
Kit Supplier : – Nike Kit Supplier : –  Nike
Shirt Sponsor : – AIA Shirt Sponsor : – Standard Chartered
Shirt Sleeve Sponsor : –  Kraken Shirt Sleeve Sponsor : – Expedia
Colours : – Colours : –
Images of kits courtesy of the marvellous Colours of Football website

 

MATCH REPORT
  Sometimes, you just have to accept that we have been beaten by the better team and while we managed to score three goals against Liverpool, they got six and could have had more as the weight of games we have played and the injured players we are missing.  Liverpool were on their game from the start and cut through Tottenham when they won the ball with Spurs having numbers committed to attack.

Travelling to the game none too hopeful, I was surprised when in the opening 20 seconds, Spurs kicked off long, winning the second ball, freeing Son down the left and flashing a ball across the face of goal without a Spurs player near it.  He was offside, but it was a fast start, although when it looked as though Spurs were trying not to pass back to Forster, from a Spurs goal-kick in the second minute, we did and Fraser chipped a short pass straight to Salah’s chest.  12 yards out, just to his right of the goal, you expected to see the net ripple, but, with Yves Bissouma in front of him, he drove a half-volley into the side-netting to the relief of the majority of the crowd with just over two minutes gone.

Tottenham couldn’t clear the ball out of their defensive third as Liverpool swung in cross after cross, before Diaz curled a shot wide of the far post from the left.  Porro blocked a Robertson cross with his groin, which looked quite painful on a cold day, but when the corner came it, it dropped among a group of players at the near post before being cleared to Alexander-Arnold, who crossed out of play.  Spurs managed to play out, only for Gravenberch to bring down Maddison, with the free-kick played around with Kulusevski and Porro doing good work tight to the side-line before it was played to Bissouma, who gave it to Pedro.  He played a great diagonal pass out to Son on the left and he kept it in jumping to control it with his chest, but he had space although he didn’t make use of it.    

It is unsurprising that Liverpool are doing so well, as Son played a little pass outside Alexander-Arnold for Maddison to collect just before the dead-ball line and the Liverpool man just barged James over from behind, getting nothing on the ball, so the ref, who was to have a nightmare game, gave a goal-kick.  Borratt had been slated for a match he reffed a couple of weeks ago, but he still gets selected for top level matches, when his level of consistency is incredibly poor … for both sides.  When A-A got the ball wide right, he curled a pass around Djed Spence to pick out Salah’s run behind Archie Gray, with the Egyptian flicking the ball at goal just level with the near post and Fraser did well to save it, but the ball ran loose in the box to Szobaszlai to shoot low and Pape Matar Sarr did even better throwing a block to keep the ball out.

Sarr tried to bring the ball away, but MacAllister was holding him back, making Pape’s pass go straight to a red shirt. Nothing weas given and when Bissouma did the same to MacAllister, a free-kick was given !  Diaz pushed Porro as a diagonal pass came across the pitch and set up a shot for Gakpo, but he blazed it over the bar.  Pedro was then involved in a Spurs attack, playing the ball beyond Robertson for Kulusevski to find space to take the ball on and run at the Liverpool defence before squaring it to Sarr, who hit a shot with his weaker left foot that sliced a yard wide.  It was end-to-end stuff and when Gakpo’s ball went through the box to Salah at the back of a group of players, Djed twice got himself in the way to stop Salah’s shots.  It was the bar that came to Tottenham’s aid when Bissouma played a loose pass outside the box and it was worked right to Salah, who dragged the ball past Gray and fired a rising shot that hit the bar in the 18th minute. 

When Maddison sent Son away down the left, Szobaszlai got a tackle in and then obstructed the Spurs captain as he went to retrieve the ball which would have seen him in the clear, but the ref allowed play to continue without a free-kick and led to a Liverpool attack that ended with Archie Gray making a fine interception to a low cross from the left and putting the ball out for a corner, just missing the goal by a matter of feet.  It was given as offside anyway, but the Hungarian impeding Son should have been a free-kick at the very least, as he didn’t get anything on the ball.

It was just after 22 minutes that A-A bent another cross in from the right and Diaz made a run between Porro and Dragusin to head down to Forster’s left to opening the scoring. Spurs almost hit back as Solanke got into the box, looking to play it across for Son, but Gomez slid in to block it for a corner.  It was played short and Dejan came in off the right to hit a left-foot shot, but got no curl on it and it flew a few yards wide of the far post.   Forster had to get down quickly to save Diaz’s shot from just outside the D with a dive to his right, but balls into the box were being blocked by Spurs, but they were dropping in the area, so there was some panicky defending, including Dragusin kicking Solanke in the head as they tried to get the ball away.     

Gakpo got a justified yellow card when Sarr took the ball off him and nicked it away before the Dutch winger tripped him to stop Spurs getting forward.  When MacAllister fell all over Kulusevski, Dejan tried to take a quick free-kick and put Son away beyond the last man, but the referee pulled it back as it was taken a yard ahead of the place the foul was committed.  The ball started in the Liverpool defence before Robertson crossed without anyone engaging him, Szobaszlai won the ball in the air in the box and MacAllister was free just to his left to head past Forster into the top left corner of the keeper’s net.  To be 2-0 down in 35 minutes was a little sooner than I expected as we had discussed an acceptable score and to lose by two was what we had come to think would be reasonably OK.  

Spurs were getting the ball into the Liverpool defensive third a bit more and when a blocked Maddison shot popped up, Sarr struck a volley from outside the box, but it was a fairly comfortable one, being straight at Alisson.  As Liverpool tried to bring out out from the keeper, Kulusevski won the ball from MacAllister and it ran to Maddison inside the right side of the D and he thumped a shot past Alisson to the keeper’s left and got Tottenham back into the game.  James squeezed it between van Dijk and Gomez to find the net, but, being Liverpool, of course they complained about it as nothing is allowed to go against them.  In this case, there was nothing to argue about, as Dejan made no contact with the opposition midfielder until the Argentinian rolled over and then started grabbing his chest.  The arrogance of van Dijk to follow the ref and then hold the ball delaying the restart is beyond belief.

Just when you though we were going to go into the interval one goal down, Szobaszlai flicked the ball onto Salah, who ran to his left and then reverse passed it back to the midfielder, who slipped a shot under Fraser to make it 3-1 a minute into added time.  Liverpool had four on two of our defenders, so Salah was spoiled for choice as to who he would assist.  Within minutes, Ange’s half time team talk had to change. 

At the start of the second half, in one Spurs run Bissouma and Sarr were both fouled but it was only when Gravenberch went down that the ref blew his whistle for a challenge by Bissouma that was no better nor worse than the two that preceded it.  Persistent fouls by Gravenberch and MacAllister were not punished, which only allowed them to commit more.  The referee stopped play when van Dijk challenged Solanke and it wasn’t a head injury, but he got up without treatment and played on.  Why ?

Szobaszlai pulled Bissouma back and got a booking, which the referee hadn’t given to others who had done so.  In the 54th minute, Liverpool broke from the back and had a five on four overload on the Spurs defenders, as Gakpo was fed into the area, his square ball was cut out by Gray with a sliding interception, Szobaszlai dragged it at goal, where Archie blocked it again, but it went in front of Salah, who fired in from two yards out.  With Spurs players committed to attack, the speed of Liverpool’s break caught Spurs out.

A straight ball for Szobaszlai from the keeper put him through, but Forster did well to come out and force him to the Hungarian’s left and he could only scoop a shot into the side-netting.  But it wasn’t long before Salah made it 5-1 with possession won and then moved through Gakpo to Szobaszlai who squared it to Salah to put the ball into an unguarded net.  Still half an hour left !

Forster hit a dipping shot towards the top right corner and Fraser reached out a big right hand to keep it out.  From the corner, the ball was played short and crosse din by MacAllister to van Dijk, who won an unchallenged header, knocking it down in front of goal.  Gakpo and Robertson were there, but Fraser slapped the ball away before the winger could get onto it and then Diaz tried a falling scissors-kick that went into the ground, but Forster had time to go to ground to save it.  We were not getting to balls first, as Liverpool had the opportunity to rest players in their midweek League Cup tie while our were involved in that crazy game against Mancashter United.  It was also a reason why they had an out-ball available, with players ready to support that man.  Son was regularly being caught offside, which was probably also due to tiredness, as he doesn’t usually get flagged for it.

When Djed Spence cut out a ball for Salah he played it forward to Kulusevski, who passed to Solanke.  Just outside the area, Dom dinked a ball over the Liverpool defence and Dejan had continued his run to power a left-foot volley past Alisson’s right to cut the score back to 2-5.  A great assist from Solanke and a well-deserved goal for Kulusevski.

Rattled and starting to slack off, Liverpool conceded a throw and Solanke would have been away from a quick throw, but the ref decided to pull it back when he hadn’t bothered all game.  Johnson then took it from the same place as the first one without being pulled up for it.  Another ball put Diaz straight through and Forster came halfway, went back and then came again and there was enough pressure from recovering defenders to force Diaz to lob the keeper, but the ball landed on the roof of the net.

Jota was amazed that he had a free-kick against him when he had pushed Kulusevski three times in a 30 yard run before knocking him to the ground.  Surprisingly, he wasn’t booked but when he went over Bergvall’s challenge, the Swede was booked,  It was his second offence, but Liverpool players had been making persistent fouls without the referee noticing them.  Forster  reacted well when A-A’s cross from the right side of the box came off Archie Gray’s knee and he threw up a hand to push it over.  Szobaszlai had two shots from the following corner, which were well defended first by van Dijk and then Bissouma.  Spurs moved the ball out of the box and Dejan was bundled over by Diaz in a cynical foul to stop the winger getting away from him.

Werner came on for Son, with immediate effect, as he was involved in the move and made a run that took people away, giving Bergvall time to hang up a cross to the far post, where Brennan Johnson win a header back across goal against Robertson and as the ball was going beyond him, Dom was there to hit a half-volley as he fell on the six-yard line, with van Dijk failing to make a challenge.  It was another goal that was due to Solanke, who had put so much hard work into the performance.  There was only seven minutes left, but the score was taking on an air of respectability.  

Liverpool responded with a Jota drive that Fraser plunged to his left to palm away, but Salah played the ball down the right side of the box for Diaz to run onto and he shot low across Forster with his right foot.  so, it was 6-3 with five minutes until the end of the 90.  But still the excitement didn’t end.  Werner ran A-A and left him behind like he had Kyle Walker a few weeks ago and although his cross was blocked, the ball came to the far side and Johnson fired low back across the keeper, who got down to it well and pushed it wide.  Gomez just got a head to the ball as Bergvall’s cross was aimed at Dragusin at the far post.

There was still space for Liverpool to exploit and when Nunes went down the left his cross was blocked by Dragusin, who did well to keep the ball in on his own dead-ball line, with time seeming to stand still as the ball sat there and nobody moved towards it until Bissouma collected it and moved the ball away from our goal.

One of the differences in the two sides was when Liverpool had the ball, they had a number of options on who they were going to pass to, but we didn’t.  Maybe it was indicative of the tiredness in a group of players who have to play every game, but the opponents were so quick in transition that it only took a few passes to turn defence into attack.  That tiredness was probably not only physical, but mental too.  We were guilty of giving the ball away cheaply, but again, decision making is affected by tired minds.

Another difference is that Liverpool had a period of stability under one manager that allowed them to build not only a style, but the basis of a team that has grown together and added a player here and there.  Spurs are only 18 months into this latest project after a period of turmoil, changing managers and styles having started off from a lower base point.  Yes, it is only five years agon since we played them in the Champions League final, but even reaching that match was ahead of time in the development of the team.  

The strength of the relative squads was reflected in the bench, where their players returning from injury were ready to come on, but Destiny Udogie was rightly not risked as the game was lost, but Ange is right when he bemoans our injury situation because it not only robs us of our first team choices, but puts a heavy workload on those who are left to be selected.  Thursday/Sunday will continue after New Year and the further we go in competitions, the more regular that will be.  Not winning against Roma or Rangers means that the opportunity to rest players in the final two Europa League games has evaporated and it will be interesting to see the side Postecoglou puts out against Tamworth.  Start with a first XI or bring them on having begun with a younger side ?  It comes in the middle of matches against Newcash, Woolwich and the first leg of the League Cup semi against Liverpool and after the final two matches of this year away at Forest, who are riding high and at home to Wolves, who are on a new manager bounce with a 3-0 win at Leicester today.

I didn’t seem to be as affected by the game as some of the fans around me, who were apoplectic with the way the game went.  By all means, it wasn’t great to lose 6-3, but look at it realistically.  We have been getting away on some occasions without our first choices, but today we got found out big time.  It was a game we could have done without at this time and Liverpool are by far and away the best side we have faced at the THS this season.  Yes, it could have been better if we hadn’t left a huge gap in midfield, but then again, this was about the best we could do with the resources available today.  And credit to the fans who got behind the team when they were losing 1-5 and to those who left at that score, you missed the best bits of our performance today. 

Stamford Rivers

 

MATCH NOTES
 

 

OTHER RESULTS
  Aston Villa 2 Mancashter City 1
  Brentford 0 Nottingham Forest 2
  Ipswich Town 0 Newcash United 4
  West Ham United London 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 1
  Crystal Palace 1 Woolwich Wanderers 5
  Everton 0 Chelsea 0
  Fulham 0 South Coast Big Club 0
  Leicester City 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3
  Mancashter United 0 AFC Bournemouth 3


Premier League Table 2024-25

Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points Goal difference
1 Liverpool 16 12 3 1 37 16 39 +21
2 Chelsea 17 10 5 2 37 19 35 +18
3 Woolwich Wanderers 17 9 6 2 34 16 33 +18
4 Nottingham Forest 17 9 4 4 23 19 31 +4
5 AFC Bournemouth 17 8 4 5 27 21 28 +6
6 Aston Villa 17 8 4 5 26 26 28 0
7 Mancashter City 17 8 3 6 29 25
27 +4
8 Newcash United 17 7 5 5 27 21 26 +6
9 Fulham 17 6 7 4 24 22 25 +2
10 Brighton & Hove Albion 17 6 7 4 27 26 25 +1
11 Tottenham Hotspur 17 7 2 8 39 25 23 +14
12 Brentford 17 7 2 8 32 32 23 0
13 Mancashter United 17 6 4 7 21 22 22 -1
14 West Ham United London 17 5 5 7 22 30 20 -8
15 Everton 0 3 7 6 14 21 16 -7
16 Crystal Palace 17 3 7 7 18 26 16 -8
17 Leicester City 17 3 5 9 21 37 14 -16
18 Wolverhampton Wanderers 17 3 3
11 27 40 12 -13
19 Ipswich Town 17 2 6 9 16 32 12 -16
20 South Coast Big Club 17 1 3 13 11 36 6 -25