Liverpool vs Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou must care...

Liverpool prolonged their unbeaten run within the Premier League to 19 video games by defeating Bournemouth on Saturday.

They’ve barely put a foot flawed all season, underlined by a predictably quiet Deadline Day, the place zero enterprise was completed and Arne Slot’s gamers got time to get pleasure from two uncommon days off.

Slot had been clear on his stance all through January. He trusts his squad and is proud of the choices he is obtained in reserve too. Federico Chiesa stays the one outfield addition to reach at Anfield up to now three home windows and but Liverpool are within the strongest place they have been for years, with cash safely stashed for summer season spending.

Their subsequent task is a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg assembly with Tottenham on Thursday, reside on Sky Sports activities, and based mostly on the power of their latest conviction many will anticipate Slot to make a beneficial end result look simple.

Thursday sixth February 7:00pm


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However there have been indicators, nonetheless few and fleeting, that Liverpool could be obtained at.

Ange Postecoglou will try to poke holes in Slot’s plan a lot in the identical approach his aspect did within the reverse leg – a 1-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – which fashioned a part of a much less convincing run of type for the league leaders.

The loss got here after a 2-2 draw with Manchester United earlier than needing to rescue a point at Nottingham Forest. Liverpool do not have many weaknesses and the emphasis, due to this fact, on an hermetic sport plan which mixes good decision-making with composure and readability is what Spurs want most on Thursday.

Forest and Man Utd are two of three groups – alongside Fulham – to journey to Anfield this season and keep away from defeat, and the bravery of these three performances ought to present the idea for Postecoglou’s technique.

Absolutely Tottenham’s greatest hope is to make the tie fraught and unsettling, fastidiously selecting the moments to be pragmatic however equally progressive. That is to not say Liverpool cannot combat hearth with hearth but when Postecoglou’s setup is well mannered sufficient to permit the hosts to press at full tempo they danger being taken aside piece by piece.

Regardless of winning 2-0 at Bournemouth on Saturday, Liverpool set season-lows for sequences and move success in their very own half – linking to the Cherries’ excessive press – and wanted a penalty to interrupt the impasse.

Ryan Gravenberch was compelled to man-manage Justin Kluivert and it diminished his effectivity in shifting Liverpool forwards. The sacrificial midfielder made a weekend-high seven tackles.

Bournemouth nonetheless hit the woodwork twice – each entries got here from Kluivert passes – and created three ‘huge probabilities’, as many as Liverpool did.

An incapacity to deal with the strategic positioning of a No 10 who can play between the strains has damage Liverpool this season and putting Gravenberch in a way more defensive-minded position on Saturday was proof of such. Maybe, then, some classes have been learnt however there’s takeaways for Tottenham to contemplate too.

Each Fulham in mid-December and United in early January compelled Liverpool far deeper than they’re snug enjoying at Anfield, utilizing width in advantageous areas to tug gamers out of place, whereas the foremost striker stayed excessive to create gaps.

Alex Iwobi and Bruno Fernandes had been the dominant playmakers on every event.

Jamie Carragher examined Man United’s success on Monday Night time Soccer, figuring out how Fernandes’ invasive positioning was important to pinning Liverpool again. Slot did not see it coming.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – who will miss Thursday’s sport by damage – was always caught between Diogo Dalot and Fernandes whereas Amad had the beating of torpid Andy Robertson, attracted inside to assist, on the alternative aspect.

Entrance-footed Dejan Kulusevski is greater than able to enjoying the identical position in a focused method, profiting from Liverpool’s weaker right-hand aspect. Every of the 4 objectives Liverpool conceded at Anfield in January got here down the opposition left (three crosses, one nook).

Two of the three they shipped in defeat at PSV final week additionally got here by way of that very same route.

Within the residence leg of this tie 29 days in the past it was Lucas Bergvall who almost profited from charging Alisson, forcing the error earlier than Pedro Porro sliced inexplicably vast. Postecoglou fell to his knees on the touchline however the reprieve arrived within the 86th minute when 18-year-old Bergvall stroked residence the winner after Dominic Solanke had bullied Ibrahima Konate off the ball.

By the way, it was Richarlison – in Solanke’s damage absence – who registered essentially the most pressures (45) of any participant throughout gameweek 24 as Spurs beat Brentford 2-0 on the weekend.

And it is that very same bullishness that Postecoglou’s aspect should embrace at Anfield. To permit Liverpool to settle can be to give up management and in all chance concede the consequence too.

Spurs may be depleted by injuries. They may assume that lightning won’t ever strike twice. However the one-off nature of the upcoming 90 minutes absolutely fits their gung-ho type higher. They play like there aren’t any penalties most weeks, and on this event, there aren’t actually. So be thrilling, be aggressive.

In spite of everything, Spurs have gained extra cup video games (10) than Premier League video games (8) this season, whereas Postecoglou has joined a really choose pool of managers who’ve masterminded a win over Slot since his arrival in England.

Liverpool may be the most effective workforce within the league, with essentially the most full squad, and a powerful command of their future in all 4 competitions however they don’t seem to be unbeatable – if solely Spurs had an relevant blueprint for a way…

Watch Liverpool vs Tottenham within the Carabao Cup semi-final, reside on Sky Sports activities Soccer and Sky Sports activities Principal Occasion from 7pm on Thursday.