It may have looked like easy sailing for the Reds, but a lot more craft went into the preparation than meets the eye.
Liverpool traveled to London in order to face Tottenham Hotspur for the first time this season. It was a heavily anticipated match, like it often is whenever the two sides meet. Both of which have shown the entertainment factor in big games, and today didn’t disappoint.
Tottenham suffered a bad day at the office, which is always to be expected a few times each season. I don’t think this result will dictate the year for them, but improvements certainly need to be made.
A masterclass by Liverpool.
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Liverpool are no strangers to impressing against the big sides. The Premier League top six hate coming up against Jurgen Klopp’s men, because more often they not they end up taking all three points. You can credit this to a number of different factors, but today, it was all down to Klopp.
I could write a book on the beauty of his high-pressing style, but it’s always risky to adopt this style against Spurs. Not just because their defense is usually so composed, but because Mauricio Pochettino also likes to adopt this style.
This Spurs side, who has come so close to success in recent seasons, is known for their ability to press the opposing defense. The likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen have been key figureheads to this, with a number of others coming and going.
However, Liverpool made them look silly in that regard. The fiery front three of Liverpool pressed the usually-resilient Spurs defense, and we all know who prevailed. In truth, Spurs looked frail 99% of the time, always scared of having the front three breathe down their necks.
Excellent elevation for the season.
It looked shaky towards the end, but overall this was a very convincing game from Liverpool’s point of view. If they can continue on with this style, then I wouldn’t be surprised to see them challenging for the title throughout the entirety of the season.
We saw today how nervous the high-pressing style can make opposing defenses. Liverpool have, in a way, deviated from this style given their acquisitions. Now, they prefer to drive at the opposition, with the likes of Naby Keita and Sadio Mane leading the charge. It will be interesting to see which style they adopt throughout the season.
Do you think Liverpool can win the league this year?