Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, acknowledges the fans after the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, acknowledges the fans after the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
When Tottenham Hotspur overcame nine-man Liverpool at home last season, courtesy of a last-minute Joel Matip own goal, the celebrations that followed were wild. It was only September 30 but with 'Angeball' all the rage, Spurs were understandably excited.
Admittedly, they were second in the table and still unbeaten after seven games following the win, but their reaction prompted raised eyebrows from onlookers.
They had faced 10 men for 64 minutes and nine men for 21 minutes, after Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were both controversially sent off, before Matip put into his own net in the 96th minute. But they also benefited greatly from a Luis Diaz strike infamously being incorrectly chalked off for offside by VAR, with the mistake was put down to ‘significant human error’.
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Evidently, that took nothing away from the celebrations of Ange Postecoglou’s side as they did a lap of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as victory music continued to play, and even brought their children onto the pitch to take it all in.
Their Premier League unbeaten start would stretch to 10 games, by which point they sat top of the table. But then three successive defeats and a five-game winless run derailed them. And so by the end of November they had dropped to fifth in the table.
They would spend the rest of the campaign flirting with a top four finish only to fall short come May. Never has the idiom, ‘Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,’ been more apt.
It perhaps went without saying that Tottenham are a club who have not won a league title since 1961, and have lifted only two trophies since 1991. It is understandable why they allowed themselves to get carried away. But the reaction, both over the top and premature, is also why they fail.
Now 15 months later and those celebrations were chalk and cheese to Liverpool’s own reaction after inflicting an absolute massacre on Spurs on their first return to the scene of that ‘significant’ crime.
A 6-3 victory did not flatter the Reds as Diaz in particular inflicted personal revenge with a brace. In truth, they should have scored more and it was only their own complacency that granted Tottenham a slightly more respectable final scoreline.
During proceedings, with Liverpool even leading 5-1 at one point, supporters inevitably sang how their side were top of the league and would not be moved. They would offer Christmas carols too, already safe in the knowledge that they would stay top going into the festive period, with the Reds’ version of ‘O come all ye faithful’ a particular favourite in the capital.
But beyond that, in truth, celebrations were rather muted - especially when you consider the emphatic nature of their win over one of the Premier League’s bigger names.
This was, after all, a test that even Jamie Carragher labelled a "really big moment" on Sky Sports in the build-up.. The significance was not lost on anyone of a Red persuasion.
Perhaps things would have been different if Liverpool had won 6-1 rather than 6-3. Or maybe this is just the Arne Slot impact in full effect.
Gone is Jurgen Klopp’s emotional rock and roll football. Gone are the German-led wild celebrations and trademark fist pumps. Under his Dutch successor, the Reds have instead become ruthless, cold-hearted killers.
Their travelling supporters enjoyed their victory in North London, but as soon as the final whistle went, it was onto the next one. Rather than singing long and loud into the night, they returned their players’ and manager’s subtle applause and then went on their way, making the whole spectacle seem rather routine and underwhelming as opposed to this incredible show of attacking might.
Admittedly, the Liverpool dressing room made no secret of their displeasure with their defensive display following the final whistle, such are the high standards they continue to set for themselves.
But they also know they still have much bigger fish to fry. This is a side and fanbase that have both won every major honour and fallen agonisingly short in recent years. They know this marathon isn’t even yet half-run.
A 6-3 victory away at Tottenham, no matter how memorable, means nothing if you aren’t champions come May.