Tottenham have shown themselves to be one of the most inconsistent teams in the English top flight, capable of comfortably defeating Manchester United in the Carabao Cup semi-finals only to suffer a crushing 6-3 loss to Liverpool. Despite the challenges this season, Dejan Kulusevski has emerged as Tottenham’s standout performer. The former Juventus playmaker reflected on the team’s latest defeat shortly after the match.
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Kulusevski netted Spurs’ second goal with a stunning volley from a chipped pass by Dominic Solanke. Throughout the match, the Tottenham midfielder gave his all to bring the hosts back into contention. The Swedish international consistently challenged defenders, battled in duels, and worked tirelessly to score and create opportunities. However, despite his efforts, Liverpool proved to be in a league of their own.
Kulusevski highlights Tottenham’s fatigue in Liverpool defeat
Kulusevski openly recognised the challenges Tottenham faced due to their persistent injury woes and the decision to stick with the same starting XI against Manchester United and Liverpool just days apart. He admitted the team struggled to match Liverpool’s intensity, with fatigue hampering their ability to play at their usual high-energy level. Despite the defeat, he highlighted their commitment to maintaining their philosophy, even when it doesn’t yield favourable results.
Inconsistent performances have placed additional scrutiny on Ange Postecoglou, whose insistence on sticking to his principles has drawn mixed reactions. As the team heads into the second half of the season, Postecoglou’s position appears increasingly in jeopardy.
The 24 year old speaking to NBC Sports, revealed
“I don’t think that [Liverpool were too good for Tottenham], I think we wanted to match them in their energy, we want to play at a high intensity and high on energy but with the same players that played two days ago, it’s not that easy.”
“Today, you could see the difference that they were much more fresher and we didn’t have the legs to play our football.”
“That’s facts [that Tottenham’s injuries have hurt them]. We played the same team on Thursday and Sunday and then of course, we should think maybe to play a little bit differently but we want to always play in the same way so you have to live with the result. We went out there, we played our football and we lost.”
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The Swede played the full match against Liverpool and delivered a standout moment with his brilliant goal. His performance remains a beacon of consistency in a team struggling to find it. Spurs will be hoping he can maintain this level, something the club as a whole has failed to do this season.