Liverpool secured three points against a nine-man Tottenham team on Saturday, but Arne Slot’s men didn’t make it easy for themselves.
After Xavi Simons was sent off in the 34th minute, the game should have been the Reds’ for the taking.
However, Arne Slot was forced to make changes at the break as even with a man advantage, his side created nothing of note in the first half.
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Who was your Man of the Match during the tight win over Spurs?
Hugo Ekitike celebrates on the pitch at full-time after Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League
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The Dutchman was rewarded 11 minutes into the second half when substitute Alexander Isak scored after being set up by Florian Wirtz.
Hugo Ekitike then added to his ever-growing goal tally in the 66th minute, and that should have been that.
Why Liverpool nearly failed to beat nine-man Tottenham
However, as we have seen on so many occasions this season, including in the 3-3 draw with Leeds United when Liverpool blew two-goal and one-goal leads, Slot’s men don’t exactly hold their nerve at the end of matches.
Their dire performance late on was summed up perfectly by Gary Neville, who, when speaking on commentary for Sky Sports, said: “Liverpool have been appalling in the last few minutes.
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“It would be unforgivable for them to concede one now.”
Thankfully, they didn’t. But there was no reason for the ending of that match, which was eventually against nine men following Cristian Romero’s second yellow, to be so nerve-racking.
Speaking after the tie, Slot was asked, as per the BBC, ‘why was it such a nervy ending?’
He explained: “We didn’t keep the ball when we had the ball. We kicked it away, they got a few free-kicks, a few throw-ins, corners. It became very chaotic and hectic.
“Overall, we had good control over the game. Six games unbeaten, four wins and two draws. We are definitely not perfect yet but both of our number nines scored. Again, positives to take from the game.
“In the Premier League there is never a game that is boring. If the other team goes down to 10 then wingers are very important. Jeremie (Frimpong) is the one who created 2-0 with his actions.”
Arne Slot following Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool - Premier League
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Liverpool’s problem is clear
It was frustrating to watch for Liverpool fans, but the reason for the continued poor end to matches, especially when there’s something on the line, seems obvious.
Firstly, neither Virgil van Dijk nor Ibrahima Konate have been anywhere near their best this season, which in turn invites more pressure on the backline.
Secondly, as Wayne Rooney pointed out a couple of months ago, Liverpool are lacking any real leaders.
Alisson is one of the more senior players in the team, but he was guilty of, as Slot mentioned, kicking the ball out straight back to Spurs when the away side had possession and should have been controlling the game.
Is there an easy fix to this persistent issue? Probably not, but something needs to change if Liverpool are to get back to their best again.
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