Two points dropped for Liverpool; a point gained for Tottenham. Stalemate at Anfield on Sunday, huge relief for Spurs’ interim boss Igor Tudor. Richarlison’s late leveller earning the visitors parity, how important could that goal be come the end of the season?
We will know the true value of the Brazilian’s equaliser in a few weeks, and we will also know how damaging Liverpool’s failure to win against their North London counterparts will be. Had they got the better of last season’s Europa League winners, they would be ending the weekend sitting fourth in the Premier League table.
A better goal difference would have seen them sit above Aston Villa in the race for the last guaranteed Champions League invite for next season. Instead, Arne Slot’s side are hoping the lucky European golden ticket that comes with finishing fifth does not expire.
While Tottenham’s relatively bright start expired in the 18th minute. Brazilian defender Souza felling Alexis Mac Allister on the edge of the box – minutes after his rasping effort tested returning compatriot Allison in the Liverpool goal, Dominik Szoboszlai lining up the subsequent free kick.
The Hungarian international’s angles were aligned perfectly; the same cannot be said about Guglielmo Vicario. The Italian offered far too much of his goal to Szoboszlai, an offer that was converted into Liverpool taking the lead.
An early goal and one where Tottenham supporters would have feared the worst. A number of heavy beatings have been dished out while under the tutelage of Igor Tudor, the warning signs for another were starting to appear.
A goal down, 13 senior professionals unavailable for selection. Only seven substitutes named out of a possible nine. It would be ludicrous to suggest that Tottenham could get anything from this game after going a goal behind, but then again Premier League has been rather ludicrous these past few months.
The longer the game went on, the more Liverpool seemed to switch off. One eye on Galatasaray in midweek, the other one closed shut as Tottenham grew in confidence. A thrashing no longer on the cards, still time for one final twist.
Twist Tottenham did and with Randal Kolo Muani coming on for Mathys Tel with 15 minutes of the game remaining, the visitors found an element of urgency that they had been lacking for most of the encounter.
Kolo Muani encountered the Liverpool defence after a hopeful long ball in the final minute of the game, the French forward needing nowhere near his full strength to win possession. Once in control of the ball, he quickly directed it into the path of Richarlison.
The former Everton forward seems to have a knack for scoring against Liverpool since his move from Goodison Park. That knack continued in front of the Kop end. The famous stand was stunned into silence as Spurs roared after scoring a deserved equaliser.
Now they had to see the clock out, and with Hugo Etikite being given the space to get a shot away in injury time, the travelling Spurs support froze in fear. Thankfully their defence did not and with that scare cleared, the North London continue to stay clear of the relegation zone for another week. Nottingham Forest next up on Sunday.
