Liverpool vs Tottenham – Premier League: Dwell rating, group information and updates

Perhaps the Quadruple was all the time an unimaginable dream. Perhaps it was all the time an insane ambition foisted on this Liverpool group by others. However because it slipped somewhat additional away from Liverpool at Anfield final night time, Jurgen Klopp’s aspect fought towards the dying of it with each ounce of vitality and each second of fury and each little bit of defiance they might muster.

Trailing to a fairly sensible Son Heung-min counter-attacking purpose from Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool drew degree by way of Luis Diaz after which threw the whole lot they might at their guests looking for the winner. However Spurs wouldn’t yield and as Liverpool supporters pleaded and beseeched and begged for the winner, time ran out. Manchester Metropolis, licking their wounds on their retreat from Madrid, are that bit nearer to profitable the Premier League.

Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Antonio Conte’s aspect took them again to the highest of the desk however solely on purpose distinction. And if Metropolis, who’ve a recreation in hand, can recuperate from the shock of that traumatic Champions League defeat within the Bernabeu and beat a resurgent Newcastle United on the Etihad this afternoon, they are going to be three factors clear with three video games to play.

‘It is a crucial level as a result of it is one level greater than earlier than,’ Klopp insisted of the end result towards Spurs. He conceded that he couldn’t see Metropolis dropping factors however he mentioned he couldn’t perceive the funereal response to the draw. ‘It’s the first little stone thrown our approach,’ he mentioned. ‘We is not going to cease combating in each recreation.’

This was only a recreation too far for Liverpool, who regarded low on vitality and invention towards a well-drilled, intelligent Spurs group for whom this draw was a fillip of their battle with Arsenal for a Champions League place. That battle could also be determined on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday within the North London derby and this end result means Spurs will go into it in good coronary heart.

Liverpool gave the whole lot – and we’ll wait to see fairly how broken Metropolis are by occasions in Spain – however this was the primary time both of the 2 groups who’ve been duelling for the league had blinked. Win had adopted win had adopted win. It was relentless however in Spurs, Liverpool got here up towards an opponent who wouldn’t yield and wouldn’t be overawed.

Liverpool play Aston Villa away on Tuesday, Southampton away and Wolves at residence. They need to win all of them and hope that Metropolis lose one in every of their matches towards Newcastle, Wolves away, West Ham away and Aston Villa at residence. Metropolis broke in Madrid however will they break in Manchester on Sunday or Wolverhampton or at The London Stadium or towards Steven Gerrard’s Villa? Pep Guardiola and his gamers desperately wanted a fillip and this end result could have given it to them.

Liverpool subjected Spurs to intense stress from the kick-off however everybody knew this was a harmful match. The roars of the followers had been deafening as the house group surged ahead time after time. However whilst they attacked, some worries lingered among the many residence supporters. Spurs may simply be the most effective group within the league on the counter-attack.

Definitely, it’s onerous to consider a pairing as fast, as intelligent and as attuned to one another’s runs and actions and ideas as Harry Kane and Son. Dejan Kulusevski has grow to be a keen foil to their rapier thrusts ahead and Spurs made it clear early on that that they had not come to Merseyside as Liverpool’s patsies.

Spurs have discovered the key to unpicking Manchester Metropolis already and as Liverpool dominated the early levels, there have been moments of alarm when Spurs broke ahead. Kane crossed for Son within the seventh minute, forcing Alisson to hurry from his line and 7 minutes after that, Liverpool had been indebted to an excellent block by Jordan Henderson when Kane fired a left-foot shot goalwards.

Liverpool’s first probability didn’t come till halfway by way of the primary half and that was from a set piece. Henderson compelled a nook, on the expense of a nasty blow on the ankle from a scything deal with by Cristian Romero, and when Andy Robertson swung it over from the left, Virgil van Dijk rose majestically on the again publish however his header went narrowly over the bar.

Six minutes later, Liverpool went shut once more. In his haste to defend a cross, Ryan Sessegnon bought to the ball in entrance of Henderson however inadvertently looped a header in the direction of the again publish the place Salah was ready. Hugo Lloris flung himself to his proper and tipped the ball away from the Liverpool ahead, the newly topped FWA Footballer of the Yr.

Liverpool had been struggling to make possibilities from open play however seven minutes earlier than half-time, they practically scored from one other nook. As soon as once more, Van Dijk rose highest within the field to satisfy the kick, this time from Trent Alexander-Arnold, and this time his header clipped the highest of the crossbar. Two minutes later, Lloris saved properly from Diaz.

However the Spurs risk was nonetheless there and a minute later, it was the guests who practically took the lead. Son broke from midfield however when he was confronted by Van Dijk, he performed the ball sq. to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Hojbjerg steadied himself after which unleashed a vicious, skimming low drive that evaded Alisson’s proper hand however bounced to security off the surface of the publish.

Twelve minutes after half time, the worst fears of Liverpool’s followers had been confirmed when Spurs broke once more. Emerson Royal launched an extended ball out of defence that appeared to pose little hazard however Kane introduced it down superbly and superior on purpose. He thought of capturing however laid the ball vast to Sessegnon and Sessegnon drilled an ideal cross into the trail of Son, who turned it over the road.

The Spurs followers behind that purpose within the Anfield Highway Finish went wild. It was solely the second purpose – after Milot Rashica’s strike for Norwich on February nineteenth – that Liverpool have conceded at residence within the Premier League this yr. And two minutes later, Spurs practically scored once more when Sessegnon mixed once more with Son. This time, Sessegnon’s contact was somewhat heavy and the ball bounced off Son’s foot and behind for a purpose kick.

Now it was just like the Alamo. Liverpool threw the whole lot at Spurs. And Spurs repelled the whole lot as greatest they might. Ben Davies produced an incredible diving block to disclaim Salah, defender after defender flung themselves in entrance of the ball. It felt for some time as if their defence wouldn’t be breeched.

Then, with 1 / 4 of an hour to go, Diaz bought the ball 25 yards out and danced left to proper throughout the face of the Spurs field. When he discovered house for a shot, it took a heavy deflection off Rodrigo Bentancur and span previous Lloris into the nook of the web. Invoice Shankly’s previous declare in regards to the Kop sucking photographs into the opposition purpose felt as if it had been introduced again to life.

Anfield erupted. Klopp leapt and punched and hugged on the touchline. Hope sprang anew among the many residence followers. However attempt as they may, they might not power the winner and Spurs spurned a golden late alternative was Hojbjerg rose to satisfy a cross unmarked six yards out however as an alternative of going for purpose, he tried to go the ball again into the trail of a teammate. Liverpool escaped however the unimaginable dream pale.

Re-live Sportsmail’s protection of Liverpool’s draw with Tottenham with Sportsmail’s OLLY ALLEN.