Liverpool v Tottenham – Zonal Marking

Liverpool earned a hard-fought victory 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and returns to Merseyside in a jubilant mood. Here, we have a look back at overall performance of defence, goalkeeper, midfield and attack.

Defence and goalkeeper

Alisson Becker was tested on a numerous occasion by Spurs forwards. He had a shaky start, where he misjudged the ball position while making an intervention. Time was a great healer for him, he responded well and with time became more comfortable. He was twice spared by the woodwork.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson got the nod as full backs. Spurs identified Liverpool’s right side as a vulnerable point, Ryan Sessegnon was full of confidence that he’d receive a pass and got past Alexander-Arnold. Having said that, he made it on a few ocassions, leaving Trent struggling in the defence.

Before the international break, questions were raised whether the English lad can defend. Personally, I always thought he wasn’t a natural defender, therefore if designated to the starting XI, he should be covered by his team-mates.

Try as he might, he just couldn’t hit the ground running, the only positive were his inch-perfect progressive passes. But while under pressure near his own penalty-box, he misplaced passes.

Andy Robertson delivered a decent display. The left-back was sharp and committed throughout. At the heart of the defence, Ibrahima Konate partnered Virgil Van Dijk and it was a perfect cooperation! He replaced Joe Gomez who was making too many mistakes and put the Reds in dangerous situations.

With Konate, the centre of the defence doesn’t look like a mess anymore. Confident on the ball, acted as a sweeper. His partner had another good match. Virgil van Dijk was on guard, made sure Harry Kane and Ivan Perisic were marked.

Score: 3

Midfield

Liverpool’s first away league win of the season wouldn’t be possible without a stable midfield. Harvey Elliot, Fabinho and Thiago were in charge of keeping things in control there.

Fabinho, a lighthouse of the middle-of-the-park is yet to get back on the right track. In the buildup to Spurs’ game, Jurgen Klopp admitted his “dip” in form. In such moments, the German boss would love to give his player some rest and hope for regaining the form but he’s short of options. Teenager Stefan Bajcetic is the only real cover for him, therefore Klopp doesn’t want to rely entirely on the young lad.

Harvey Elliot proved he can be relied on in difficult times. Thiago looked exhausted and leggy at times. He kept going and dropped deeper when the Reds needed to hold on.

Score: 3

Attack

The full intensity might not have been there yet, but there were moments of flash. This was visible in Mohamed Salah’s first goal. Before he put the ball into the back of the net, there was a chain of neat and quick passes that blew Tottenham’s defence over.

It was Salah who started the goalscoring action, and it was Salah who killed it off. The Egyptian takes his tally to six for the league campaign (joint-top for us with Roberto Firmino now).

Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez were the completion of the forward line. The Uruguayan fits the bill for the Reds. At no point in the season was it fair to compare him to Erling Haaland. Why? They are two different types of players.

We knew Haaland’s ability to establish himself in a new environment in no time and deliever sky-high numbers. It’s fair to say, he’s an exceptional in football, as more often than not players need more time to settle down.

With Darwin Nunez, you get the feeling that he loves doing everything around volley technique. Half-volley strikes and passes that’s what you associated him with. He was a nightmare for both Eric Dier and Emerson Royal.

Firmino finds his feet in 4-3-3 system that allows a smooth movement around him. Some nice link-up play with others but faded after half time and was subbed.

Score: 4