Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham match report: Richarlison keeps Spurs survival fight alive

Igor Tudor picks up his first point as Tottenham manager as a late Richarlison equaliser earns Spurs a crucial, and thoroughly deserved, draw away at Liverpool.

It had already been a miserable weekend for Tottenham Hotspur before a ball was even kicked at Anfield.

Sitting just a point above the relegation zone heading into the round, Spurs watched both 17th-placed Nottingham Forest and 18th-placed West Ham somehow grind out points from their own fixtures, leaving the North London side level on points with the bottom three.

Add to that the heavy confidence blow from midweek’s 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid, along with four fresh injury setbacks before this trip to Merseyside, and the picture looked bleak.

Yet somehow, despite everything stacked against them, Tottenham still managed to walk away from Anfield with a point that could prove massive in their fight to stay up.

First half: Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham

Setting his side up in what looked like a proper Sean Dyche-esque relegation scrap formation, Igor Tudor deployed a compact and disciplined 4-4-2, and for a brief period, it actually allowed Spurs to make the brighter start against a Liverpool side that looked surprisingly flat.

However, that early promise was ruined when Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up to take a direct free kick from distance, sending a powerful effort towards goal that Guglielmo Vicario could only get a weak hand to before it crept beyond him and into the net. While the Italian did get contact on the ball, better shot-stopping would normally be expected at Premier League level.

Vicario did partially make amends not long after, reacting sharply to push Cody Gakpo’s low effort onto his near post and prevent Liverpool from doubling their lead.

Despite taking the advantage, Liverpool oddly seemed to lose a bit of their momentum after the opener, which allowed Tottenham to grow back into the contest. Richarlison, leading the line with his usual aggression, went close on multiple occasions; first when he rose to meet Mathys Tel’s cross but headed narrowly wide, before forcing a solid save from Alisson Becker with another header shortly before the half-time whistle.

Second half: Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham

Liverpool continued to struggle to take full advantage of Tottenham’s makeshift defensive line after the break, although on the rare occasions they did find space, they still carried a threat. One such moment came when Rio Ngumoha drove towards goal and forced Vicario into a sharp low save.

There was also a moment of frustration for Spurs when some questionable refereeing decisions began to creep in. Virgil van Dijk appeared to hold Richarlison inside the penalty area, and although the Brazilian still managed to get a shot away before eventually going to ground, Alisson produced the save and the incident was waved away, seemingly because the attacker had managed to get his effort off.

Tottenham continued to push forward whenever opportunities arose, with both Xavi Simons and Richarlison testing Alisson as the game ticked towards its conclusion.

Then, in the very last minute of normal time, the pressure finally paid off.

Vicario launched a long kick forward that eventually found Randal Kolo Muani, who battled well with Andy Robertson before managing to square the ball across the box, where a completely unmarked Richarlison was waiting to apply the simplest of finishes to make it 1-1.

Spurs Web man of the match: Richarlison

FT: LIVERPOOL 1-1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

What’s next for Spurs?

While the draw does not actually create any distance between Tottenham and the relegation zone, with the points gap remaining unchanged, the psychological boost from taking something away from Anfield could still prove enormous for a side that had not won a single match all calendar year.

Credit must go to Igor Tudor, who had reportedly been under huge pressure heading into this fixture, with speculation suggesting defeat could have even put his job at risk. Instead, the Croatian got plenty right on the day.

His decision to start young left-back Souza on the right side of midfield worked surprisingly well, while the players once again showed they are still fighting for their manager.

Tudor also won plenty of goodwill among supporters with the brave call to hand late minutes to academy youngsters Callum Olusesi and James Rowswell, a gamble that actually paid off as neither player looked remotely out of place during their short appearances.

There are, however, still some clear concerns. The goalkeeping department remains one of them, with Vicario’s inconsistent performances continuing to raise questions. With a more confident presence between the sticks, Spurs may well have taken all three points.

Defensively, there were mixed displays too; while Radu Dragusin endured another difficult outing, Kevin Danso impressed enough to balance things out, and many supporters will now feel the Austrian deserves to become a first-choice centre-back given Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven’s ongoing availability issues.

As for Richarlison, the praise he deserves today could probably go on for hours. Unfortunately for Spurs, though, the Brazilian will not be available for Tuesday’s Champions League second leg against Atletico Madrid, where Tottenham must attempt the near-impossible task of overturning a three-goal deficit.

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