Overcome Tottenham, Liverpool Still Actively Hunting for the Premier League Title

DBasia.news –  Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League and moved Manchester City. The Reds won 2-1 over Tottenham Hotspur in Week 32 of the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday (31/3) night Western Indonesian Time.

Liverpool, with 79 points, are two points ahead of second place standings, Manchester City, which still has one match postponed.

Tottenham did not have a good record against Liverpool. Spurs only won once from 12 meetings against Liverpool in the Premier League – winning 4-1 at Wembley in 2017. Besides, Liverpool also only lost once in a total of 24 matches against Spurs at Anfield in the Premier League.

The record will likely continue in this match when Liverpool took the lead in the 16th minute. Through their first attempt at the Spurs goal, Liverpool scored via Roberto Firmino’s header that welcomed Andrew Robertson’s cross. Liverpool’s 1-0 lead.

After a goal created by Firmino, the Spurs were able to have possession of the ball superior to Liverpool. However, such games are indeed ‘expected’ by Liverpool who are famous for playing the gegenpressing systems.

Liverpool can take the ball at any time from the pressure they do, forcing opponents to make mistakes, then launch a quick counterattack to the Spurs defense who play with tactics 3-5-2.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Firmino, almost scored in this way. While Spurs encountered great difficulties through the sturdy walls built by Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip. The 1-0 score lasted until halftime.

The match went much more exciting in the second half. Spurs were more intense in carrying out attacks on the Liverpool defense and their patience did so with a goal in the 70th minute, a minute after Son Heung-min came in to replace Davinson Sanchez.

Receiving a Christian Eriksen pass, Lucas Moura who penetrated the penalty box snatched the ball quickly and made Alisson dead. The 1-1 position is equally strong.

Jurgen Klopp responded by entering Divock Origi and Fabinho on 77 minutes. Liverpool now have four attackers: Mo Salah, Firmino, Mane, and Origi. While Fabinho became an anchor midfielder replacing Henderson’s duties.

The change was positive enough to increase the intensity of the Liverpool attack. While Spurs played Ben Davies replacing Moura on 82 minutes. There are indications that Spurs want to maintain the position of the 1-1 draw.

Ahead of the last minute of the Spurs match, it was supposed to have three golden opportunities to score goals from the counter-attack. However, Moussa Sissoko, Danny Rose, and Dele Alli wasted it and paid for the failure in the 90th minute.

Liverpool returned to winning dramatically. Mo Salah gore the ball from a corner situation, forcing Hugo Lloris to save, but making a blunder because the ball fell at the feet of Toby Alderweireld who scored an own goal.

The host managed to maintain that advantage for an additional six minutes ended in the second half. Liverpool won three crucial points to continue to be involved in hunting for the 2018-19 Premier League title.