da betsul： Without a Premier League win in 2017, Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp went into Saturday’s game with Tottenham Hotspur under massive pressure.
da pinup bet： Fortunately for Reds supporters everywhere, they came through that test and that adversity with flying colours, winning in thumping and passionate fashion against a Spurs side unbeaten in eleven matches.
Sadio Mane was the inspiration, showing Liverpool just what they’d been missing when he was on international duty at the African Cup of Nations.
Klopp’s side never really looked like losing, solid at the back and matching Pochettino’s impressive midfield. That clinical Mane edge in the final third proved the difference and they are no back on track in their quest to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
For Spurs? Well their title bid is all but over, hitting the buffers with the teams around them. If Chelsea win against Burnley on Sunday then the blues move a massive twelve points clear.
Here are the FIVE big lessons we learned during Saturday evening’s match…
Liverpool aren’t half bad…
A lot has been said about Liverpool over the last six weeks, and rightly so, they’ve been awful for the most part since the turn of the year. Nice of them to remind us then that they aren’t actually as terrible as they’ve looked recently.
Looking back to their best, they managed to capture the form we saw from the Reds throughout the Autumn.
If Klopp can maintain this over the next few months then a top four finish would almost be guaranteed, but can they play to this standard against the division’s so-called weaker sides? That’s been their big flaw this season and something that needs to be addressed.
Spurs not unbeatable
Spurs were racking up the results required to be title contenders but that bubble burst in dramatic fashion at Anfield. Now at risk of going twelve points behind Chelsea, Tottenham looked a far different side to the one that so soundly saw off Chelsea in early January.
After going eleven games unbeaten, Liverpool proved that the Lilywhites were anything but unbeatable, cutting through their defence with ease in the first half.
Frankly, Spurs didn’t look like a team that wanted to win the title, showing no determination or spirit to rally and see off the significant Liverpool threat.
It was all too easy for Klopp’s side and that’ll be the most disappointing thing for Spurs fans in the days to come.
The missing piece
A much talked about point in recent weeks was that Liverpool were going through such a bad spell because they missed Sadio Mane. That could well be the case after all.
Adding the missing piece to the puzzle that was the Reds’ attack over the last six weeks, Mane put in a blistering performance that showed exactly why the Anfield side forked out big money to sign him from Southampton last summer.
The 24 year old ran riot against what was the stingiest defence in the Premier League prior to kick-off. Spurs had only conceded sixteen goals in the Premier League this season before their trip to Anfield.
The key will now be sustaining that over the next weeks in a crucial period for the club. Go on a solid winning run and they’ll be playing UEFA Champions League football next season.
Davies is no Rose
Tottenham’s big miss on the night was Danny Rose at left-back. He’s been such a massive part of the Lilywhites’ recent great form, part of a formidable full-back force alongside Kyle Walker.
Ben Davies just didn’t cut the mustard on Saturday either in attack or defence. Looking fairly lost for large spells of the first half, Sadio Mane exposed the Welshman on numerous occasions.
Danny Rose is expected to be out for a few games yet so improvement is needed in this area or Spurs risk seeing their season fall of the rails in a similar manner to the clubs around them.
Liverpool can actually hold a lead
Liverpool had only kept a clean sheet twice in the ten games they’d played in 2017 prior to Saturday evening and both of those came against League Two side Plymouth.
Keeping one of the best attacking sides out was a massive improvement and showed that Klopp’s side actually can be solid defensively when they want to be.
Both Lucas Leiva and Joel Matip looked solid throughout the ninety minutes, thought to be key Liverpool weaknesses prior to kick-off.
Have they turned a corner in their defensive performances or was it just a one off?
That’s the question every Liverpool fan is asking themselves.