It can be easy to assume that Liverpool or Manchester City games will be foregone conclusions, but Spurs gave as good as they got at Anfield.
1) As Real Madrid and Manchester United had proved over the course of the previous few days, the psychological side of football is extremely important, all the more so at these high pressure points of the season. Millions of pounds are riding on these matches, both for the clubs and, in terms of bonuses, potentially the players, too.
Perhaps there couldn’t be a worse time to be playing this Liverpool team. Everything about the experience reeks of menace. That first look at their league form, in which they have won 13 of their last 14 games and remain unbeaten since December 28, is foreboding. A glance at the team sheets an hour before kick-off, packed with a group of names who function as brilliantly as individuals as they do as a unit, is daunting. That savage press, which engages within seconds of the start, is sobering. Just the kick-off itself moved them top of the Premier League table. It’s unnerving.
2) And Spurs are the Rodney Dangerfields of the Premier League. Fatalism has been the order of the day since Mauricio Pochettino was fired by the club in November 2019. The latest manifestation of this has been the cyclical toing and froing over Antonio Conte and whether he’ll stay for next season. It is a strangely insecure way of watching a football team – to be constantly looking over your shoulders as bigger clubs consider whether your players, including those who have been there for many years, might be worthy of their attention. Michael Carrick, Dimitar Berbatov, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Kyle Walker and Christian Eriksen have all passed through the club’s doors over the last two decades. All left for sunnier climes. And when it’s not the players and things are going okay, it’s the manager.
3) Furthermore, Spurs are locked in their race for a Champions League place and needed a result…
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