How Tottenham managed to grind out a well-deserved point against a disappointing Liverpool

[p]Aside from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simons-xavi/noo0L9zk/"]Xavi Simons[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kolo-muani-randal/WKBRZ6Y6/"]Randal Kolo Muani[/a], Igor Tudor could only call upon error-prone keeper, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kinsky-antonin/hv1U4aGj/"]Antonin Kinsky[/a], reserve keeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/austin-brandon/EHOfteWD/"]Brandon Austin[/a] and 19-year-olds [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olusesi-callum/GG8KGNDq/"]Callum Olusesi[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rowswell-james/jFlxFjsg/"]James Rowswell[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wilson-james/f39eQrxQ/"]James Wilson[/a].[/p][h2]Spurs' incredible injury list[/h2][p]A ridiculous injury list had contributed in part to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Spurs[/a]' recent downfall, and for all of Tudor's apparent faults, he could hardly be said to be wrong when he'd suggested in interviews that he'd never known a situation like it in his career.[/p][p]Incredibly, all of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maddison-james/YwP0q0m8/"]James Maddison[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kudus-mohammed/hzbcXxIG/"]Mo Kudus[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/davies-ben/65AlIpKT/"]Ben Davies[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/odobert-wilson/CIvgNZLk/"]Wilson Odobert[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kulusevski-dejan/fXLqHCYi/"]Dejan Kulusevski[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bentancur-rodrigo/nLRMnJtJ/"]Rodrigo Bentancur[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bergvall-lucas/th3mAHj9/"]Lucas Bergvall[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/romero-cristian/jBZTWXMn/"]Cristian Romero[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palhinha-joao/vFArGMai/"]Joao Palhinha[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-de-ven-micky/rotN6HH8/"]Micky van de Ven[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/udogie-iyenoma/ERi6Ggec/"]Destiny Udogie[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gallagher-conor/dtbJO8B3/"]Conor Gallagher[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bissouma-yves/CSdILBh7/"]Yves Bissouma[/a] were unavailable.[/p][image alt="Liverpool v Tottenham - Starting XIs" id="191d9aa1-3601-4021-a8c6-4f8491e713aa" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="4227c7a2-7bf0-459d-95f3-d1ccdaa883f1" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]It was therefore no surprise that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] had retained possession for 72% of the time during the opening quarter hour of the game, and once [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/solanke-dominic/OrADwZse/"]Dominic Szoboszlai[/a] had slammed home a trademark free-kick on 18 minutes, the signs were ominous for the North Londoners.[/p][p]The Reds had only lost one game when taking the lead in 2025/26, drawing two more and winning 13, and Tottenham had failed to win any of their last 30 matches when conceding first in the Premier League.[/p][h2]Visitors fighting fires for long periods[/h2][p]Only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/burnley/z3dmTMMO/"]Burnley[/a] (32) has conceded more than Spurs' 27 first-half goals this season, indicating a real problem with getting a foothold in games during the opening exchanges.[/p][p]The onslaught continued with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ngumoha-rio/rejpF30d/"]Rio Ngumoha[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gravenberch-ryan/Y5aFd8V4/"]Ryan Gravenberch[/a] all having efforts at goal, though to the visitors' credit, they held firm and blocked or diverted any attempts before the break.[/p][embed guid="04bba9a1-5583-4297-a4b3-9d5acee182ac" url="https://x.com/LFC/status/2033225874502271081" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/danso-kevin/z1MBQMNN/"]Kevin Danso[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dragusin-radu/ELzKkDJF/"]Radu Dragusin[/a] were fighting fires for long periods, but the 17 clearances between them were one reason why the hosts were finding it more difficult than expected to break through.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tel-mathys/drANB1N8/"]Mathys Tel[/a] had begun to cause problems for Liverpool's defence, too, and his three crosses in the first half were more than any other player on the pitch, whilst [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/richarlison/K82Dz773/"]Richarlison[/a]'s two efforts in the final five minutes of the half hinted at what was to come later in the match.[/p][h2]Richarlison and Sarr to the fore[/h2][p]The Brazilian's nine touches in the Reds' box and four shots on target from five attempted complemented a brilliant performance that also saw him win nine of his 19 one-on-one duels.[/p][p]With [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sarr-pape/CSjTl5sR/"]Pape Matar Sarr[/a] dictating proceedings from midfield, where his 83% pass completion was only bettered by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/spence-djed/GQAxKWes/"]Djed Spence[/a] (85.7%) - who had made less than half of Sarr's total of 39 completed passes - Tottenham weren't being rolled over as expected, given the horrendous run they'd been on under Tudor.[/p][embed guid="26e8387f-2bad-4207-b42a-e136c91e870a" url="https://x.com/SpursOfficial/status/2033460797481881690" social-type="twitter" /][p]Indeed, the Lilywhites came out for the second half with the bit between their teeth, with Simons particularly prominent as an attacking force.[/p][p]Three of his four one-on-ones were successful, as were two of his three dribbles, with two efforts at goal within two minutes of his introduction for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/souza/67v6jy3r/"]Souza[/a] seeing the decibel levels rise in the away end.[/p][h2]Slot turns to Salah and Ekitike[/h2][p]In response to their evident inability to dominate their visitors, Arne Slot sent both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mo Salah[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekitike-hugo/ltVXPlJU/"]Hugo Ekitike[/a] on just after the hour mark, and within 10 minutes, the Egyptian King had fired off two efforts, with the Frenchman also missing the target with his left-footed shot.[/p][p]Still, Tottenham took the game to Liverpool, and when Spence fired in a shot on target, it needed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alisson/nHKAso1L/"]Alisson[/a] to make a fifth save of the game to keep his side ahead.[/p][image alt="Liverpool v Tottenham - Momentum shift" id="89104e1d-3552-4497-813d-73144a2d3ba2" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="34bfba4f-e518-42eb-9210-d145e8759cad" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]The Reds' defence couldn't lay a finger on their opponents, with only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a] completing 100% of his tackles - and he'd made just two by the end of proceedings.[/p][p]Liverpool's desperation was obvious, with shots rushed and balls going astray, particularly from Salah, who only completed 57.1% of his passes - the worst of any player on the pitch from either side apart from Spurs keeper, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vicario-guglielmo/0fdL3XXa/"]Guglielmo Vicario[/a].[/p][h2]Silence at Anfield[/h2][p]Sure enough, the hosts' wastefulness came back to haunt them in the final minute of normal time, as Richarlison pounced on a ball from Kolo Muani to sweep it past Alisson and silence the vast majority of supporters at Anfield.[/p][p]A sixth goal in 16 appearances against the Reds for the Brazilian was also his ninth of the season. [/p][embed guid="778dfcf1-0041-41d6-8fee-53d3e7daee9a" url="https://x.com/SpursOfficial/status/2033309768627204535" social-type="twitter" /][p]With 15 goals conceded in the last 15 minutes of the second half of games this season, that's a record that Slot and his team can't be proud of either.[/p][p]Despite the visitors earning a well-deserved point, it was a 12th Premier League game without a win, their longest such run in the competition's history.[/p][image alt="Liverpool v Tottenham - Match Stats" id="2dcd7be8-4c72-4128-a183-3e2bd97154e2" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="72ce279c-15e3-4d3c-ac55-cec7fcbc07bf" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]With a real relegation six-pointer to come against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a] in their next fixture, the manner of Spurs' performance will have at least shown that they are capable of getting themselves out of the mire. [/p][p]Liverpool, meanwhile, could well face the relative ignominy of the Conference League if they can't get their own act together.[/p][image alt="Jason Pettigrove" id="6ca35bf7-7017-45cd-8907-11ace8b7ff05" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="3b999292-f5b8-4122-b1da-8ae5e32fcf96" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]