Spurs?
Everything about Spurs’ defeat to Liverpool midweek was guaranteed after the weekend victory over the Goon scum.
As soon as the Lord Mayor’s show was over you knew what comes after. A game that takes them two steps back after that big step forward. And of course it was nailed on how it would end.
It started as it would end as Sturridge started his first game in over 5 months, his last of course came against Spurs at the end of August, which was pretty much Liverpool’s best game of the season. That game also saw Mario Balotelli have his only real impact in a Liverpool shirt, so we knew what was coming there then.
Actually it started well for Spurs, as Dembele very early on picked up the ball and glided past a trio of Liverpool players like they weren’t there.
What didn’t help was Spurs being Liverpool’s best player. Everything they got was a gift from those in white. From Mason who channeled his inner Bentaleb and produced one of Nabil’s second favourite passes – the backpass – to Sturridge who was just put off by Dier. Bentaleb himself followed this up later with exactly the same outcome.
Then there was Rose, who was sliding about everywhere, trying his damnedest to get booked or sent off. It was just a matter of time before he would cost Spurs something. That’s of course when he wasn’t doing his best Andros Townsend impersonation. Wild shot anyone?
And then when Spurs weren’t helping the home team the officials were. Kane played through by an excellent ball by Lamela brought down by the ‘keeper unsurprisingly waved away by the fatty with the whistle. Probably out of puff so too far away to see, or too occupied dreaming of pies.
The opener, route one stuff, hump down the park from the ‘keeper finds it’s way to Markovic, who has drifted off Bentaleb, who doesn’t get back to cover. Some blame Lloris as the ball bounces off a rut in the turf. No way can the man who has saved them more often than not be stuck with this one.
The equaliser came from a usual suspect. After some nice two touch stuff between Eriksen and Lamela the latter played a lovely reverse ball through to Kane who let it run through his legs before finishing with aplomb.
Lamela would of course be getting the abuse and this would be classed as a blip but he created more chances on the night than anyone else, while also making more tackles than most. Again this showed that when he keeps the touches down things go better.
It was no surprise how Liverpool took the lead. As said before Rose was looking for a calamity and 8 minutes after the break he found one. A ridiculous slide into Sturridge in the box, nowhere near the ball, the ref didn’t need to be handed this easy option of blowing for the spot kick. As usual Gerrard scored, though Hugo was close, and as usual celebrated like he’d done something outstanding. If he hadn’t taken it no one would have known he was on the park. Couldn’t have been more anonymous if he’d been playing for England.
Though the fat boy in yellow helped Spurs out with the second equaliser. Gerrard took out Kane in the process of taking the ball, could have gone either way. Eriksen’s free kick was well saved but from that save Kane played the ball back across the face of goal for Dembele to bundle it in.
Yes Dembele, yes Dembele scored, I know, all this talk of bog standard occurrences, the big Belgian being on the score sheet certainly isn’t one of them.
So it was all set up for what we all knew would happen when we saw him on the bench and were doubly sure when he came off it in the 74th minutes. He hadn’t scored a league goal for Liverpool, he’d been a waste of money for Liverpool and now Balotelli would win it for Liverpool. And so he did with 7 minutes remaining.
Weak defending between Rose and Bentaleb – not the first time that’s happened – let the ball through to Lallana and his cross isn’t cut out by the central pair allowing Mario a pretty damn easy tap in from four yards.