Harry Kane’s goal drought in the Premier League in the month of August continues. After his substitution against Liverpool, Kane will have to wait for another year to change that record.
One wonders, though, what effect a goal during Saturday’s game would have had. The answer is – a large one.
What changed at Liverpool in the first three weeks of the season? When did it become disappointing, rather than encouraging for Liverpool to collect four points from three games? Three games that included trips to the Emirates – where Liverpool were winless since 2011 - and to White Hart Lane?
The 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur was the third time in three games that Liverpool left a Premier League fixture feeling they could have done something better.
This criticism was not raised after their first game – because of the three points that it brought – but it seems the Merseysiders have revealed a third dimension to their deficiencies – the inability to finish off opponents who they have on the mat.
Spurs’ wings clipped
If anything, this game served to consolidate Tottenham’s reputation as slow starters - literally as well as figuratively. After scrambling to a draw at Goodison Park in their first game, Spurs’ lack of pace up front and a relatively uninspiring bench, told against the other Merseyside club as well.
Perhaps their fitness levels are not yet up to the levels that Mauricio Pochettino demands, but the performance suggests that attacking intent is not where the problem lies.
Tottenham were content with remaining hemmed in their own penalty area fending off Liverpool attacks, and this actually worked in the visitors’ favour.
Possession was almost equal (Spurs 49%; Liverpool 51%), as were total shots (11; 13) and shots on target (4;3), but Tottenham seemed to struggle on account of not creating enough clear-cut chances.
Statistics will tell you that Liverpool have created the most chances in the league since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp, and in that respect, they did well to keep Spurs at an arm’s length. James Milner, deputising at left back, and Premier League new boy Joel Matip impressed on the day.
This meant that because of their potent attack, the numbers suggested the chances would come soon enough – and soon enough they did. Early on in the game, Philippe Coutinho, the star of the Arsenal victory, was presented with a simple opportunity inside the box. He scuffed it.
This began a frustrating pattern. Tottenham’s goalkeeper Michel Vorm was impressive, and his proactive goalkeeping prevented the likes of Sadio Mane from dealing too much damage.
Mane himself is quickly becoming the side’s talisman;the Senegal international is undoubtedly the beating heart of Liverpool’s devastating forward play, for they have lacked someone of his pace for quite a while.
Wasteful Liverpool
Inconsistent refereeing dogged the game. Mane could easily have been sent off, while Matip and Jan Vertonghen could have conceded penalties. The referee did, however, produce a correct penalty decision in favour of Liverpool late in the first half.
Erik Lamela’s foul was not disputed by anyone on the pitch. Liverpool took the lead when Milner calmly slotted away into the bottom corner and Vorm dived the wrong way.
The defeat against Burnley, though it is just one game, will hang over Liverpool for longer than anyone would like to think. Four points from two trips to North London is a good return, even though Liverpool fans and players will rue the chances that they missed at White Hart Lane.
It is merely because of a game that gave no points and two goals were conceded, that Liverpool’s record suddenly starts to look highly inadequate. Because of that, the missed opportunity at Tottenham assumes greater significance than it would otherwise.
The visitors’ profligacy in front of goal provoked much debate. What is the cause of this? Following the game, there was much brouhaha on Twitter about the look that crossed Daniel Sturridge's face when he realised it would be Divock Origi replacing Coutinho and not him.
Would bringing on Sturridge have been the better decision? Or did Liverpool simply have a bad day in front of goal?
Sturridge, despite his injury problems, has several gifts, one of them is the ability to score goals and influence big matches. It is, of course, inconclusive as to whether he could have turned the game around, but such is his quality that the matter is at least up for debate.
Where do they go now?
Simon Mignolet produced an excellent close-range save to deny Toby Alderweireld from a corner. It came on 64 minutes, and this could be termed the turning point of the game. Having pressed hard for an hour, Liverpool perhaps naturally felt the weight of fatigue and Tottenham got back into the game.
Milner left Eric Dier a bit too much space down the left side, Mane was late in covering the right and a header from Lamela set up Danny Rose for the equaliser.
What became increasingly clear as the game progressed, and especially so after Milner’s penalty, was that Liverpool looked unlikely to fashion a second goal, except on a counter that would catch Spurs short at the back.
This is precisely what happened. Mane and Adam Lallana burst forth, and the Englishman’s cross was driven into the net by Mane. It was, however, disallowed for a very close offside call against Lallana.
That decision had tremendous psychological significance. Against a side like Spurs, the visitors were always unlikely to get more than two, perhaps three, good chances. They were unable to convert all those but given Spurs’ inability to create such chances, to begin with, protecting that lead could have proved successful.
After that, Liverpool let in a preventable equaliser. Successfully defending a slender lead is an invaluable skill, especially on days when a side fails to make the most of its chances. There is a pragmatic argument to be made that Liverpool’s failure to collect three points was a fault of their defence rather than their attack.
Verdict
In the cold light of day, a point at White Hart Lane does not strike as a poor result. True, Liverpool will now see this as a missed chance, especially with Spurs are not up to full fitness and lacking their attacking verve. But there is no immediate cause for alarm.
The defensive midfield requires a more forceful presence, and the return of Emre Can and Marko Grujic will certainly help in that regard.
The defending champions Leicester City await Liverpool next. The Merseysiders were one of only two sides to defeat the Foxes last season, and an absorbing contest between two fine counter-attacking sides is in store.
