Champions League Final: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis

#2 Spurs eventually run out of steam

Tottenham eventually ran out of steam

In the summer of 2018, Tottenham created an unwanted record when they failed to make a single signing. Though they boasted of a top notch squad, many believed their decision to not bring fresh faces on board was bordering on insanity.

Yet, through the course of the season, Pochettino and his players have silenced those critics emphatically. The North London side finished in the top four of the Premier League and also made the Champions League final, no mean feat considering the squad depth (or the lack of it) they possessed.

However, with Spurs playing several more games than they would’ve envisaged at the start, they started running their already threadbare chest thinner. And it came to the fore in the final at the Wanda Metropolitano.

After Liverpool’s initial salvo, the North London outfit tried its best to produce a response. They even looked the brighter of the two but they faltered when the occasion demanded of composure.

Additionally, as the game wore on, their players started feeling the effects of a long season with Liverpool looking sharper throughout the game. Sissoko succumbed to injury mid-way through the game while Kieran Trippier was a passenger for the final quarter.

However, the more alarming aspect for Spurs was the lack of ideas they showcased in the offensive third. Many a time, they played their way through midfield but failed to carve out any clear-cut chances to bother the Reds.

So far, Mauricio Pochettino has worked wonders with this Tottenham side, considering the tight money purse he has been provided. Yet, one feels that if they are to catapult themselves to the next level, they might just need an addition or two in the summer.

While it isn’t necessary to fix something that isn’t broke, they certainly require players who can make their already impressive machine much more irresistible.