Tottenham Player Ratings vs. Liverpool: Spectacular Head Loss Stings Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur ended Saturday’s breathless 2–1 defeat at home to Liverpool with nine players and plenty of regrets.

Cristian Romero may very well have the guiltiest conscience in north London. Xavi Simons’s first-half dismissal while the game was goalless had set Spurs on the back foot, but Tottenham’s captain inadvertently overshadowed his teammate’s reckless lunge. Romero earned his side’s second red card of the evening after finding himself at fault for both of the visitors’ goals.

“We would like to compete with the best clubs in the country and hopefully win the championship one day,” Tottenham boss Thomas Frank pledged ahead of kick off. “That’s what all Spurs fans are dreaming about. That’s what I’m dreaming about.”

If his side continue to relentlessly shoot themselves in the foot, Frank’s ambitions will remain nothing more concrete than dreams.

Tottenham Player Ratings vs. Liverpool (4-2-3-1)

Randal Kolo Muani (top) jumping over Alisson. — Randal Kolo Muani (top) led the line for Tottenham. | JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Guglielmo Vicario—6.0: On top of the lack of assurance which he offers with the ball at his feet, Tottenham’s keeper also inspired little confidence when facing shots on goal.

RB: Pedro Porro—7.0: Had his attacking verve curbed by the first-half dismissal and was wasteful with set pieces.

CB: Cristian Romero—4.9: A night to forget. Not content with playing a starring role in both of Liverpool’s goals, Romero conspired to get himself sent off just when Spurs were enjoying their best spell of the game.

CB: Micky van de Ven—6.1: There are only so many last-ditch lunges which Van de Ven can make each game.

LB: Djed Spence—6.7: Tottenham’s one-man attacking outlet, cantering forward at each and every opportunity.

CM: Rodrigo Bentancur—7.0: Revelled in the bittiness of the occasion.

CM: Archie Gray—6.6: Tasked with the ugly job of mopping up the constant waves of Liverpool attacks, Gray did his best to stem the flow while he was on the pitch.

AM: Xavi Simons—5.9: The early enthusiasm he demonstrated through the first half-hour of the contest quickly caught up with him.

RW: Mohammed Kudus—6.1: So often Tottenham’s most willing runner, Kudus seemed to look for an excuse to pass the ball backwards or sideways rather than charge forward. He usually found one.

ST: Randal Kolo Muani—6.4: Squandered Tottenham’s best chance when the scoreline and number of players were both level.

LW: Lucas Bergvall—6.1: Shoehorned on the left flank but forever tucked infield to try and clog up the central slice of the pitch.

Substitute	Rating (Out of 10)
Brennan Johnson (58’ for Kudus)	6.4
João Palhinha (71’ for Gray)	6.1
Wilson Odobert (71’ for Bergvall)	5.8
Richarlison (81’ for Kolo Muani)	7.0

Subs not used: Antonín Kinský (GK), Ben Davies, Kevin Danso, Radu Drăgușin, Mathys Tel.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Alisson; Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez; Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones; Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz; Hugo Ekitiké.

Subs used: Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, Federico Chiesa, Andy Robertson, Trey Nyoni.

Player of the Match: Florian Wirtz

Tottenham Player of the Match: Richarlison

Tottenham 1–2 Liverpool: How It Unfolded in N17

Xavi Simons (left) protesting. — Xavi Simons (left) lasted barely half an hour against Liverpool. | Liverpool FC/Getty Images

An underwhelming opening half-hour, riddled with more unforced errors than a set of children’s tennis, was capped off with a remarkably bone-headed blunder from Simons. In the absence of any end product, the Dutch playmaker plumped for misguided endeavour, charging studs-first into Virgil van Dijk’s calf.

Frank argued in vain to the fourth official, although quite what justifications he could find remain entirely unclear. The only point of minor controversy was that it took an intervention from VAR to award Simons a blatant red card.

This may have been a clash between the reigning Premier League and Europa League champions, but both have been scarred by traumatic results this season. “It’s probably a good idea to also defend a bit,” Frank warned after conceding 18 goals in his last eight games. While Simons was on the pitch, Tottenham could count upon four midfielders with Lucas Bergvall offering support from the left. Liverpool went with five.

Without the spectre of Mohamed Salah looming over him, Arne Slot was free to extend his Dominik Szoboszlai right wing experiment. The Dutch boss also started Florian Wirtz out wide in a bid to assert complete control over proceedings through the middle.

It didn’t work out that way. Tottenham actually created the game’s best first-half chances. Randal Kolo Muani wasted a header from six yards out, limply nodding it into Alisson’s midriff, while Djed Spence failed to make any contact at the end of a quick forward surge.

The interval and Tottenham’s reduced ranks eventually forced Slot into some adventure. Alexander Isak was introduced at the break and swiftly broke the deadlock—although Romero, as much as Wirtz, was responsible for creating that opener.

Cristian Romero (centre) arguing with the referee. — Cristian Romero (centre) had some difficulties at the back for Spurs. | JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images

In a painfully familiar story of failing to play out from the back, the Spurs captain had a half-hearted punt forward cut off at source. Isak shuffled the ball across to Ekitiké, who squared for Wirtz to slip Liverpool’s No. 9 through on goal 10 minutes into the second half. The record Premier League signing conspired to injure himself in the act of scoring, yet Ekitiké (and Romero) remained on the pitch.

Tottenham’s skipper was caught under Jeremie Frimpong’s deflected cross. As he was quick to point out after the fact, Romero also had two hands in his back, but Ekitiké was deemed to have legally climbed up to head Liverpool into a 2–0 lead with 66 minutes on the clock.

Liverpool threatened to wind the contest down without any unnecessary fuss, dampening the tension inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with long skeins of passes which led nowhere. However, this is not the Liverpool of last season.

All it took was one corner which didn’t get intercepted at the near post to send the Reds into a bundle of nerves. Liverpool turned down four separate opportunities to clear a ball which belatedly fell at the feet of Richarlison. The Brazilian was not so forgiving, lashing Spurs level with nine minutes on the clock.

It may not be the Liverpool of old, but this is still Romero. Much has been made of the added sense of calm which the captaincy has brought the front-foot defender this season. Yet that familiar red mist would soon descend again. After winning a foul inside Liverpool’s half while Spurs were frantically pushing for an equaliser, the Argentina international earned himself a second yellow card for an entirely unnecessary flick of the leg at Ibrahima Konaté.

Down to nine men for stoppage time, Tottenham were still in the ascendancy but couldn’t quite force through a second goal. Frank’s side out-shot the visitors and amassed a superior xG. This was a game Spurs could have easily won had they not tried so hard to lose it.