Liverpool expanded their undefeated run in the Premier League to 19 games by beating Bournemouth on Saturday.
They have hardly done a foot throughout the season, underlined by a predictably quiet deadline day, where Zero Business was ready and the players of Arne Slot were given the time to enjoy two rare days off.
Slot had been clear about his attitude in January. He trusts his team and is happy with the options he also has in reserve. Federico Chiesa remains the only addition of Outfield that arrives in Anfield in the last three windows and yet Liverpool is in the strongest position they have been stored safely for summer expenses with money.
Their next assignment is a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg meeting with Tottenham on Thursday, Live on Sky Sports, and based on the power of their recent convictions, many will expect that Slot will look simply a favorable outcome.
But there have been signs, how little and fleeting, on which Liverpool can be received.
Ange Postecoglou will try to poke gaps in the plan of Slot in the same way as his side in the reverse leg – a 1-0 win in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – which was part of a less convincing form for the competition leaders.
The loss came after a 2-2 draw with Manchester United before he had to save a point at Nottingham Forest. Liverpool does not have many weaknesses and the emphasis, therefore on an airtight game plan that combines good decision -making with calmness and clarity is what Spurs needs the most on Thursday.
Forest and Man Utd are two of the three teams – in addition to Fulham – to travel to Anfield this season and to avoid the defeat, and the courage of those three versions should form the basis for the Strategy of Postecoglou on Thursday.
Tottenham's best hope is certain to make the draw and worrying and carefully choosing the moments to be pragmatic but just progressive. That does not mean that Liverpool cannot fight fire with fire, but if the set -up of Postecoglou is politely enough to enable the hosts to press full pace, the risk of piece to be taken apart.
Despite the winning of 2-0 in Bournemouth on Saturday, Liverpool put season for sequences and only success in their own half – Singing to the high press of the Cherries – and needed a penalty to break the impasse.
Ryan Gravenberch was forced to manage Justin Kluivert and it reduced its efficiency in moving Liverpool Vooruit. The sacrifice midfielder made a weekend -huge seven tackles.
Bournemouth still hit the woodwork twice – both chances came from Kluisivert – passes – and created three 'big opportunities', as much as Liverpool did.
An inability to cope with the strategic positioning of a no. 10 that can play between the lines, Liverpool hurt this season and to place it directly on Kluiver was proof of such. Perhaps a few lessons have been learned, but there are collection meals for Tottenham to also consider.
Both Fulham in mid -December and the United At the beginning of January, Liverpool forced a lot deeper than they play at Anfield, with the help of width in inexpensive areas to drag players out of position, while the most important striker remained high to make holes.
Alex Iwobi and Bruno Fernandes were the dominant game makers on every occasion.
Jamie Carragher investigated the success of Man United on Monday evening football and identified how Fernandes' invasive positioning was vital to debit Liverpool. Slot did not see it coming.
Trent Alexander -Arnold – who will miss the game on Thursday due to injury – was constantly caught between Diogo Dalot and Fernandes, while Amad had the beating of Lethargic Andy Robertson, attracted to help, on the other side.
Dejan Kulusevski at the front is more than able to play the same role in a targeted approach, so that they benefit from the weaker right side of Liverpool. Each of the four goals that Liverpool had admitted to Anfield in January came to the left (three crosses, one corner).
In the home leg of this draw 29 days ago it was Lucas Bergvall who almost benefited from charging Alisson, forced the error before Pedro Porro cut inexplicably wide. Postecoglou fell on his knees on the touchline, but the postponing arrived in the 86th minute when the 18-year-old Bergvall stroked the winner after Dominic Solanke Ibrahima Konate had bullied the ball.
Incidentally, the Richarlison – in Solanke's injury – that was the most pressure (45) of each player in Gameweek 24 registered while Spurs defeated Brentford 2-0 at the weekend.
And it is the same bullishness to embrace the side of Postecoglou in Anfield. To have Liverpool arranged, would be to give control over and in all likelihood to admit the result.
Spurs can be exhausted by injuries. They may think that lightning will never strike twice. But the one-off character of the next 90 minutes will certainly fit better with their Gung-Ho style. They play as if there are no consequences most weeks, and on this occasion there are not real. So be exciting, be aggressive.
After all, Spurs have won more Cup matches (10) this season than Premier League matches (8), while Postecoglou has joined a very select Pool of managers who have locked a victory since his arrival in England.
Liverpool is perhaps the best team in the competition, with the most complete team, and an impressive control of their destination in all four competitions, but they are not unbeatable – as long as traces had an appropriate blueprint for how …
View Liverpool vs Tottenham in the semi -final of the Carabao Cup, live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event on Thursday.
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