Liverpool drew 1-1 with Tottenham in its third straight away game to open the Premier League season after conceding a second-half equalizer by Danny Rose on Saturday.
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James Milner, playing in the unfamiliar position of full-back, rifled home the opener from the penalty spot before Sadio Mane unjustly had a goal disallowed for off-side as the Reds pushed for a second.
Tottenham’s winless run against Liverpool extended to eight league games – dating back to 2012 – and they couldn’t handle the pace and energy of the visitors’ sprightly forward line in a frenetic, entertaining first half at White Hart Lane.
“We will work on it but we are convinced he can play there, that’s why we haven’t signed another player in this position”.
Jürgen Klopp has refused to be drawn into Liverpool’s problems at left-back, which saw James Milner taking over after Alberto Moreno’s performance against Arsenal on the opening day of the season. “We played against Liverpool and we need to show respect to the players that played”. In the post-match interview, he suggested that he is more than happy to play where the manager needs him to. In the end we have to accept [it].
Even though at Tottenham the manager introduced Divock Origi before Sturridge, to the latter’s visible displeasure, Klopp was adamant that Sturridge will get more action this season. Simon Mignolet saved our lives then, now he had one brilliant save. “He will play and he will score and all will be good”, he said.
Liverpool looked the more threatening of two sides from the outset, but Tottenham grew into the game and began creating opportunities for themselves. “It’s a good team so hopefully we’ll choose different lineups for different games”. “Whatever I could say now would not change the result”. Kyle Walker had a desperate 25 minutes of misjudgements and lost tackles until he was withdrawn, apparently unwell, and we wait to see whether he is included in Sam Allardyce’s first England squad today. I think we did very well.
“It seems a long time since we played at Anfield, it has been a tough start”.
“We played not well but better – we competed a lot, which is important so I am pleased”.
“But I can only pick 11 players for the start”.
Liverpool could still do with more mental quickness and calmness in midfield: a rudder in the vein of Dietmar Hamann, someone who can reset the team when whirlwind mode malfunctions.
“But then we had the problem with Walker and we had to take more risks in the second half”.
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Sturridge’s issues so far this campaign have not been so much about as injuries as they have about his role in the team under Klopp.
