Familiar territory as Reds fight to hold on to lead

FOR 83 minutes, anyone searching for proof that Liverpool had finally turned the corner on their season will have gathered plenty of evidence here at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

- By PAUL GORST LFC Correspondent

With Arne Slot’s side in full control at 2-0, cruising to a sixth game unbeaten - and a third successive clean sheet - against the 10 men of Spurs, everything was pointing towards a stress-free day at the office.

A sloppy concession changed all of that, however, and despite offering very little in the final third prior to Richarlison’s 83rd-minute effort, it was the hosts who suddenly looked the most likely to score again, even when they were given their second red card of the game for Cristian Romero.

Quite why Liverpool struggle to see out two-goal advantages only Slot and his players will know but the dying embers here looked for all the world like it was about to happen for a fifth time this term across all competitions.

The Reds’ ability to shoot themselves in the foot is unmatched in that regard. "A masterclass on how not to manage the final 10 minutes," remarked former captain Jamie Redknapp.

This time, though, they held on by the skin of their teeth.

Rarely has an important win like this felt like such scant progress.

Yet another first half devoid of any real goalmouth activity from Slot’s men saw its big talking point arrive shortly after the half-hour mark when Xavi Simons was sent off by referee John Brooks for an ugly rake down the Achilles of Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk.

Simons could have little argument after a VAR check, it was a late one that didn’t need making and while his Netherlands international colleague Van Dijk attempted to make light of the challenge, a check with the monitor deemed it to be serious foul play.