(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) / (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has shed light on the tactical approach that guided the Reds to their emphatic victory over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday.
The Reds were on fire as they scored 6 past Ange Postecoglou’s side to extend their lead at the top of the table.
They took the lead in the 23rd minute when Luis Díaz headed in a pinpoint cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who headed it past the goalkeeper. The lead was doubled 13 minutes later when Alexis Mac Allister scored from close range, exposing Spurs’ defensive mistakes.
Tottenham managed a brief revival when James Maddison struck a spectacular effort just before half-time. However, Liverpool restored their two-goal cushion minutes later with Dominik Szoboszlai finishing off a well-executed counter-attack to make it 3-1 at the break.
Mohamed Salah added two quick goals in the second half to put Liverpool out of sight 5-1. Despite late strikes from Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, the Reds sealed victory with Diaz’s second goal in the final minutes.
Ryan Gravenberch reveals that Liverpool have targeted the right-back of the Spurs defence
Most of Liverpool’s goals came from the right wing and Gravenberch later revealed that it was part of his plan to target the right side of the Spurs defence, with Radu Dragusin seen as the weak link.
Granverberch said LFCTV:
“Yes, we had a very good game plan, we wanted to keep them on the right side and put pressure on the right central. Sometimes it went well and sometimes they did well, but in the end, I think we did really well.”
Radu Dragusin endured a torrid night, failing to spot Luis Diaz’s run for the opener and losing an aerial duel to Szoboszlai for Liverpool’s third.
Radu Dragusin has struggled so far at Tottenham
The Romanian has not had the best start to his career at Tottenham. He joined them in January, choosing Spurs over Bayern Munich. However, the young centre-back initially struggled for playing time in the presence of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven ahead of him.
With both first-choice defenders on the sidelines, the 21-year-old has had a long run in the team, but his displays have highlighted his inexperience at the highest level.
Ange Postecoglou now faces a critical decision on how to address his team’s defensive vulnerabilities. The absence of Romero and Van de Ven has left Tottenham exposed, with makeshift pairings struggling to cope with top-flight opponents such as Liverpool.
