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RICHARLISON’S 90TH-MINUTE equaliser earned Tottenham’s under-fire interim head coach Igor Tudor a stay of execution with a 1-1 draw at Anfield as Liverpool conceded another late goal to dent their Champions League qualification hopes.
Substitute Randal Kolo Muani held off Virgil van Dijk to roll a pass for the Brazil international to slot past international team-mate Alisson Becker and have Tudor punching the air as he ran out of his technical area to celebrate his first point in his five matches.
The result hardly strengthened the Croatian’s position as they remain in deep trouble but it did move Spurs a point above the relegation zone.
Boos which rang around Anfield at the final whistle after Richarlison’s fifth goal at Anfield highlighted the level of discontent at another underwhelming performance from Arne Slot’s side after taking a first-half lead.
Goalkeeping issues cost Tottenham again them with Guglielmo Vicario failing to adequately deal with Dominik Szoboszlai’s 18th-minute free-kick.
Vicario had been restored to the starting line-up after Tudor’s decision to start Antonin Kinsky against Atletico Madrid in the midweek Champions League contest ended with him being substituted after 17 minutes having been at fault for two of three goals.
If there was any defence for the Italian goalkeeper, and there was little, it was that Szoboszlai has now scored four direct free-kick goals in the Premier League this season.
It is the most by a Liverpool player in a single campaign with only David Beckham (2000-01) and Laurent Robert (2001-02) – both scoring five – having managed more and the Hungary captain is now responsible for a quarter of all free-kick goals in the league this season.
But frustrations rose at the lack of open-play chances and that turned into anger when former Everton forward Richarlison equalised in front of the Kop.
Slot has to answer more questions about another sub-par display. Although the point moved them fifth place they failed to capitalise on Chelsea’s defeat on Saturday.
There was an air of tension inside Anfield and that seemed to extend to Tudor, who appeared to confuse Tottenham’s bald-headed player liaison officer Allan Dixon for Slot on the touchline, greeting the club’s member of staff with a friendly arm around his waist before walking over to the home dugout.
But the anxiety was also felt on the pitch, where Slot had opted for pace on both flanks, handing 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha his first Premier League start and preferring Jeremie Frimpong to the out-of-form Mohamed Salah.
Based on some of the individual performances in the Champions League defeat to Galatasaray Salah, Ibrahima Konate, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike could have no complaints about being left out.
Spurs’ injury and suspension problems meant they were without 12 players, including their first-choice centre-back pairing, and could name only seven substitutes, of which only two were senior outfield players.
Szoboszlai eased the nerves with another 25-yard special which Vicario got a full hand to but could not keep out. He did better in tipping Ryan Gravenberch’s strike onto the post.
But Richarlison, playing alongside Dominic Solanke up front, was proving a nuisance with three good chances either side of half-time.
Ngumoha, who took his time to get into the game, had a rare shot across the goal but in his television commentary former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said his old team were “sleepwalking” through the game.
The triple substitution of Salah, Ekitike and Curtis Jones failed to energise them and Tottenham seized on that vulnerability to snatch a point.
Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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