Tottenham Draws Level with Liverpool, Game Finishes 0-0

Tottenham Hotspur still remain unbeaten in the Premier League.

Leading up to the game, all eyes were on Jürgen Klopp who was making his Premier League and managerial debut for Liverpool. As for Mauricio Pochettino, while the media, Liverpool supporters and neutrals wanted to see how the Reds would do, Pochettino had to focus on getting a positive result without one of his best players, Eric Dier at defensive midfield due to yellow card accumulation.

To fill in his spot Mousa Dembélé would be making his return into Mauricio Pochettino’s starting eleven following an ankle/foot injury that he was dealing with. Rejoining the Belgian midfielder was Danny Rose who would be making his second Premier League start of the season and fifth overall in all competitions.

After five consecutive losses to Liverpool in the Premier League, in which Tottenham have been outscored 18-4, Spurs had to start the game off strong and that didn’t happen whatsoever. From the opening whistle until 20 minutes into the first half, Liverpool completely dominated the game with a high-press offense and were getting plenty of chances to score but came away with nothing.

The opening 20 minutes in the first half of games have usually been Tottenham’s forte this season where Pochettino’s high-press offense catches opponents off guard and forces them into a defensive shell. Today, Tottenham were struggling to get out of their own half. But, once it reached the 20th minute this is when Spurs were able to turn things around and dominated the game until halftime.

After 45 minutes the first half ended in an entertaining affair for neutrals watching, but not so much for supporters of both clubs though. Once the second half got underway, it couldn’t repeat the same fast and intense pace that the game started out with. Instead it became a bit more slowed down, methodical and more chippy with fouls and non-fouls. Both Tottenham and Liverpool each had a fair amount of possession in a balanced first half and this continued for the next 45 minutes in the second half in what ended as a draw and a vital point for Tottenham.

Tottenham notes and observations:

– Nacer Chadli picked up a knock in the seventh minute

Mamadou Sakho and Nacer Chadli were fighting for the ball and Sakho accidentally rolled over Chadli’s right leg. It’s unlikely that the Belgian left midfielder is fit in time against Anderlecht on Thursday.

– Clinton N’Jie makes another appearance as a substitute

With Nacer Chadli getting injured in the seventh minute and being taken off in the tenth minute, Clinton N’Jie was a like-for-like substitute for Chadli. After coming into the game though the Cameroon international would struggle a bit and look shaky. As soon as the game wore on, 15 minutes after N’Jie was subbed on, he got more involved with teammates, performing much better.

– Mousa Dembélé has looked good since returning from injury.

View image | gettyimages.com

Mousa Dembélé is fully recovered from his injury that he suffered against Everton. In his return start, the Belgian midfielder was Tottenham’s Man of the Match as he routinely made plays with the ball at his feet. His strength, balance and high-pressing ability makes him a perfect fit for Pochettino’s system whether he’s starting or coming off of the bench.

More from Match Reports

– Tottenham have received 24 yellow cards this season in eight Premier League games.

This statistic is less of an indication that Tottenham are a team that fouls a lot — which they do — but when looking at it in a different way. Despite being one of the youngest teams in the Premier League in terms of the team’s starting eleven’s average age, Spurs’ are showing that they won’t back down from any opponent. Especially Eric Dier who was serving a one-game suspension after receiving his fifth yellow card in eight games.

– Kyle Walker picked up a knock in the 71st minute

It looked like a cramp at first, but when Kyle Walker was getting treatment it seemed to be a knee issue. In the end, Walker was able to finish the game which is good news as he has been doing well this season and losing Kyle Walker for an extended period of time might hurt the team even if Kieran Trippier is a capable starter from his time with Burnley last season.

– Andros Townsend would make a late second half substitution for Erik Lamela.

There wasn’t much time to work with for Andros Townsend to impress Mauricio Pochettino in the hopes of possibly convincing the Argentine manager to start him over Érik Lamela. At the very least, Pochettino is finding ways to use all three right midfielders this season and all three have responded well, but the pecking order starts with Lamela first, followed by Clinton N’Jie and then Townsend last.

Final thoughts:

Getting a win and three points would have been the better result, however ending a losing streak even with a draw and earning one point is a step in the right direction. Since 2012, Spurs lost the last five Premier League games to Liverpool. Drawing in their sixth Premier League matchup against Liverpool, since Tottenham’s last win, means that they are still winless against the Reds. But a point is a point and it gives Mauricio Pochettino another positive result in the overall picture to take with him ahead of their Europa League fixture against R.S.C. Anderlecht. With 14 points in nine league games this season, Tottenham climbs up to seventh place in the league table for the time being. At the end of the day, they should sit between 7th-10th which is neither good or bad.

Next: Matchday: Tottenham v Liverpool

Tottenham Draws Level with Liverpool, Game Finishes 0-0

By Alexander Balano | Oct 17, 2015

Tottenham Hotspur still remain unbeaten in the Premier League.

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