Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit of a top-four finish in the Premier League table took a significant hit as they fell to a 4-2 defeat against Liverpool on Sunday. Despite their hopes of recovering from their midweek loss to Chelsea, Spurs found themselves trailing by four goals around the hour mark, seemingly out of contention.
Despite a late surge with two goals in five minutes from Richarlison and Son Heung-min, Tottenham ran out of time and couldn't salvage a result. Their defensive struggles were glaringly evident in Merseyside, with one player from Ange Postecoglou’s backline, Emerson Royal, having an especially forgettable half.
Royal was forced to fill in due to injuries to key players but struggled significantly against Liverpool’s attacking threat - particularly Mohamed Salah. His lack of awareness was evident when Salah capitalized on his poor defending to head in Liverpool’s opener within the first 15 minutes of the match.
Royal looked all over place against Salah
Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane was among the critics who highlighted Royal’s shortcomings during this crucial game. Speaking on Sky Sports, Keane emphasized Royal’s apparent lack of awareness and intuition in critical defensive situations - particularly evident during Mo Salah’s goal.
Keane pointed out that reading the game and reacting appropriately is vital for any defender. Unfortunately for Postecoglou and Spurs fans alike, these qualities seemed lacking in Royal's performance against Liverpool.
Roy Keane, Sky Sports pundit, said:
“He doesn’t smell danger. Wherever he is in the back-four, he doesn’t smell danger. Whether he is at right-back or left-back, and he is not going to get to know at this stage of his career.”
Postecoglou faces injury crisis and tough decisions
Unfortunately for Postecoglou, Tottenham’s injury crisis leaves him without an available left-back option forcing him into using right-back Emerson Royal as a makeshift full-back. This decision has raised questions about whether he will continue starting him or opt instead for Skipp as a makeshift left-back - a role Skipp played after replacing Royal in the second half.
The game against Liverpool highlighted Tottenham's defensive vulnerabilities, particularly with key players out due to injury. As they continue their quest for a top-four finish, it will be interesting to see how Postecoglou and his team address these issues. Whether that involves continuing with Royal or exploring other options like Skipp remains to be seen.
Regardless of the decision, one thing is clear - Tottenham needs to tighten up their defense if they hope to compete at the highest level in the Premier League.
