For once, Liverpool took the lead and made relatively light work of things, as they beat Tottenham 4-2 in the Premier League.
There was plenty to discuss after the Reds’ win, which restored some faith in the players on the pitch and allowed fans to enjoy the spring sunshine.
Goals from Mo Salah, Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott saw Jurgen Klopp‘s team sweep aside the visitors, and even a short-lived second-half fightback couldn’t significantly dampen the afternoon.
With impressive showings from Elliott, Gakpo and more, Sam Millne (@sam_millne) and Patrick Allen (@P_Allen21) looked back on Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Tottenham.
We didn’t concede first! Thoughts on the performance as a whole?
PADDY: A very good outing up until some second-half subs.
It felt like we got a little complacent after Elliott’s screamer and, to their credit, Spurs came into the game. It was nice to not be chasing the game for once, though.
SAM: It felt strange to watch Liverpool score in the sun, striding to victory with relatively little stress in the final minutes.
In a way, Tottenham played right into the Reds’ hands with their insistence on trying to play through the press, but Liverpool still had to finish them off, something they have struggled with of late.
It felt like a game in which Klopp went back to basics, playing Alexander-Arnold at right-back and Gakpo on the left. Who knew players playing in their best positions could help?
Time for Elliott to start regularly?
PADDY: I don’t know if you can say ‘regularly’ considering there’s only two games left, but in all honesty, I think he still provides his best off the bench.
A lot of stuff in the first half was an inch or two away, but he comes away from the game with a goal and assist.
SAM: It is wise to sometimes remember he is only 21 years old, despite having been at the club for five years already, so there isn’t necessarily a rush for him to start every week.
It will be interesting to see how Slot uses him given that the new boss will likely play two more defensive midfielders, a position he likely won’t fit.
His best position would probably be as the more attacking midfielder in his system, but there will be plenty of competition.
Could Gakpo excel on the left under Slot, given it was his position at PSV?
SAM: For me, it depends on Luis Diaz‘s situation. As someone who likes the carry the ball with tenacity, it seems Diaz would be a player perfect for Slot’s left wing.
However, there have been rumours he could move in the summer which could give Gakpo the starting berth on the left.
I think that’s where Liverpool need to use him. Whether he’s ahead of Diaz in the pecking order, though, that’s another question.
PADDY: He’s said himself that left wing is his best position and he’s absolutely shown it of late.
He’s been the bright spark in a side struggling for form. I think he’s certainly staked a claim ahead of next season, but it does raise questions about Diaz and Darwin Nunez who look at their best on the left, too.
At Anfield, was there much intensity to the game or did it feel like what it was, a pretty meaningless end-of-season match?
PADDY: It felt oddly lovely to be honest.
Obviously you’d rather the game mean a lot more than it did, but it was nice to just go to the game and enjoy it.
I think that energy transferred from the stands onto the pitch as well. They played with freedom and it was enjoyable to watch.
SAM: With little pressure on the Reds in the context of the season, it was a strange feeling to watch Liverpool without the constant consequence of dropped points looming.
It definitely helped that Liverpool didn’t go behind, too, but there was a different feel for the game – one of acceptance and another of gratitude towards the manager.
What do you want to see from the final two games?
PADDY: Just to give Jurgen a good send off, to be honest.
By the time we play Aston Villa, they themselves could have nothing to play for, making next Monday a nothing game, so it’d be nice to go there and win on Jurgen’s last away day.
As for the final day, I’m not having a repeat of Steven Gerrard’s last game in 2015, we’ve got to win that match.
End the season on a high and let the manager, who’s given a lot of us the best nights of our lives, a chance to say his piece.
SAM: A bit of positivity to keep us going over the summer would be nice.
Though we’ve lost out on the league title, finishing within touching distance of Arsenal and Man City would at least allow us to say Klopp kept us competitive to the last.
Dropping points at Villa would be no disaster, but we could do with some confidence being restored by the players before a summer of change.
Just play like you can and tell us we’re in good hands so we can see the changes as exciting rather than gloomy.
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