Richarlison goads Virgil van Dijk after dramatic Tottenham equalizer vs Liverpool

Richarlison has not shown a hint of embarrassment at celebrating the goal that moved Spurs a point above the drop zone, and he's now goaded Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk

Richarlison has rubbed salt into the wounds of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk after scoring a late equalizer at Anfield(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

In hindsight, there was little point in bothering to play out Liverpool vs. Spurs on Sunday (and there was certainly no point in watching it).

The result could have been scripted ahead of time: 1-1, late Richarlison equalizer. Tottenham fans would no doubt have told you the match was a foregone conclusion, but they've not watched enough Liverpool recently. It was a stoppable force meeting a moveable object.

Arne Slot's side has been absurdly brittle of late, and Richarlison does not need more of an invitation than that to make his customary mark at Anfield. Even after a moment of quality from Dominik Szoboszlai, with the help of some questionable goalkeeping, Liverpool regulars could have told you that the prospects of Virgil van Dijk captaining the side to a comfortable afternoon were slim to none.

The fault certainly doesn't lie squarely with the Dutchman, although he did not cover himself in glory for the goal. After Andy Robertson was beaten too easily in a duel, Van Dijk looked all at sea, a far cry from the days when that particular duo formed half of the best defense in the country.

Yet it is not wholly a story of age-related decline. The goal was primarily a product of uncertainty, with nobody prepared to properly take charge of the situation.

Richarlison took full advantage of Liverpool's inertia. After Randal Kolo Muani had shrugged off Van Dijk, the Brazilian was in the right place to finish coolly past his compatriot.

The one shock was that Richarlison didn't pick up his customary booking for over-celebration. But he has made up for lost time after the final whistle, appearing to goad Van Dijk with an Instagram post.

He at least had the decency to hide it at the far end of his photo carousel, but the Spurs striker picked an image of himself wheeling away in celebration, with Van Dijk's head in his hands. The Liverpool captain has a pained expression on his face.

Unfortunately, it is not the first time we've seen that expression this season. It has been five games since Liverpool last kept a clean sheet.

Of course, things are still far worse at Spurs, and you might accuse Richarlison of some degree of shamelessness given that his goal has lifted Tottenham a grand total of one point clear of the relegation zone. But Slot must focus on fixing his own side's issues.

Arne Slot coached Liverpool to its latest awful result at the weekend(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

He can scarcely consider his job more secure than that of Igor Tudor. Van Dijk is just one of the many established world-class players at his disposal, and the various extenuating circumstances cannot wholly explain the sheer hopelessness of the current campaign.

Worryingly, performances have been almost as bad as results. Remarkably, the draw lifted Liverpool into a top-five berth that could be enough for Champions League football at the end of the season, but that cannot hide that it is a team that appears to be travelling in the wrong direction.

Richarlison has haunted Liverpool before, and will likely do so again. But for this Spurs side to have not only snatched a point at Anfield but deserved it is in no way acceptable.

Next up for Liverpool is Galatasaray. The Reds will have to overcome a one-goal deficit, thanks to a similarly hapless first-leg display.

The hierarchy has shown patience with Slot up to now, but will surely be forced to seriously confront the question of his future for the first time if Liverpool cannot secure Champions League progression. The campaign is in danger of unravelling altogether, and the signs are pointing to decline rather than transition.

One way or another, Richarlison's goal will have to be a turning point. Something has to change, and the manager cannot be given too much longer to prove that he shouldn't be the one to make way.