Three winners and three losers from Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur almost rescued a point in stoppage time against Liverpool, but the game was ultimately lost due to the foolish actions of certain players.

Tottenham Hotspur have once again tasted the bitterness of defeat, but with more composure and common sense, the win was there for the taking.

Let’s take a look at the three winners and losers from the disappointing Premier League defeat, which should not have been the disaster it became.

Richarlison made an instant impact for Spurs

Richarlison has games when he does very little for Tottenham, but the game was crying out for something fresh when the hosts trailed by two goals. The Brazilian does have a history of scoring goals against Liverpool, so it was good to see him finally enter the field of play.

Indeed, Richarlison made his presence known, and it was he who gave Spurs a fighting chance in the game. The centre forward scored Tottenham’s only goal of the game and continued to be a threat.

Richarlison crafted his final opportunity all by himself and was unlucky not to level the score in the dying embers. He can certainly be pleased with a cameo, which was all too brief.

Djed Spence gave his all for Tottenham

Djed Spence dropped his best performance for a while on Saturday, and he did not deserve to be on the losing team.

The England international was constantly driving up the left wing, and some of his dribbling was highly impressive. Unfortunately, he often found himself without any options due to an ineffective formation and the fact that Xavi Simons got sent off.

Spence was guilty of letting Jeremie Frimpong’s cross make it into the box, which saw Liverpool score their second goal, but his overall display was encouraging.

Radu Dragusin was back in the Spurs squad

It has been a long road to recovery for Radu Dragusin, but he was finally named in a Tottenham matchday squad against Liverpool.

The Romanian was poor for Spurs last season, and things got even worse when he picked up an ACL injury, which has since kept him out for almost a year.

However, Dragusin will be able to undergo a fresh start with Thomas Frank and with Cristian Romero now suspended, he could get a taste of first-team football again pretty soon.

Now, let’s take a look at our three losers from Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool…

Xavi Simons was given his marching orders

Just when it looked like Xavi Simons was starting to prove he was not a Tottenham flop, he decided to engage in one of the stupidest challenges you will ever see.

Some Spurs fans can choose to remain in denial, but the 22-year-old’s foul on Virgil van Dijk was a red card every day of the week.

Simons was nowhere near the ball, and his studs were too high. It was a completely unnecessary tackle to commit to, and it leaves Tottenham short on midfield options.

Cristian Romero has embarrassed himself at Tottenham

There are no words to sum up Cristian Romero after his pathetic showing against Liverpool, which almost single-handedly caused the defeat.

The Argentine was at fault for both goals scored by the visitors, as he showcased a combination of carelessness and shocking defending.

Romero had already looked unhinged for most of the night, and he then lashed out during an incident with Ibrahima Konate, which saw him sent off. This was a fitting conclusion to a generational stinker of a performance.    

Mohammed Kudus failed to cause Liverpool any problems

It is worth studying Mohammed Kudus and looking at how well he plays against the top teams compared with those lower in the table.

The 25-year-old looks dangerous when he takes on less capable opponents, but he tends to struggle against the best teams in the Premier League, and Saturday was no different.

Groans sounded as Kudus continually looked to take the speed out of Tottenham’s attacks, and he caused Liverpool very few problems throughout a disappointing game.

READ MORE – Five things we learned from Tottenham’s chaotic 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League