Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou picked up the famous line from the movie Gladiator after the wild ride to victory over Manchester United when he asked: “Aren’t you entertained?”
It was Postecoglou’s way of answering questions about his cavalier approach, after Spurs threatened to go 3-0 down before winning 4-3 in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Thursday.
The problem is that Postecoglou’s concept of entertainment works both ways – as he and Spurs find their value in being brutally punished by Liverpool in front of their own supporters.
Liverpool must have found Spurs highly entertaining in a 6-3 win that was nowhere near an accurate reflection of their superiority. It demonstrates why Arne Slott’s side are in control of the title race with a four-point lead over Chelsea at Christmas with a game in hand, while Spurs are eight points back in fourth place in 11th.
Entertainment has never been a problem with Spurs under Postecoglou. But there is an element of sporting torture with glee when they are exposed to a team of Liverpool’s world-class attacking quality.
Spurs have now scored 30 goals in their last five games. All well and good, but 10 of those goals came against Postecoglou’s side in consecutive home league defeats to Chelsea and Liverpool. In the latter case, the only question was how Liverpool scored only six and somehow lost three.
Liverpool’s expected goal total was 4.6 to Spurs’ 1.2. Slott’s side, as measured by Opta Stats, created nine big chances – testament to their dominance as well as defensive frailty Postecoglou shows little sign of coping with excessive realism.
It will be unfair to Postecoglou and Spurs that he is missing first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and central defenders Christian Romero and Micky van de Ven. For a team that plays in such an open style, they are big absentees, especially Van de Ven, whose pace is crucial for Postecoglou’s preferred high line.
Spurs are stretched in numbers, meaning Postecoglou took the field in an unchanged side from Thursday’s encounter with Manchester United.
No such problems for Liverpool, however, who have now won 12 of their 16 league games this season and drawn three. Their highest goal difference is also plus 21.
