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Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has shed light on the tactical approach that guided the Reds to their convincing win over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday.
The Reds were on fire as they smashed 6 goals past Ange Postecoglou’s side to extend their lead at the top of the table.
They took the lead in the 23rd minute when Luis Diaz headed in a precise cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold and headed the ball past the goalkeeper. The advantage was doubled 13 minutes later when Alexis Mac Allister scored from close range, exposing gaps in the Spurs defence.
Tottenham managed a brief revival when James Maddison curled in a spectacular effort just before half-time. However, Liverpool restored their two-goal advantage minutes later, Dominik Szoboszlai finishing off a well-executed counter-attack to make it 3-1 at the break.
Mohamed Salah added two quick-fire goals in the second half to put Liverpool out of sight at 5-1. Despite late goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, the Reds sealed victory with Diaz’s second goal in the dying minutes.
Ryan Gravenberch reveals that Liverpool have targeted the right side of Spurs’ defence
Most of Liverpool’s goals came from the right and Gravenberch later revealed that it was part of their plan to target the right side of the Spurs defence, with Radu Dragusin seen as the weak link.
Granvenberch said LFCTV:
“Yes, we had a very good game plan, we wanted to keep them on the right side and press the right central defender. Sometimes it went well and sometimes they did it well, but in the end, I think we did really well.”
Radu Dragusin endured a torrid evening, failing to spot Luis Diaz’s run to start and losing an aerial duel to Szoboszlai for Liverpool’s third.
Radu Dragusin’s struggled at Tottenham so far
The Romanian did not have the best start to his career at Tottenham. He joined them in January, choosing Spurs over Bayern Munich. However, the young centre-back initially struggled for playing time given the presence of Cristiano Romero and Micky van de Ven in front of him.
With both first-choice defenders ruled out, the 21-year-old was handed an extended stint in the squad, but his displays highlighted his inexperience at the highest level.
Ange Postecoglou now faces a critical decision on how to address his side’s defensive vulnerabilities. The absence of Romero and Van de Ven has left Tottenham exposed, with a makeshift pairing struggling to cope with top-flight opposition like Liverpool.
