Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp cannot see Manchester City slipping up in the Premier League title race after his side dropped precious points at Anfield for the first time since October in a draw with Tottenham.
The result takes Liverpool top on goal difference but Pep Guardiola’s side can move three points clear with three games remaining if they defeat Newcastle United on Sunday.
Son Heung-min swept the counter-attacking visitors in front after 56 minutes following a link-up between Harry Kane and Ryan Sessegnon and with the Liverpool defence disorganised.
Liverpool naturally flooded forward for an equaliser but it took a heavily deflected shot from Luis Diaz 16 minutes from time to pierce Spurs’ packed defence and draw the home side level.
Spurs continued to defend with resolution after the equaliser and were also a threat on the break as they battled to take something from the game and enhance their top-four challenge.
“I can’t see it,” said Klopp when asked if City might drop points. “I wish I could think differently but I can’t see it.
“My problem is not whether City smash Newcastle. It’s Aston Villa on Tuesday.
“We have a point more than before so that’s good and it’s massively better than when we were 1-0 down. That goal really counts. But it’s not what we wanted, we have to deal with it and we will.”
Liverpool at least maintained their unbeaten Premier League record – which now stretches to 16 games, including 13 wins and three draws – but time will tell how damaging this failure to beat Spurs will be as the title race reaches its climax.
Klopp’s team has set magnificently high standards but it was inevitable they would not be able to find a way to win every time and they were up against a side brilliantly organised by visiting coach Antonio Conte.
Liverpool swarmed over Spurs from the start but once the early storm blew over they could not carve out many clear openings against a resolute defence, in which Cristian Romero was absolutely outstanding.
Virgil van Dijk struck the woodwork before the break – as did Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – as Liverpool frequently threatened from set-pieces but Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were kept largely quiet, and were after the break too.
Diaz was the main threat, as he arguably has since he arrived in January, and the Colombia winger deserved his goal even if it was helped by a big deflection off Rodrigo Bentancur.
Liverpool were roared forward by a Kop desperate for another piece of late Anfield drama but too many crosses went astray and too many moves foundered on the rock of the Spurs defence.
Klopp’s side have relentlessly pursued City in the past two months knowing any slip-up would be damaging and after these dropped two points must now hope Guardiola’s side lose rather than merely draw one of their remaining games in order to reel them in.
