L'pool 6(Salah15,35 pens,Matip 30,Mane 80,90,v Dijk 90+3)  

Leeds 0                                                                                                  

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A 6 – 0 walloping at Anfield along with the 2 – 4 defeat to Man U has upped the ante ever so slightly on this coming weekend’s game with Spurs. Further pressure has been heaped on the game by Burnley this week too, as they showed how to beat Tottenham; a win that has potentially given the Clarets a lifeline and maybe, just maybe, started to tighten the noose around our necks if we’re not careful.

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Let’s be honest, none of us really thought it likely we’d get anything at Anfield this evening. We’ve not been firing on all cylinders against the worst sides in the EPL lately, let alone the best and Liverpool are in a league of the best two sides at the top of the table; ‘Pool and Citeh are a country mile ahead of anyone else, even Chelsea and Man United as evidenced by our creditable performance at Stamford Bridge not so long ago and by the spirited second-half effort last weekend. OK, that only lasted 16 minutes or so but, even so… I think the point is made.

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So, we were on a hiding to nothing really with Liverpool having to win to keep up the relentless pursuit of Citeh. To then suffer not one, but two early penalties – one clearly a penalty under current rules (albeit very unlucky) and one that you only get as a ‘big six’ side playing at home – then the task moved from the realms of Herculean to nigh on impossible!

Sure, it was still disappointing to ship four other goals and to thus become the leakiest side in the division this season, and to concede from yet another corner – our 13th set-piece goal conceded now – but surely we just have to forget it and move on. Liverpool are a top side full of expensive world-class players and we’re not yet at that level. No, we’re not fighting with the Liverpool’s, Citehs and Man Us of this world, we’re scrapping with Burnley, Watford, Norwich and their likes.

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We have to hope that the club has the ability to get the players to realise this and to get their heads up quickly so that we can make a fist of it on Saturday. I still get the feeling that we are only one win away from turning the season around and, beating Spurs, especially since Burnley have shown us it’s possible, would be a good time to start the turn. Our heads were clearly down tonight and our body language wasn’t great but I’m sure a raucous Elland Road crowd can fix that on Saturday. Bielsa will only need to show the video of our game at White Hart Lane where again, but for the odd bounce of the ball we’d have got something there.

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In fact, if we now fail to get something from the Spurs game, questions will inevitably be asked about whether we, and the way we play, or Burnley and the totally different way they play, have got it right in a relegation scrap. Spurs are also in a tad of disarray tonight as Conte seems to be ready to admit this Spurs challenge is not for him; this must be a good time to face them.

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So come on you Mighty Whites, let’s not dwell on this tonight, let’s be in shape mentally and physically to give Spurs a seeing to. It would make the world of LS11 seem a very different place.