Guten tag!
The Jurgen Klopp era begins in north London today as Liverpool visit Spurs. And we’re going minute by minute.
The big news is that Daniel Sturridge is out.
20-year-old Belgium international Divock Origi starts up front. The former Lille striker has played for only 17 minutes in the league this season, but is named in the absence of Danny Ings, who has sustained a knee ligament injury, and Daniel Sturridge, who was left out of the squad.
In total Klopp made only two changes to the last team selected by his sacked predecessor Brendan Rodgers, with Origi and Adam Lallana replacing Ings and Sturridge.
Klopp, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, was also without captain Jordan Henderson, defender Joe Gomez and close-season signings Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino due to injury.
The German has been brought in to revive the fortunes of a team who finished sixth in the league last season and who have won only once inside 90 minutes in their last nine games.
Klopp’s first Liverpool team: Mignolet; Clyne, Skrtel, Sakho, Moreno; Can, Lucas; Milner, Lallana, Coutinho; Origi
All the focus is on the Reds today, but Spurs will want to kick on after the international break. Here’s their starting XI:
Spurs: Lloris (c), Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Alli, Dembele; Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane
Greetings. Eoin O’Callaghan stepping in to take the reins. How we feeling, Liverpool fans? The start of a new era? Or will Klopp get the time he needs?
Just a handful of photographers waiting to take THE photo of Klopp in the dugout.
Jurgen Meister is a pretty good one.
Worth remembering that Spurs are in great form – not beaten since the opening day and that was thanks to Kyle Walker’s own goal against Manchester United.
1′ – AND WE’RE UNDERWAY!
Just FYI…BT Sport’s low camera angle at White Hart Lane is not very nice.
Looks like a 4-3-2-1 from Liverpool, really. Lallana and Coutinho in behind Origi. Milner, Lucas and Can seem to be sitting as a midfield three.
There has been plenty of energy and pace and power from Liverpool early on – almost inevitable given Klopp’s style. Lallana has began brightly and has forced a few corners with his industry.
A nice passage of pressure from the guests as they try to work something in the right channel. It ends when Milner absolutely cements Chadli who’s receiving treatment.
This is a blow for Spurs here. Chadli is still struggling after that challenge from Milner and it looks like they’ll make a change. Liverpool, meanwhile, have forced another corner.
VERY CLOSE! Milner’s delivery is flicked on by Can and Origi’s header smacks the bar and bounces down before eventually being hacked clear. Skrtel was about to pounce but the Belgian attacker took it on instead. A really good chance.
SUBSTITUTION! N’jie (on) – Chadli (off)
Confirmation of that Spurs change.
Lallana steps inside and fires a quick shot with his left. It’s very tame and easy for Lloris to scoop up. He quickly launches it up-field as Spurs attempt to create something. Anything. They haven’t got a foothold here at all. They need to find one soon.
Lots and lots of talk about Klopp’s pressing. Isn’t it remarkable the difference when players close down the opponent who has possession of the ball? We’re amazed by the most simple of things in the Premier League, aren’t we?
Milner is getting a talking to here. He crunched Chadli earlier and now he’s gone through Rose again in the corner. Free-kick for Spurs in a good position.
Bit of a lull here, 20 minutes in. Spurs have taken the sting out of a really solid Liverpool opening but outside of the Origi header, chances few and far between.
A brief moment of intent from Spurs as Kane pops up dangerously in the right channel of the area and there’s a hint of a goal chance but Liverpool deal with it and clear their lines.
N’jie is having a bit of a mare since coming on. He’s given the ball away so much since replacing the injured Chadli. Needs to get his head in the game here because Spurs are struggling to impose themselves.
CLOSE! Oh, goodness me. That’s a brilliant save from Mignolet. N’jie didn’t fancy taking the shot on his left so curls it with the outside of his right foot and the keeper tips it away for a corner as it heads towards the far corner. It all came from Spurs giving Liverpool a taste of their own medicine, pressing high and forcing Lallana into selling Skrtel short. Still, the lumbering centre-half hesitates in making a challenge on Kane and he cut inside before finding N’jie. Better. Much better from Spurs.
Michael Owen on Lloris: “Keeper sweeper”. Oh, dear.
Spurs have been much better in the last five minutes or so. Eriksen is seeing more of the ball and they’re finding gaps. Passing is better, crisper and Liverpool not making the same in-roads as earlier on. They’ve countered the press and dealt with it after finding it difficult initially.
BOOKING! That’s a ridiculous yellow for Milner as he tries to block Rose but the full-backs’ follow-through catches the midfielder. It’s the Liverpool man who picks up a booking. Did have two fouls already but this was a nothing challenge.
CLOSE! Oh! Spurs should really be in front. Firstly, Kane is slipped through in the left channel of the area and tries to whip the shot across Mignolet but the keeper blocks with his leg. It breaks perfectly for Alli, who controls and smacks a low drive towards goal. But there’s Sakho to throw himself at the shot. Last-ditch stuff but it remains scoreless.
CLOSE! Liverpool have faded quite quickly and that’s sure to be a concern for Klopp. Plenty of early encouragement for him but Pochettino has figured things out relatively quickly and responded. Meanwhile, N’jie pops up again, evades Skrtel very easily and smacks a rising shot towards goal. Mignolet seems comfortable that it’s going over but it doesn’t miss by much, catching the top of the net as it dips over the bar.
Coutinho tries his luck from distance but it’s a tame shot and easy for Lloris. At the other end, Kane (who has really come into this game in the last 10 minutes), shakes off another challenge and tries to engineer a chance. His cross is half-cleared before Liverpool finally get rid.
AND THAT’S HALF-TIME!
So, the first 45 minutes of the Klopp era is done and dusted. It certainly was encouraging for the opening 15 or so with Origi hitting the crossbar after Milner’s corner was flicked on by Can.
But after that, Spurs figured out how to deal with the high-energy press. They created a brilliant chance themselves by doing the exact same thing and pressuring Lallana into coughing up possession. N’jie, however, saw his neat effort tipped away by Mingolet. Later, Kane was denied by the goalkeeper while Alli saw his follow-up brilliantly blocked by Sakho.
As the half wore on, the hosts began to find holes and were much better in possession in midfield – working the ball quickly to those in space, effectively making the pressing redundant. That’s about balance from Liverpool – they need to know when to push and when to sit back. And they may have exerted a lot of energy too so the final quarter of the game could be a tough slog for them.
WE’RE BACK UNDERWAY!
Dangerous in-swinging free-kick from Spurs and it’s bounced right in front of Mignolet. Only a slight touch and it’s in the net but the keeper gathers. Eriksen does have great quality, usually, from dead balls though his corners today have been dreadful.
Another couple of dodgy moments at the back for Liverpool. Moreno cheaply gives it away and Eriksen looks to attack the space in the right channel.
It’s not been a great start to this second half from either side. Liverpool look a little unsure and Coutinho – their normal spark of creativity – is tracking back and monitoring the runs of Kyle Walker.
BOOKING! Lamela picks up a yellow for a challenge on Moreno.
You’d have to think Liverpool will be looking at making a change. But it’s slim pickings, isn’t it?
Subs: Bogdan, Toure, Allen, Ibe, Sinclair, Teixeira, Randall
PENALTY CLAIM! Everything is getting a bit desperate now! Lallana tries to head towards goal from that right channel of the penalty area but Alli is strong and stays with him. Lallana tumbles to the ground, looks back at the referee and hopes for a penalty. It’s not given. And it was never a foul.
Two things. Kyle Walker has a problem here and will probably need to go off. And Kane stretched the Liverpool defence with a decent run in behind Sakho but, to their credit, the guests get back in numbers to absorb the pressure.
Football friends.
Walker is staying on for the moment, even though Kieran Trippier was warming up on the touchline.
He has been very solid.
CLOSE! James Milner is very lucky here. He’s already been booked and even though there’s a hospital pass preceding it, Rose flicks it past him before he’s absolutely clattered (again) by the former Man City man. It leads to Origi getting a shot in and Lloris saving with his leg. Boos ring out at WHL and you can understand why. A little needle to this now.
SUBSTITUTION! Allen (on) – Lallana (off)
The inevitable Adam Lallana substitution. He was arguably Liverpool’s best player in the first half but has faded (again) but Allen won’t give much energy and purpose. Instead, he’ll provide some calm and composure in the middle.
CLOSE! Another fine stop from Mignolet as Eriksen tees up Kane who smacks a low effort towards goal. It may have taken a tiny nick off Sakho on its way but it doesn’t change the direction at all. It’s quite close to Mignolet but he makes little mistake and gets down to push it away.
SUBSTITUTIONS! Ibe (on) – Coutinho (off) & Townsend (on) – Lamela (off)
Each side makes a late change – both looking to spruce things up in attack. Will it pay dividends in the final few minutes?
CLOSE! Jordan Ibe looks to make something happen on the edge of the box and shapes to shoot a few times before laying it off to Can. He drives a low strike towards the bottom corner and it fizzes just wide.
Milner is tripped right on the edge of the area as he attacks down the right side. One last chance?
Moreno completely wastes the free-kick, thumping it straight at the wall.
AND THAT’S FULL-TIME!
So, a little anti-climactic. For much of that game, it essentially looked like Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side. The first fifteen minutes were encouraging and different with high-intensity and lots of energy. They hit the bar through Divock Origi but that was as good as it got. Spurs soon came to terms with Liverpool’s system and handled it well, countering it with some pressing of their own and passing more quickly in midfield, evading the high-press.
They should’ve taken the lead after some good first-half chances before the second-half passed by with little incident apart from Kane testing Mignolet and Origi forcing Lloris into a very rare save.
Still, an away point and a clean sheet in his first game. I’m sure Klopp would’ve taken that before kick-off.
Thanks for staying with us. So much more coverage on the site throughout the rest of the day.
