LIVERPOOL, England — Not even “Doctor Tottenham” could cure Liverpool‘s ills.
Spurs’ propensity for providing a struggling opponent with the platform for a resurgence is one of the English game’s most famed fables, hence the longstanding “Dr. Tottenham” joke. And yet even Spurs — a team ravaged by injury and teetering dangerously close to the relegation zone — could not make Liverpool look good.
Liverpool’s season so far has veered from the sublime to the ridiculous but, on Sunday afternoon, it slumped to yet another miserable nadir as they drew 1-1 with Igor Tudor’s struggling Spurs at Anfield. Even before Richarlison capitalised on some shambolic defending to cancel out Dominik Szoboszlai‘s stunning first-half free-kick, some supporters had started heading for the exits.
“Your support is f—ing s—,” was the cry from Tottenham fans at the away end. That fans of a losing team still without a win in 2026 had more belief in their players than those of the Premier League champions was a damning indictment of Liverpool’s latest insipid showing.
A club that infamously went on the journey from “doubters to believers” under previous manager Jürgen Klopp now looks riddled with anxiety and apprehension. The point gained against Spurs means Liverpool actually climb a place in the table — leapfrogging Chelsea, who lost to Newcastle United on Saturday — and yet the loud boos from Liverpool fans that greeted the full-time whistle showed this is not a fanbase excited for the future.
It was against Tottenham last season that Liverpool enjoyed their best day under manager Arne Slot and one of the finest occasions in the club’s illustrious history, winning 5-1 to clinch a record-equalling 20th league title. How far away those halcyon days now seem.
Where only 11 months ago there was red smoke and ticker tape, there are now grey skies and uncertainty. Whereas last April it seemed Slot had begun paving the way for a dynasty on Merseyside, there are now calls for the Dutchman to abdicate his throne.
Having fallen to a 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie in midweek, this weekend felt like an opportunity for Liverpool to restore some confidence against a Tottenham side shorn of several key players, including their first choice centre-back partnership of Micky van de Ven and captain Cristian Romero.
When Szoboszlai fired the hosts into the lead with another excellent free-kick inside 18 minutes, it felt as if Spurs — who conceded four goals inside 22 minutes away to Atletico Madrid in midweek — were there for the taking. And yet whether it was down to complacency, poor coaching, individual failings or a combination of all three, Liverpool simply could not put their brittle opponents to the sword.
Too often, promising attacks fizzled out as the hosts reverted to the disjointed, ponderous style of play that has invited near constant criticism this season. At the other end of the pitch, Tottenham were able to find holes in the Reds’ fragile defence and, when Richarlison bundled in his late leveller, it was hard to argue the visitors did not deserve it.
The Brazilian’s strike is the eighth Premier League goal Liverpool have conceded in the 90th-minute-or-later this season, the club’s most in a single campaign. The fact that all of those goals have altered the result, forcing Liverpool to settle for a draw or loss, shows how costly the Reds’ soft underbelly has proved this term, with so many precious points needlessly frittered away thanks to late lapses in concentration.
Having seen their team snatch despair from the jaws of victory so frequently in recent months, it was perhaps little wonder that some felt compelled to air their grievances at the end of the game.
“I think it is understandable for fans to be frustrated because it has happened already so many times that they have seen the home team not picking up the points they’re expecting due to goals conceded in the last minute,” Slot said in his post-match news conference.
“… We are all frustrated — that is completely clear. It is now up to me and the players to take that frustration to Wednesday evening and show the fans the performance and result they deserve because the fans have been supportive all season for us. If it happens so many times that they are frustrated at the end of games or after the final whistle, that makes complete sense to me.”
From a Tottenham perspective, Sunday afternoon might just prove to be the turning point in their battle to survive the drop. While Spurs are still searching for their first win under interim boss Tudor, their spirit and willingness to dig in at Anfield should provide the template for the remaining games, starting with next weekend’s momentous clash with fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.
The away end was in party mode at the full-time whistle, applauding Tudor and his players for a display that defied expectations to yield a point that could yet prove priceless in the race for survival. The Liverpool players, by contrast, looked shellshocked.
In a campaign marred by tragedy, misfortune and plain bad luck, extensive mitigation has often provided a buffer against the most acute criticism. For Slot and his team, however, there can no longer be any hiding places.
Time is running out for them to save their season. On the evidence of their latest outing, they simply do not look up for the fight.
