Premier League

TOTTENHAM 1 (Kane 70)
LIVERPOOL 2 (Salah 11, 40)

IT has become a defining theme of the autumn campaign: go a goal down in the first half through an unforced error, and then blow a collective gasket trying to find a way back.

This is the sixth game in a row that Tottenham had gone behind, and the 13th time in 20 matches this term they have trailed.

Before today’s (Sunday) 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Liverpool, Spurs have shown a resolute determination to claw a way back. This time they gifted their opponents a two-goal lead at half time – an Eric Dier clanger would prove fatal – and then set off in pursuit at top speed.

Harry Kane halved the deficit after Mo Salah had struck twice, but Tottenham ran out of track as they tried to make amends. Watching this team trying to make good for individual errors each week is at least entertaining.

Speaking after the game Antonio Conte said: “About the performance, I have to be happy.”

The Tottenham boss added that despite being two down at half-time, he felt his side had give a good account of themselves. He said: “We were prepared to put pressure high and we conceded the second goal for this reason.

“I think Eric was unlucky. In the first half we created chances, we hit the post and we had the chance to score. Then in the second half we scored, hit another crossbar. And I think Alisson was the best player for Liverpool.”

Marking a year in charge of the north Londoners, Conte continued: “There is disappointment but at the same time, despite the difficulty to play without many important players, we showed that we can play good football.”

Without Cristian Romero, Richarlison and Heung-Min Son, and with Dejan Kulusevski only making the bench, Tottenham’s starting line-up had a makeshift feel. The most notable tweak was that Conte had pushed wing-back Ivan Perisic up front to support Harry Kane.

Giving opponents a head start is this team’s best known characteristic. It was no surprise then that Liverpool went ahead on 11 minutes.

A ball down the Spurs right caused all sorts of problems as Emerson Royal and Dier attempted to close down. Darwin Nunez helped the ball on, and, with defenders pulled out of shape, up popped Salah. The Liverpool forward was unmarked and had time to place his low shot past a stranded Hugo Lloris.

The home side nearly got back one level terms four minutes later. Kane went wide and placed a cross for Perisic to meet, but Kane’s stand-in strike partner put his header against the post.

Spurs looked the livelier. They set about their task and did not let their heads drop. Liverpool were cohesive in patches, and looked at their most dangerous when one of Nunez or Salah got hold of it.

Conte’s side may have felt they were holding their own, but Spurs have the unerring ability to be their own worst enemy – and so it proved on 40.

A long ball to no one from Alisson was met by Dier. Unmarked and in no trouble, he tried to head the ball calmly back to Lloris. Instead, Dier glanced the ball off his shoulder and into Salah’s path. Salah’s glee as he chipped Lloris was in stark contrast to the horror etched across Dier’s face.

If the first half was predictable, so was the second half response. Conte’s team know how to pursue a lead and they came out fighting.

On 45, Dier nearly atoned for his earlier error when he nodded a Perisic corner goal-bound. Alisson had to stop it smartly on the line. Then Dier sent a cross field ball for Ryan Sessegnon, whose cut back was thumped against the bar by Perisic.

It was all Spurs, but the chances were a matter of quantity over quality. Then came the switch: not long after the hour mark Kulusevski replaced Sessegnon and before he’d broken sweat, his slide rule pass into the channel was tailor made for Kane to get on to. The forward made no mistake, cutting his shot back across Alisson’s dive.

Liverpool were unable to get out of their own half for long spells and the leveller seemed likely due to the sheer weight of attacks. The final chance, however, never materialised.

Alisson never stopped concentrating, reacting twice to goal-bound headers and blocking efforts when required. He, as much as goal scorer Salah, earned the win. That, and Tottenham’s habit of generously beating themselves.

Insisting the loss was somewhat unjustified, Conte said: “It’s difficult to explain the defeat. We deserved much more.

“In the first half I was happy with the will, the desire. We put a lot of pressure on Liverpool and didn’t know why we were 2-0 down.

“In the second half we played very well, created many chances. The keeper made good saves and we hit the post and crossbar.

“It’s a pity, it’s difficult to explain this type of game, the performance was good. Our fans can’t be happy when we lose but you have to be proud when your team fights from the start to the end.”

Tottenham: Lloris, Royal (Doherty, 67), Dier, Lenglet, Davies, Sessegnon (Kulusevski, 67), Bentancur, Bissouma (Moura, 88), Hojbjerg, Perisic, Kane
Substitutes not used: Forrster, Skipp, Sanchez, Gil, Tanganga, Sarr

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Elliott (Henderson, 73), Alcantara, Firmino (Jones, 73), Nunez (Gomez, 86), Salah (Oxlade-Chamberlain 90+2)
Substitutes not used: Kelleher, Tsimikas, Ramsey, Carvalho, Bajcetic