For Dejan Kulusevski and Tottenham, there were a good few moments during Sunday's 6-3 home defeat against Liverpool when the nerves jangled, when their faith in who they are under Ange Postecoglou had to have been tested. Most obviously on 61 minutes when Mohamed Salah scored for 5-1.
A few minutes before that, the Liverpool goalkeeper, Alisson, had played a long straight ball upfield and suddenly the outstanding Dominik Szoboszlai had a one-on-one with the Spurs goalkeeper, Fraser Forster, which he could not take. Trent Alexander-Arnold would work Forster from distance a little bit later. Luis Diaz then had a chance.
Liverpool were rampant. They had torn through all game from all angles. Maybe, just maybe, it was a time for Spurs to close ranks, to shut down the spaces, to be secure in defence. What must it be like to wear the club's white shirt and live this white-knuckle ride?
"I said to myself [at 5-1]: 'If you want to play, play now,'" Kulusevski said. "It's easy to play when you're winning. It's easy to play when everything is going good. If you want to be a man, step up now and do your best. And that's what we did."
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Denne historien er fra December 24, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Stokes faces three months out but vows to fight back
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