Tottenham’s plan to play out time has a fatal flaw

Itwasall going prettymuch according to plan for Jose Mourinho and his familiar rope-a-dope tactics.

In fact, as the clock ticked toward stoppage time inthe top-of-the-table match at Anfield, Tottenham perhaps deservedmorethan to be drawing 1-1 with the Liverpool, the defending Premier League champions.

Onesimple corner changed everything. Roberto Firmino met a cross from the left with a header into the top corner, and Liverpool were on theirwayto a 2-1win that left Mourinhomiffed.

“Wewere so close . . . so close of winning, not so close of adraw,” Mourinho said of what he described as “a very unfair result”.

Liverpool didn’t look, he added,

“like a teamthat’s champion, European champion and world champion.”

As Mourinhoknows sowell, it’s only the result that matters in games like this, and the win lifted Liverpool above Tottenham and three points clear in first place after 13 games.

Liverpool took the lead in the 26th minute throughmohamedsalah’s deflected shot that loopedupand in off the post, before Son Heung-min replied seven minutes later after breaking the offside trap and running through unchallenged to score.

Firmino’s 90th-minute goal meant Tottenham narrowly failed tocome out of an extremely difficult run of games— Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Crystal Palace then the ultimate test, Liverpoolaway— unscathed.

■ Pierre- Emerickaubameyang scored at the right end for Arsenal this time— and spared his struggling team slipping to five straight losses for the first time in their 134-year history.

Three days after his own-goal consigned Arsenal to a chastening 1-0 homedefeat to Burnley, Aubameyangrescued a point with a precise finish in a 1-1 draw against Southampton at Emirates Stadium.

Itwasonly his third league goal of the season— adisappointing return for one of the world’s most prolific strikers— anda first in six games, ending his longest run without a goal for Arsenal.

Theo Walcott, a former Arsenal winger, had put Southampton ahead andwasthe player fouled by Gabriel to earn the defender his second yellow card in the 62nd. Arsenal also finished with 10menagainst Burnley.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains under pressure with his team in 15th place.

■ Leicester could have climbed into first place if results had gone their way. Instead, a fourth loss in seven games at King Power Stadium raises questions about whether the team’s homeform will scupper their top-four hopes.

Everton beat Leicester 2-0 thanks to goals by Richarlison andmason Holgate, completing a strong few days for Carlo Ancelotti’s side after a 1-0 win over Chelsea at theweekend.

Leicester dropped to fourth place, and are only a point ahead of Everton.

■ Twomatches in four days proved toomuchfor anewcastle squad that has been ravaged by a anoutbreak of Covid-19 at the club.

Steve Bruce’s teamwas overwhelmed in a 5-2 loss at Leeds, whoscored their last three goals in the final 23 minutes.

Newcastle had to postpone a recentmatch against Aston Villa because of the training-ground outbreak.

The team returned to action— withoutmany first-team players— in ahomewin over West Bromwich Albion onsundayy, after which Bruce said players were fatigued. They play Fulham on Sunday. .

Anentertaininggameepitomised Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa’s freeflowing approach, andallowedhis side to leapfrog Newcastle in the standings.

Fulham climbed out of the relegation zone, at least for one night, by drawing 0-0 athometo Brighton, while a flying volley by Sebastien Haller salvaged a point for Westham from a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.

— AP