How Liverpool invoked spirit of ‘confusion’ into Tottenham team

Call it a night of  ‘madness and confusion’ for Tottenham Hotspur as Liverpool’s bid to disorganise and destroy the might of Jose Mourinho’s strategy paid off after they met on Wednesday in the Premier League clash.

Initially, it was Tottenham’s right-back, Serge Aurier, who stormed out of Hotspur Stadium at half-time during the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool.

The Ivorian had started the game at right wing-back as the Lilywhites looked to nullify the Reds’ attack.

But he was substituted after the opening 45 following a sloppy first-half, being replaced by Harry Winks as Jose Mourinho changed formation.

Aurier, left furious by the decision, left the stadium at the break, opting not to stay and watch his team-mates as is customary.

According to The Telegraph, the move angered manager Mourinho, who then saw his side wilt to defeat in the second 45.

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The Portuguese, 58, was quizzed after the game about the mood within his dressing room at half-time.

He said: “It’s the mood of a team that it was difficult to accept you are losing, difficult to accept the nature of the goal because the goal is in some aspects a replica of the chance they had in the first minute.

“So it’s of course a mood where people are not happy – but then we have to move.

“Then Harry is injured and we need to try to do something. Unlucky that we started the second half conceding a goal.”

Spurs’ defeat was further overshadowed by the injury suffered by talisman Harry Kane in the first-half.

On the England skipper, who was also substituted at half-time, Mourinho said: “Two ankles, the first was a bad tackle, it was Thiago, the second one I didn’t know well.

“But two injuries in both ankles, the second one worse than the first one – a few weeks, I don’t know.

“There are some players you can’t replace.

“When it happens it happens but I believe we have to fight against it, we cannot do anything else.”

The first game Kane is set to miss is Sunday night’s trip to Brighton.

Spurs will travel to the South Coast at least four points off the top four, following inconsistent form of late.