Tottenham Hotspur’s battling display at Anfield offered a glimpse of the commitment still present within the squad despite the difficult run of results.
Tottenham Hotspur needed to dig deep in their latest draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday evening.
A lot was on the line for Igor Tudor’s men, who were at risk of losing their one-point lead over relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and West Ham United, both of whom secured draws in their respective games before Spurs took to the pitch.
Tudor’s future was also on the line, according to reports which claimed that a defeat against Liverpool would have led to his sacking, with Spurs said to have been searching for replacements.
The interim boss had lost four games on the bounce since taking charge of Tottenham, leading to immense pressure.
Tottenham outrun Liverpool in key stat under Igor Tudor
The performance on the pitch from the Tottenham players, however, sent a different message than what had been reported around the club.
There had been claims that a couple of Spurs players had felt alienated by Tudor’s approach since taking charge.
However, statistics from the BBC Sport show that Tudor’s men left it all on the pitch during their clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
According to the figures, Tottenham outran Liverpool by 8.67km at Anfield, with Spurs covering 7.33% more distance than the Reds.
Pedro Porro also made it clear after the Liverpool game that he and his teammates are playing for Tudor, and after their spirited display against Arne Slot’s side, it is hard to argue against that.
Spurs running stats highlight need for more work rate under Igor Tudor
The former Juventus boss looked a much happier figure in the Spurs dugout when Richarlison found the back of the net, levelling the scoreline for Tottenham.
The Spurs boss has since claimed that he hopes the latest performance provides Tottenham with the spark they need as they continue their fight for Premier League survival.
However, there remains plenty of work to be done by Spurs, who must build on their latest display if they are to turn their season completely around.
Tudor did claim that if Tottenham continued to put in the work, then football would repay them, and statistics do back his words up.
Under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs outran their opponents in their first eight games during the 2015/16 season and managed a strong run of results.
| Match | Spurs (km) | Opponent (km) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs Manchester United | 117.8 | 117.4 | Manchester United 1-0 Spurs |
| vs Stoke City | 117.8 | 112.3 | Spurs 2-2 Stoke |
| vs Leicester City | 108.0 | 107.6 | Leicester 1-1 Spurs |
| vs Everton | 115.9 | 109.9 | Spurs 0-0 Everton |
| vs Sunderland | 116.0 | 111.7 | Sunderland 0-1 Spurs |
| vs Crystal Palace | 112.4 | 105.5 | Crystal Palace 0-1 Spurs |
| vs Manchester City | 121.3 | 111.2 | Spurs 4-1 Manchester City |
| vs Swansea City | 116.4 | 107.1 | Swansea 2-2 Spurs |
Win percentage:
- 37.5% wins
- 87.5% unbeaten