Any lingering hopes of Liverpool making the top four before the World Cup are over after a terrible two weeks in the Premier League.
Defeats against Nottingham Forest away and then Leeds at Anfield have consigned the reds to (currently) 9th place after a horribly symmetrical record of W4, D4, L4 in the opening 12 games.
And a trip to 3rd placed Spurs is likely the last thing the reds needed after a particularly unpleasant league fortnight.
The reds Champions League form has, thankfully, been much improved and has provided the only joy of the season to date.
We enter this final pre World Cup week, with a potential six Premier League points and a League Cup advancement at stake.
Can the reds wake from their slumber against an impressive looking Antonio Conte team?
Here's how the game unfolded on our Spurs 1-2 LFC Live Blog
As it happened...
James Milner is unavailable today after suffering concussion in the match against Napoli. Protocol dictates he must miss the following game.
Jordan Henderson however should be available for selection.
Matip, Keita, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and the mysterious Arthur Melo all remain out for this final week before the World Cup.
Three changes from midweek. Nunez, Elliott and Robertson all back in to the team.
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Thiago, Elliott, Salah, Firmino, Nunez.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Tsimikas, Ramsay, Carvalho, Bajcetic.
The home team line up like this
Lloris, Dier, Davies, Lenglet, Hojbjerg, Royal, Sessegnon, Bentancur, Bissouma, Kane, Perisic
Subs: Forster, Doherty, Sánchez, Kulusevski, Tanganga, Moura, Skipp, Sarr, Gil
Crystal Palace have just beaten West Ham away 2-1. That helps them to leapfrog Liverpool in the league, so the reds start this game in 10th place!
The reds are only 4 points clear of the Southampton who are 18th in the relegation zone, and who play at Anfield next week!
Final preparations ✅#TOTLIV pic.twitter.com/0vlRKllCqT
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 6, 2022
We are underway at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
3' Nunez with an early chance - tests Lloris but it's straight at him.
Liverpool looking a bit more 4-3-3 again here with Nunez on the left and Mo on the right hand side.
5' Robertson finds Nunez once more down that left hand side but neither Salah or Firmino really give him an option and he runs it out of play.
Promising movement down that wing in these early stages.
7' Trent with one of those wonderful cross field passes whilst he was running. Nunez collects and curls it just past the edge of the post.
11' Liverpool take the lead.
Robertson feeds Nunez, who turns and lays it on to MO SALAH who lashes it into the corner of the goal.
1-0
Egyptian King.pic.twitter.com/U4ArX29DG5
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) November 6, 2022
15' Cross comes in and Perisic heads it. It hits the post and Alisson then saves the Hojberg follow up.
19' Spurs fans want a penalty for a shove from Trent on Sessegnon but referee and VAR insist that play continues.
Would have been a ludicrous penalty.
27' Sessegnon gets past Trent, but he doesn't get past Konate.
35' Spurs get a free kick after Trent gets a bit handsy. It's about 10 yards wide of the penalty area but Liverpool head it away and mop it all up effectively.
Back down the other end looking for to get a second.
40' Eric Dier with a sloppy header back and Mo Salah is in. You don't give him them chances.
He lobs the keeper and it's 2-0.
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) November 6, 2022
45' Elliott with a chance that Lloris pushes behind for a corner.
HT: Spurs 0-2 Liverpool
A Mo Salah double separates the two teams at half time. Liverpool have been reasonably good. Robertson, Nunez and Salah combining for the first.
A mistake from Eric Dier allowed Salah to get in to make it 2-0.
The reds must take all three points from this position.
Back underway. Liverpool with a two goal lead here.
No changes.
49' Perisic has hit the post and now he hits the bar.
Should really be 2-1.
Spurs starting the second half well.
51' Sessegnon curls a shot wide of the goal.
All Spurs at the moment. Liverpool haven't woken up yet in this second half.
54' The front three combine and Salah hits a weak effort at Lloris.
Bit more composure and that could have been the hat-trick.
55' Alisson dwells on the ball way way too long.
Klopp is furious.
Harry Kane almost catches him there.
61' Salah is fed by Nunez but he's a fraction offside. Didn't convert anyway.
65' This is a bit open, a bit too end to end, and a bit scrappier than the first half.
Spurs are having opportunities, too many for our liking, but the final ball has not been there.
But Liverpool are dangerous on the counter too - Nunez pulling a lot of the strings up front. Holding the ball up, threading the balls through to Salah.
Next goal puts this game to bed or sets up a real nailbiter for the reds.
68' Kulusevski and Matt Doherty replace Ryan Sessegnon and Emerson Royal for the home team.
70' That has been coming. Both subs involved immediately and Kane fires that in from a tight angle.
71' Conte booked on the sidelines for knocking a ball out of Pep Ljinders hands. Mad one.
74' Henderson and Jones on. They replace Elliott and Firmino.
75' Harry Kane kicks Konate in the back of the leg. Konate hurt. Spurs want a penalty.
They won't be getting that.
83' Spurs throwing themselves at the ground with every challenge.
And now Nunez hits the crossbar! Offside flag goes up anyway.
85' Matt Doherty clatters into Alisson who has hurt his ribs in the process.
87' Gomez replaces Nunez.
89' Lucas Moura on now for Bissouma.
They are pushing!
89' Cross comes in, Kane glancing header and there are three Spurs players who fail to put it in at the back post.
That was dangerous.
90+1' Oxlade-Chamberlain on for Salah.
Liverpool trying to see this out with a 5-5-0 formation!
FT: Spurs 1-2 Liverpool
Well it wasn't hugely convincing but a win is a win and that's the reds first away win over the season in the Premier League.
A big three points in the capital.
Move on to 19 points.
Seven points off the top four with a game in hand.
Here's the two goal star.
'We did well to get the three points. It is always a tough opponent. I'm focused on making a difference and managed to do so today.
'We managed to strike back a few times in the season, have played some good games.
'I think we were lucky in the first half, we played quite good and scored two goals. In the second half we could've scored but were unlucky.
Thanks for joining us.
I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting the three points when I woke up this morning.
But the reds took their chances in the first half and a fairly tough resolute display at the end to ensure they kept all three points.
It's a step in the right direction but it looks like Liverpool will now be facing Southampton next week who will have a new manager bounce?
Two games left before the World Cup. Midweek against Derby in the League Cup first.
We hope you join us then.
