'Not good enough' – ex-Red unhappy despite Liverpool win

The opening 85 minutes told a very different story, with Liverpool largely dominant, structured and deserving of a two-goal lead.

The breakthrough came through a flowing move involving Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, with the Swede finishing clinically before being forced off injured.

That combination had looked promising in the early stages of the second half and looked like a weapon that would continue to cause havoc, had it not been for our No.9’s unfortunate exit.

Ekitike’s header shortly after was fully deserved, giving the French forward his eighth non-penalty goal of the league campaign, a tally only Erling Haaland has bettered so far.

However, the introduction of Richarlison shifted the momentum, and suddenly memories of previous late collapses began to creep into the contest.

“We’ll take the result all day but that’s not good enough for me,” Aldridge added. “Lots and lots of work to be done to get in the top 4.”

Liverpool game management questioned late on

The finale became chaotic, with Tottenham reduced to nine men yet still creating enough pressure to test our resolve.

Liverpool have now seen opponents receive four red cards in the league this season, more than any other side, yet the inability to fully kill off games remains a talking point.

It also framed the context around Thomas Frank’s complaints about Ekitike’s goal, with the Spurs boss claiming: “That’s unbelievable, it’s a huge mistake,” over the decision to allow it to stand.

Equally, Match of the Day analysis pointed elsewhere, with Joe Hart stating Spurs “totally lost control”, particularly during an incident involving Milos Kerkez late on.

This was a match Liverpool controlled for long spells, deserved to win, but very nearly complicated unnecessarily.

Aldridge’s comments may feel harsh, but they underline a truth this squad will need to address if we are to turn wins like this into something more sustainable over the course of the season.