What a week it’s been for Tottenham! From the high of knocking Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup to the crushing low of a 6-3 defeat against Liverpool on Sunday night. For Dejan Kulusevski, it was a game of struggle and resilience. Imagine being 5-1 down against a team as relentless as Liverpool. How do you even respond? Kulusevski showed us his answer.

Despite the odds, the 24-year-old pushed forward, created chances, and scored a brilliant volley in the 72nd minute to make it 5-2. It was a moment of determination in an otherwise difficult match. Liverpool, led by Arne Slot, were simply unstoppable in the first half. Their attacking prowess overwhelmed Spurs, leaving little room for a comeback in the second half. The Reds thus extended their lead at the top of the table by four points, with a game in hand over Chelsea.

It was a night filled with drama, goals, and lessons at Anfield as Liverpool handed Tottenham a resounding 6-3 defeat. Dejan Kulusevski had a lot to reflect on after Tottenham’s wild 6-3 loss to Liverpool. Speaking about the moment Liverpool went 5-1 up in the 61st minute, the Sweden international shared a powerful mindset shift. “I said to myself, If you want to play, play now.” What stands out about Kulusevski’s post-match reflection is his emphasis on stepping up during adversity.

It’s easy to perform well when circumstances are favorable, but real growth comes from facing challenges head-on. This is exactly what the 24-year-old used to motivate himself after going 4-1 down. “It’s easy to play when you’re winning. It’s easy to play when everything is going well. If you want to be a man, step up now and do your best. And that’s what we did.” But the story wasn’t all bleak for Tottenham. Kulusevski’s determination paid off as he found the back of the net, adding a glimmer of hope for the Spurs. His strike marked his fifth goal of the season, alongside three assists in 17 Premier League appearances.

However, the Reds looked unstoppable, giving their fans an early Christmas present with a performance to remember. Liverpool’s dominance was characterized by Mohamed Salah, who delivered two quickfire goals within seven minutes, turning a tightly contested 3-1 match into a whipping 5-1.

What do you think? Can defeats like these forge resilience, or do they highlight the cracks in a team? Interestingly, did you know what the 22-year-old had to say about handling future games?

Dejan Kulusevski views his thoughts on handling future games with Tottenham

Ange Postecoglou’s side faced a tough challenge when they squared off against Liverpool, unable to match their opponent’s relentless pace and intensity. Kulusevski, in his post-match comments, pointed to one key reason for Tottenham’s struggle. Kulusevski emphasized that future games should take into account factors like how physically demanding the previous matches were, how much rest players have had, and who the opposition is.

With all these elements at play, he suggested that these factors shouldn’t be overlooked. “If you want to get a result, maybe you have to think about how we are physically? Who’s playing? How many games have we played in the last week? Who are we playing? Have they rested for one week or something? You have to put everything in [to consideration] because it is like life. It’s not just black and white, you know, it’s a lot of factors going into it.”

His perspective raises interesting questions: How much of an impact does physical tiredness have on a team’s performance? Should the club focus more on managing player workloads?