The Blues were arguably the better side in the first half of the match, registering two shots on target while limiting their opponents to very little. However, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah both struck after the break, with the points returning to Merseyside after a competitive clash.
“Especially our performance in the first half, we showed the levels, the principles and our game plan,” Tuanzebe said after the match. “We executed it well at times but there’s still some little bits that we need to brush up on, and I think it showed a little bit in the second half when Liverpool took it to another level and caught us out in a few moments in the game. “On the whole, we stood our ground and represented ourselves well today. “We can respect the opponent but we’re definitely here to compete. We’re not here to just play a part in it, or just because it’s Liverpool that it’s automatically three points to them. No. “We’re at our home ground, we’ve got the advantage and we’ve got good tools, good players and good ways of playing. We utilised that today.”
The 26-year-old started the game at right-back ahead of Ben Johnson. Unsurprisingly, there was a bit of a difference in Ipswich’s performance levels before and after the break, with some of the players clearly tiring after a competitive opening 45 minutes. That allowed Liverpool to turn the screw and eventually win the game. That, for Tuanzebe, is the improvement that the Blues need to make in the coming weeks, albeit that the overwhelming feeling is one of pride from the performance.
“In the first half, I think our press gave them a lot of problems,” he argued. “They ended up going long and we were able to win it quite high up the pitch. We need to capitalise on that and be more clinical in front of goal. “In the second half, it’s just that concentration and intensity, keeping it always at a high level today. That was the difference, I think they were able to consistently be intense at crucial moments. They damaged us today and ended up with two goals to them. “Like I said, it’s a very positive game for us and a good step forward. It’s a confidence boost as well because we can look back at the game and say that we represented, we played rather well. We can take it into the season and really utilise that.” Tuanzebe was tasked with marking Colombian international Luis Diaz.
Another positive is the fact that seven starters of the 11 starters and four of the five starters were able to make their Premier League debuts today, giving certain members of the squad a huge boost and an experience that they won’t ever forget.
“It’s exactly that,” Tuanzebe explained. “And it’s obviously about understanding the level and what it takes to play in the Premier League week in, week out. “You can’t take your foot off the pedal and we had little moments of that today. It cost us, ultimately, but now that we’ve taken the lesson, we’re definitely going to utilise it for the rest of the season.”
The fixtures won’t get any easier. Ipswich travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City next weekend, facing a side that has won four Premier League titles in a row. However, Tuanzebe believes that their performance against Liverpool will give them confidence heading into that daunting trip, where they’ll look to play the same fearless style of football against the champions.
“Even the [Liverpool] goals, when we look back at them, they weren’t individual brilliance, moments of magic or anything like that,” he argued. It was just certain combinations that cut through us because we were getting tired and there was a lack of concentration. Tuanzebe believes Town will ‘take the game’ to Manchester City next weekend. “We can look at ourselves and think that we came off the pedal there, and they punished us. “The way we played today, we’re very happy with our performance. We’re going to build on it in the weeks to come and take the game to City.”
Having a big support will be crucial for games like that, and Town certainly had it against the Reds at Portman Road, cheering the players on after they conceded to show that they still believed.
“I think that’s from occasions last season where we’d go 1-0 down, the fans know it’s not over until the final whistle,” Tuanzebe stated. “It’s just how they are with us, the relationship we have, it’s good. “Ultimately, as a player, that’s what you want. You want that belief, that uproar, it keeps you going. It helps us massively as players knowing that the fans are always behind us.”
