Dejan Kulusevski suggests Tottenham should change playing style as he calls on his team-mates to ‘learn’ from their 6-3 drubbing by Liverpool

Dejan Kulusevski has told his Tottenham team-mates they must ‘learn’ from their 6-3 weekend thrashing by Liverpool if they want to challenge for top honours.

Spurs’ ugly inconsistencies again reared their head as Liverpool made the trip to the capital just days after Ange Postecoglou’s side knocked Man United out of the Carabao Cup.

Kulusevski got on the scoresheet for the fifth consecutive game in Sunday’s defeat but was left furious as his contribution counted for nothing amid another defensive collapse.

Postecoglou was without a core group of his defence for the drubbing with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Destiny Udogie all sidelined with injury, but the Australian refused to change his typical attacking approach.

The Spurs head coach claimed in the aftermath of defeat that his future at the club is ‘for others to judge’ and Kulusevski issued a rallying call to his colleagues after the match.

The Sweden international has starred under Postecoglou’s guidance since moving to the club two years ago and has scored 22 goals in 122 appearances since making the switch. 

Dejan Kulusevski has told his Tottenham team-mates they must ‘learn’ from their 6-3 weekend thrashing against Liverpool

Spurs’ ugly inconsistencies again reared their head in the weekend’s Premier League defeat

Analysing Tottenham’s recent struggles, Kulusevski said: ‘You have to improve, you have to find ways.

‘Maybe today we should maybe let them have the ball more, but you know, that’s not how we play. So we went out, we gave everything. It didn’t work, maybe we [will] learn for the next time.

‘You have to think about how are we 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?’ he added.

‘You have to put everything in because it is like life. It’s not just black and white. It’s a lot of factors going into it.

‘We have to learn because we conceded six goals. I can’t sit here and say that we’re doing something perfectly, we’re not. We have to change a little bit for the better, always try to change for the better,’ said Kulusevski.

Liverpool’s dominant victory leaves Spurs 11th in the Premier League standings and already eight points adrift of the Champions League places heading into Boxing Day.

Tottenham will travel to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest the day after Christmas needing three points to climb into the top half of the table.