Jurgen Klopp's answer to Liverpool's defensive problem is staring him in the face

It's hardly been a surprise that the post-West Ham talk has been dominated by the touchline spat between Mo Salah and Jurgen Klopp.

A Liverpool unstoppable force vs a Reds immovable object clashing sent shockwaves around the London Stadium and beyond. Even if Klopp claimed the matter was over, he was undermined by Salah's claim that there 'would be fire' if he stopped to give an interview in the mixed zone.

Klopp will undoubtedly be expecting more questions about the incident when he speaks to the media ahead of Liverpool's clash against Tottenham on Friday. He'll be quizzed on whether there have been more talks this week and how Salah's jettisoning form can be remedied.

And what perhaps the quarrel between two Kop icons has masked is a worrying trend. As Salah and Klopp were arguing, Michail Antonio headed home West Ham's equaliser to earn a 2-2 draw and deliver the final nail in the coffin of Liverpool's Premier League title hopes. It was the fourth time in five league games they had dropped points.

Not only have goals dried up, with Salah and Darwin Nunez badly struggling but the Reds have been porous at the back. Klopp's troops haven't kept a clean sheet in eight Premier League fixtures.

Liverpool have been brittle in defence for large chunks of the campaign. Too many times have they fallen behind in games. Against West Ham, Jarrod Bowen was somehow allowed acres of space inside the box from a corner while Antonio too easily ghosted away from Jarell Quansah to notch the equaliser.

Quansah had replaced Ibrahima Konate in the starting line-up after the France international's nightmare showing in the 2-0 loss to Everton in the Merseyside derby. Quansah has enjoyed a fine breakthrough campaign yet displayed his inexperience to lose Antonio so easily.

Klopp will be weighing up who to deploy alongside Virgil van Dijk in central defence against Tottenham. And it's perhaps time that Joe Gomez is given an opportunity in his favoured position.

Gomez's Anfield career has been rejuvenated this term, mainly because of his performances at full-back. He's often been an impact substitute on the right-hand side, adding pace down the right and allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold to move into midfielder. And while Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas were simultaneously sidelined, he deputised magnificently on the opposite flank. Those performances earned him a return to the England set-up.

Yet Gomez is a centre-back by trade. He's insisted it's the position he enjoys most. And it is probably his strongest. Four years ago when Liverpool won the Premier League title, he was van Dijk's regular partner.

“I think trying to embrace whatever position I play is probably more important for me,” he told Sky Sports. “If I was to write on paper where I play, I would probably still write centre-back. But with time, you grow in appreciation for the game and just learning it.’

“Trying to be dynamic and enjoy that position is something I enjoy as well. It brings different challenges and I enjoy that test. I think when I was younger I probably did resist it more and have a different outlook towards it when I played there. As I’ve got older it’s embracing it and appreciating the challenge.”

Gomez has made a total of 49 appearances this term. Only five have been in the middle of the back four, though, and just one has been from the outset in the Premier League. That was a 3-0 triumph over Champions League-chasing Aston Villa when van Dijk was suspended and Konate injured.

Liverpool now prepare to face a team of a similar ilk to Villa. Tottenham are fifth in the table hoping that they can gate-crash the top-four party that the Reds have returned to.

Klopp might be departing in less than a month but he won’t want to go out meekly. The German will be eyeing three victories and give his successor Arne Slot some momentum. To do that, Liverpool will have to quell Spurs’ attack and handing Gomez a chance alongside van Dijk could be the solution.