Liverpool moved four points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table on Sunday after putting six goals past Tottenham Hotspur in a thrilling encounter in N17.
James Maddison’s strike in the 41st minute just about kept Spurs in contention heading into half time, with Luis Díaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai all bagging for the Reds before the interval.
Mohamed Salah scored twice in the space of seven minutes to extend Liverpool’s lead further – and when Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke netted in quick succession to give Ange Postecoglou’s side another lifeline, Díaz completed his brace to ensure the three points would be heading back to Merseyside.
As it happened
Spurs have been crippled by an injury crisis in recent weeks, and as Liverpool roared into the lead on 23 minutes through a Luis Díaz header from an inch-perfect Trent Alexander-Arnold cross, it looked set to be a long evening in North London for Ange Postecoglou and his men.
Yet after Alexis Mac Allister extended that lead less than fifteen minutes later, James Maddison sparked hopes of a miraculous comeback as he rippled the back of the net – though they were quickly dashed as Dominik Szoboszlai combined well with Mohamed Salah to restore Liverpool’s two-goal lead.
A quickfire brace from Salah early in the second half put Liverpool in cruise control; the Egyptian moving clear of Billy Liddell in the club’s all-time goalscorer records and becoming the first player in Premier League history to hit double digits in both goals and assists before Christmas in the process.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut Dejan Kulusevski, who has been in fine goalscoring form as of late, smashed a volleyed finish past Alisson with less than 20 minutes remaining on the matchday clock after a chipped pass from Dominic Solanke. Incredulously, Spurs narrowed the deficit further soon as Solanke netted a goal of his own – though the euphoria was short-lived, with Díaz completing his brace two minutes later as he buried past Fraser Forster from a tight angle.
The result ensures Liverpool hold the top spot at Christmas, sitting four points clear of Chelsea and six clear of third-placed Arsenal. Tottenham, however, slump into the bottom half and find themselves eight points adrift of the UEFA Champions League spots.
A trip to the City Ground awaits Spurs on Boxing Day, with Liverpool hosting Leicester City.
The lineups
TOT: Forster; Spence, Gray, Dragusin, Porro; Bissouma, Sarr; Son, Maddison, Kulusevski; Solanke
LIV: Alisson; Robertson, van Dijk, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Gakpo, Szoboszlai, Salah; Díaz
FEATURED IMAGE: Tom McAtee