Liverpool moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League after a dramatic win over Tottenham, thanks to a late Roberto Firmino header.
Firmino headed home from a corner in the final minutes of the match to steer the Reds above Spurs in the top-of-the-table clash.
The match seemed destined for a draw when Mohamed Salah’s deflected strike was cancelled out by Son Heung-min’s effort for Tottenham before Firmino struck.
Going into the game, reigning Premier League champions Liverpool hosted Tottenham at Anfield with designs on top spot in the table as well as protecting their impressive unbeaten streak at home.
Ahead of kick-off, Liverpool sat in second behind their opponents – with the two separated only by goal difference. Both went into the match following underwhelming draws – with Liverpool held at Fulham and Tottenham at Crystal Palace.
The highly-anticipated match-up began as could be expected – with much physicality and fast movement shown by the Reds. However, despite their relentlessness and clear dominance in possession, they struggled to break through Spurs’ tight defence.
But after numerous efforts – from the likes of Sadio Mane, Curtis Jones and Roberto Firmino – they eventually found their way through.
On 26 minutes, Jones played through Salah who handed Liverpool the lead as his shot took a deflection off Toby Alderwiereld to leave Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris helpless.
But Liverpool’s style of play, once again utilising a high line, proved costly just minutes later as Son was played through with an expertly-placed ball from Giovani Lo Celso to score. After a tight VAR review he was deemed to be onside.
Despite the sudden break by Tottenham warranting caution from the Reds’ back four, they continued to linger forward and were caught out numerous times. Tottenham forward Steven Bergwijn was guilty of missing two golden chances in the second half – with one of them hitting the post. Tottenham talisman Harry Kane also wasted a clear-cut opportunity with a header from a corner.
But despite the resurgence of Tottenham’s game, Liverpool experienced a second wind themselves – although it would not see them break through again until just four minutes from the whistle.
Liverpool earned a late corner, and with 90 minutes already passed in the match, Andrew Robertson found Firmino in the box. The Brazilian rose high to nod home the winner for just his third goal of the season.
Liverpool’s legitimacy as title contenders had been downplayed in recent weeks after poor performances against Brighton and Fulham alongside a crippling injury list.
Yet while their dominant performance against Jose Mourinho’s men saw them finish with 76% possession, 804 completed passes, and 11 shots on target, the Portuguese manager was not convinced, saying: ‘I told [Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp] that the best team lost tonight.’
But Klopp made his position clear, stating post-match: ‘The possession we had, we did incredibly well. Yes, they have scored a goal, had two chances; apart from that we controlled the game.’
Whether or not Liverpool will still be controlling the league when they next travel to Tottenham on January 28 remains to be seen. But at this point in time, it seems unquestionable that Spurs are their biggest threat at claiming back-to-back titles.
Liverpool will next face Crystal Palace on Saturday, who caused a lot of trouble for Spurs last weekend. As for Tottenham, they face Leicester City – notorious for their upsets against big six clubs.
By Kit McIntosh
