Harvey Elliot scored his third Premier League goal of the season as Liverpool beat Tottenham
Tottenham’s dramatic decline continued as their hopes of reaching the Premier League’s top four faded even further after they were well beaten by Liverpool at Anfield.
Aston Villa’s defeat at Brighton left the door open for Spurs to make a late push for next season’s Champions League but even a late comeback could not prevent a fourth successive defeat as Liverpool found form once more after their own recent slump.
Mohamed Salah put his touchline bust-up with manager Jurgen Klopp at West Ham behind him to open the scoring with a far-post header from Cody Gakpo’s cross after 16 minutes, Andy Robertson adding the second right on half-time when Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario could only push out the Egyptian’s shot.
Spurs lost discipline and Vicario had to separate team-mates Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal as they went off at half-time, with matters not improving for Ange Postecoglou’s side as they were over-run after the break by a rampant Liverpool.
Gakpo headed the third from Harvey Elliott’s delivery five minutes after the interval, the latter getting on the scoresheet himself in the 59th minute with a glorious curling finish from 20 yards into the top corner.
Liverpool then inexplicably switched off to allow substitute Richarlison and Heung-Min Son to give Spurs unlikely hope but it was too late and they remain seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with a game in hand.
More to follow.
helpHow to play
Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key1 = Give it up10 = Pure perfection
Tottenham Hotspur
Squad number4Player nameSkippSquad number9Player nameRicharlisonSquad number10Player nameMaddisonSquad number18Player nameLo Celso
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
1Alisson
66Alexander-Arnold78Quansah4van Dijk26Robertson
19Elliott3Endo10Mac Allister
11Salah18Gakpo7Díaz
1Alisson66Alexander-ArnoldBooked at 90mins78Quansah4van Dijk26RobertsonSubstituted forGomezat 64’minutes19ElliottSubstituted forSzoboszlaiat 83’minutes3EndoSubstituted forBajceticat 65’minutes10Mac AllisterSubstituted forGravenberchat 75’minutes11Salah18Gakpo7DíazSubstituted forNúñezat 75’minutesSubstitutes2Gomez5Konaté8Szoboszlai9Núñez17Jones38Gravenberch43Bajcetic62Kelleher84Bradley
Tottenham
Formation 4-3-3
13Vicar
23Porro17Romero37van de Ven12Emerson Royal
8Bissouma29Sarr30Bentancur
21Kulusevski7Son Heung-min22Johnson
13Vicario23Porro17Romero37van de VenBooked at 47mins12Emerson RoyalBooked at 57minsSubstituted forSkippat 61’minutes8BissoumaBooked at 63mins29SarrBooked at 44minsSubstituted forLo Celsoat 75’minutes30BentancurSubstituted forRicharlisonat 61’minutes21KulusevskiSubstituted forMaddisonat 61’minutes7Son Heung-min22JohnsonSubstitutes4Skipp5Højbjerg6Dragusin9Richarlison10Maddison11Gil18Lo Celso40Austin59Moore
Live Text
Match ends, Liverpool 4, Tottenham Hotspur 2.
Second Half ends, Liverpool 4, Tottenham Hotspur 2.
Attempt saved. Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mohamed Salah.
Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool).
Foul by Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur).
Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Dominik Szoboszlai.
Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool).
Offside, Liverpool. Darwin Núñez is caught offside.
Hand ball by Darwin Núñez (Liverpool).
Attempt blocked. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dominik Szoboszlai with a cross.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Oliver Skipp.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt blocked. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Giovani Lo Celso.
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Attempt missed. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Micky van de Ven.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.