Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz scored twice as Liverpool cruised to a resounding 6-3 Premier League victory over Tottenham.
They came out of the traps, with Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister giving the Reds a two-goal lead before James Maddison pulled one against the game.
However, goals from Dominik Szobozslai and Salah from both sides returned control to Arne Slot.
Salah soon added another – his 15th in the league already this season – before goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke saw Spurs flirt with a dramatic comeback late on.
All hopes in that direction, however, were frustrated by the very good late arrival of Díaz, completing a victory for his team, which can now enjoy Christmas with a four-point lead at the top of the table.
Relive all the action from an entertaining encounter at the Tottenham Hostpur Stadium below:
That will do us for tonight – an absolute cracker of a game to pull the curtain down on the Premier League until after Christmas.
You can get more investigations and reactions to this weekend’s action on the Metro website, but until next time. . . bye!
‘It’s obviously a painful one for us. Credit to Liverpool, they were too good for us. They’re in a great moment, great form, feeling confident. It was a bridge too far for us, We looked like we lacked energy which is understandable.’
When asked if it’s just injuries that are causing defensive problems: “I’m just going to avoid answering those questions. If other people can’t see the obvious, I’m not going to point it out. Do what you want, but we concede goals.
“If we have to forget that we are missing a goalkeeper, two centre-backs and a left-back and that it has not coincided with what we are doing. . . I don’t know what to say anymore. I think other people make their decisions their own way. Or they think what I’m doing is good or bad, and that’s okay.
“It’s significant, if you take out Liverpool’s goalkeeper, two centre-backs and a left-back, or any team other than Liverpool, they would also have difficulty leaving. “
Boxing Day will see those two teams return to action as Liverpool host Leicester City and Tottenham host Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham have conceded the first goal in 14 other Premier League home games in 2024; the record ever achieved by a team in a calendar year at the festival (also Crystal Palace in 2017, Ipswich and Spurs in 1994).
‘We were quite good up front but defensively we need to improve as a team. Concedeing three goals is quite hard. It’s a good result, hopefully we just keep going.’
On playing against Spurs: ‘We expected that [a chaotic game], the way they play, they open the game, they enjoy their football, physically tough and mentally we always have to be in the game.
‘They don’t change much the way they play, it’s intense. City came here and struggled, other teams too. I’m happy we won because they play an intense game.’
Liverpool’s overall expected targets (xG) of 4. 46 in this match are the second-highest ever recorded in a Premier League away game after the 4. 54 they produced against Leeds United in September 2021.
The full-time whistle blows and it is Liverpool who come out the most sensible in this Christmas cracker.
Another superb performance from Liverpool but more questions to be asked for Ange Postecoglou’s side who fall to another heavy defeat in front of their fans.
90 minutes: We enter the first of five extra minutes to finish this game.
87 minutes: The Spurs don’t know how to give up when Johnson, this time, forces a very good save from Allison with a fierce low shot.
86 mins: Salah and Diaz – involved in that last goal – make way as Nunez and Elliott come on for the closing stages.
And the return is complete.
Spurs are advancing in numbers and Liverpool are not wrong in their progression. Diaz timed his run perfectly and fired a nasty shot over Forster and into the corner.
Six for Liverpool and that absorbed the fans of the house.
Well, that’s one. . .
Johnson sends a cross towards goal and it is a clever striker from Solanke who pushes it towards goal and towards goal.
Only two now.
82 minutes: Werner replaces Son at Spurs.
81 mins: Into the final ten minutes here as Liverpool swing in a corner from the right. It’s cleared only as far as Szoboszlai but his two efforts are blocked by the Spurs defence.
79 minutes: An undeniable question for the referee, as Bergvall receives a yellow card for a late challenge on Jota.
76 minutes: JUST DONE! Diaz picks up Salah’s ball and runs towards goal. Forster is in no man’s land and watches with gratitude as Diaz’s failed attempt lands on the roof of his net.
75 minutes: Spurs take a corner, but Jota goes up close to the post to protect himself from danger.
Well, it is.
A great dropped ball from Solanke and Kulusevski takes it well, insistently passing it past Allison.
Too late for a comeback?
68 mins: A double change for Liverpool as Mac Allister and Gakpo make way for Jones and Jota.
66 minutes: A great turn by Kulusevski, but his shot goes off the post before Alexander-Arnold deflects it for a corner.