Liverpool served up a Christmas cracker as Arne Slot dominated Tottenham in a wild 6-3 Premier League victory in the capital.
The away win left the Reds four points clear at the top of the EPL table after a chaotic afternoon for Slot and his counterpart Ange Postecoglou.
The Reds were in excellent form from the start, with Luis Diaz heading in an excellent Trent Alexander-Arnold cross to get the ball rolling after 23 minutes.
The one-off traffic continued before the break, when a header from Alexis Mac Allister doubled the visitors’ credit and Dominik Szoboszlai made it 3-1 with a brilliant finish from either of James Maddison’s rays.
21 – This will be the 21st time that Liverpool has carried out the maximum English flight on Christmas Day; the maximum anywhere. They have won the title in 11 of the last 20 seasons (55%). Control. pic. twitter. com/7BvkZnmAD1
Tottenham’s long-awaited recovery never materialised after the restart. Liverpool just took another step forward when the Spurs defense reduced the pressure.
Mohamed Salah took center stage from there, scoring a quick brace from close range to take his EPL tally to 15 goals for the campaign and leave the hosts on the canvas.
Postecoglou’s accusations finally provided an answer as Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke each made a smart finish to raise hopes of a major comeback. That was until Díaz put an end to the rout in the final minutes.
While Liverpool can bask in the ecstasy of firing a title message to their rivals, pressure is only mounting on Postecoglou after his team slumped to another heavy defeat.
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London Referee: Sam Barrott
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Starting lineups:
Tottenham (4-3-3, left): Forster (GK) – Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence – Sarr (Johnson, 58), Bissouma, Maddison (Bergvall, 58′) – Kulusevski, Solanke, Son (Werner , 82′).
Liverpool (4-3-3, left): Alisson (GK) – Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson – Mac Allister (Jones, 67′), Gravenberch, Szoboszlai – Salah (Nunez, 87′)Array Gakpo (Jota, 67′), Díaz (Elliott, 87′).
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What ? pic. twitter. com/PvHAZglgIV
And breathe! Nine goals and a demonstration of Liverpool’s offensive dominance in north London. Salah sensational and Diaz fatal as slot rates advance by 4 numbers at Christmas!
What ? pic. twitter. com/PvHAZglgIV
90+1 minutes: Despite scoring MORE goals, the adjustment dropped a little in added time. . . it seems it’s still 6-3!
86 minutes: OK. . . the attack is over: Liverpool takes the score to 6-3!
Jota leads the pace on Liverpool’s left, rolls on Szoboszlai who feeds Salah and the unleashed Diaz crushes Forster!Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott now update Salah and Diaz – a well-deserved break for those two.
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83 minutes: Wait: it’s 5-3!
Could they? A deep cross from Bergvall returns the penalty through Johnson and Solanke heads past Alisson.
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82 minutes: Forster’s really accurate goalkeeper when Alexander-Arnold’s cross beats him, but the veteran striker picks it up near the post.
Forster comes to the hosts’ rescue again to deny Jota. Timo Werner is on for Son.
76 minutes: Diaz bursts in and tries to pick up a bouncing ball over Forster, but it lands just over the bar! Spurs fans are already heading for the exit in their thousands.
72 minutes: 5-2! The Spurs are back!
It probably won’t replace the final score, but it’s a very good finish, Kulusevski volleyed Dominic Solanke’s chip off Alisson!
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67 minutes: Forster drops down to save you a education consultation through Alexander-Arnold and Sot makes a double substitution. Mac Allister and Gakpo are absent and Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones are present.
61 mins: SALAH AGAIN!!!!
Spurs are in tatters and Salah has his second! Gakpo crosses the box past Szoboszlai, who is helping the Liverpool talisman score his 15th EPL goal of the campaign!
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58 minutes: Double for Spurs: Sarr and Maddison are absent, and Lucas Bergvall and Brennan Johnson are present.
54 mins: SALAH MAKES IT 4-1!
All that has been missing from this Liverpool performance has been a Salah goal and the Egyptian duly obliges as Gray cannot cut out Gakpo’s low ball into the box and the Reds’ main man fires home!
Szoboszlai almost made it five, but lost his balance and shot wide.
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50 mins: Spurs are having the same difficulties as Liverpool put pressure on the hosts in their own half from the restart and Djed Spence does well and blocks Salah. Szoboszlai is then cautioned for a foul on Yves Bissouma.
46 minutes: Resumption – no adjustments at half-time. Just forty-five minutes of this, please!
It’s time for both sides to catch their breath! Liverpool were sensational in the capital. Maddison’s brief respite was spoiled almost immediately, with Arne Slot’s side looking to mark a celebratory milestone in the Premier League title race!
Ahead at the break ?? #TOTLIV pic.twitter.com/zHQSdSJj3F
45 minutes: Liverpool break and it’s 3-1!!!
Alexander-Arnold’s long ball forward is not dealt with by the Tottenham defence, Salah races on, and his reverse ball frees Szoboszlai to slide under the onrushing Forster!
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40 minutes: BOOST INSTANT RESPONSE. ¡2-1!
Liverpool call for a loose kick as Kulusevski crosses Mac Allister after a risky pass from Alexander-Arnold in front of the Reds penalty area, the rebound is brilliantly grabbed by James Maddison! The game started. . . .
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35 mins: 2-0 LIVERPOOL!
Liverpool are rampant. Andy Robertson hangs in a cross from the left, Szoboszlai challenges at the far post, and his knockdown drops perfectly for Alexis Mac Allister to nod past Forster!
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30 mins: First caution of the fit as Gakpo intentionally brings Sarr down as Spurs check out to escape.
26 mins: A positive response from Spurs as Dejan Kulusevski flashes wide of the target before another Diaz effort is gathered in by Forster.
23 minutes: 1-0 LIVERPOOL!
A deserved breakthrough for the dominant as Alexander-Arnold floats in a perfect cross from the right and Diaz times his run past Forster!
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20 minutes: Liverpool jump again. Diaz slides the box to Gakpo, but his cutback is superbly sliced through Archie Gray.
17 minutes: SALAH OUT OF THE BAR!
Seconds after Cody Gakpo shoots wide, Salah pulls away from Yves Bissouma on the edge of the Spurs box, and his shot bounces off the crossbar!
11 minutes: GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR LIVERPOOL!
Trent Alexander-Arnold lifts a very good ball into the path of Salah, but Forster extends to block near the post, and Dominik Szoboszlai’s follow-up is blocked through Pape Sarr.
5 minutes: Two early for Liverpool when Fraser Forster’s pass from the back is intercepted and fired wide across Mo Salah before Luis Diaz crashes in from the edge of the area.
We’re on our N17. . . GO SPURS! ?
35 mins before kickoff: Away from the on-pitch action, Spurs fans are also voicing their frustration over Daniel Levy, with a pre-game protest planned in North London.
There’s a protest against the Tottenham ownership ahead of the upcoming game against Liverpool. Black balloons are expected to be released before kick off with ‘Levy out’. pic.twitter.com/6gf5vGTpua
1 hour before kickoff: TEAM NEWS IS IN!
Tottenham blocked as expected and Cody Gakpo for Liverpool.
Your Spurs XI to face Liverpool! ✊? @krakenfx pic. twitter. com/2J1ulJu9kS
The Reds to take on Spurs ?? #TOTLIV
1 hour and 15 minutes before kickoff: Another Trent rocket on the way?
Trent’s strike in the direction of a 3-1 win at Tottenham ? ? #TOTLIV ’20/21 ✨ pic. twitter. com/o7Uas8vGwe
1 hour and 30 minutes before kick-off: the Sunny Spurs are ready!
?️☀️ pic.twitter.com/tyDeIjTt2V
2 hours before kick-off: After Arsenal’s defeat against Crystal Palace on Saturday, the tension is now in Liverpool, north of London. . .
Arsenal the hole over Liverpool and Chelsea ?? Everton vs Chelsea, Sunday 2:00 p. m. GMT? Spurs v Liverpool, Sunday 4:30 p. m. GMT pic. twitter. com/1C4245TfXj
This Premier League match will begin in London, United Kingdom at 4:30 p. m. time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
Injuries continue to play a major role in the Spurs’ struggles to juggle a busy schedule and high expectations. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, defenders Ben Davies, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, as well as forwards Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are permanently excluded.
Additionally, Timo Werner and Mikey Moore are out, while Rodrigo Bentancur continues to serve his long national suspension for a racist insult against teammate Son Heung-min.
Tottenham XI (4-3-3, left): Forster (GK) – Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence – Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison – Kulusevski, Solanke, Son.
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Conor Bradley (hamstring) and Ibrahima Konate (knee) will most likely be sidelined until the end of the holiday matches, but Kostas Tsimikas is on the bench.
Andy Robertson was able to serve his one-match suspension for a sending off against Fulham in the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Southampton and starts.
Liverpool XI (4-3-3, left to right): Alisson (GK) – Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson – Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai – Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Here is how to watch the match in some of the world’s major regions:
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Feargal is a content manufacturer for The Sporting News. He has worked at TSN since early 2022 after stints at Reach, Amazon UK and Squawka a nomadic career inside of the football media pyramid. Always with a watchful eye on the “Reds” of Arteta and the Irish “Greens” of Kenny and a one hundred percent penalty record with five players.