Liverpool scored late for a vital 2-1 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday night.
The Premier League champions took the lead in the 26th minute, when a shot from Mohamed Salah was deflected by a defenseless Hugo Lloris. However, the home team’s advantage did not last long as Son Heung-Min broke away moments later to even the game.
Both teams had chances to snatch victory in the final stages, with Sadio Mane and Steven Bergwijn hitting the wood. In the end, Liverpool’s dominance paid off when Roberto Firmino’s header from a shot in the last minute brought Jurgen Klopp’s men to the top of the table.
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Positive
Liverpool showed serious intention from the first whistle; the pace was fierce as they looked to make a statement against their title rivals. More than anything, the hunger to get the ball back is sure to please Klopp more than anything.
Furthermore, the Reds were also very creative in the final third, with full-backs Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold both playing a key role in building the game. Credit should also go to captain Jordan Henderson, who was eager to get involved at every opportunity in midfield.
Negative
In front of the goal, Liverpool was a waste. Son’s starting goal wouldn’t have been so crushing if Salah, Mane and Firmino had been more clinical in the final third. Even Salah’s first goal came through a lucky detour, which is concerning when you consider how creative Liverpool were at times.
Furthermore, his vulnerability to counterattacks, in the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, was again evident.
Manager rating out of 10
9 – Klopp seemed to hit the mark on his team selection, as the team looked ready and ready for the fight from the start. The first half was a perfect representation of what Liverpool can do when they are at their best, as some of the football on display was simply masterful. In the second half, the game was more balanced, but he showed faith in the players on the field by not making changes. His faith was greatly rewarded.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players submitted after 70 minutes get no rating)
BY: Alisson, 6 – Arguably, he should have covered the near post better for Son’s goal. Other than that, he was hardly forced to save.
DF: Trent Alexander-Arnold, 7 years old – Inventive with the ball, contributing a series of excellent cross and cross passes. Defensively, he also improved a lot compared to some of his recent starts.
DF: Rhys Williams, 7 years old –In defensive capacity, very little was ahead of him. He only seemed to struggle in transition when he was dragged out of position.
DF: Fabinho, 7 He seems to be a natural defender, despite being a very secondary position. The former Monaco man read the game excellently, dealing well with the few attacks Tottenham threw at him.
DF: Andrew Robertson, 8 years old – Dynamic when venturing forward on the left. He should have received some assists, but his precise crosses were largely wasted by Liverpool’s attacking trio.
MF: Jordan Henderson, age 8 – They patrolled the midfield superbly from the No. 6 position. He rarely gets the ball away, adding vital energy and inventiveness in the middle.
MF: Georginio Wijnaldum, 7 years old – Good direct running and defensive discipline. A true two-way footballer.
MF: Curtis Jones, 7 years old – The somewhat more advanced of the midfield trio. He played a vital role in Salah’s deviated starter in what was an impressive all-round display for someone so young.
ST: Sadio Mane, 7 – He continues to be slightly disappointed in front of the goal. The Senegalese forward managed to seize some good shooting opportunities, but his wayward efforts seem to show just how little confidence he has.
FROM: Mohamed Salah, 8 years old – Scorer of Liverpool’s first goal, which came as a result of a fortuitous detour. Overall, though, the 28-year-old looked very dangerous and upbeat when he was in and around the Spurs penalty area.
ST: Roberto Firmino, 9 – His hurried and diligent run at the top of the attack set the pace for Liverpool a lot. He completed a sensational performance with a bullet header to win the game.
Substitutes
N / A – Incredibly, Klopp didn’t make a single substitution in the entire game.
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