Liverpool surged to a resounding 6-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points. Doubles from Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah headlined a ruthless attacking masterclass from Arne Slot’s side, who ran riot against a Spurs team that remained faithful to Ange Postecoglou’s full-throttle approach.
Liverpool’s Irresistible Attack
From the first whistle, Liverpool’s ferocious pressing and cutting edge in the final third had Spurs on the ropes. The Reds could have been out of sight by halftime, with Salah alone spurning several gilt-edged chances, including rattling the crossbar after a sublime piece of skill.
Díaz was electric throughout, deployed in a central role by Slot to spearhead the press. The Colombian opened the scoring with a brilliant header from a pinpoint Trent Alexander-Arnold delivery, gaining a measure of revenge for his incorrectly disallowed goal in this fixture last season.
Midfield Dominance
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s other goal scorers on the day, epitomized the visitors’ supremacy in the middle of the park. Time and again, the Reds’ midfield dynamos won possession high up the pitch, leaving Spurs floundering. Szoboszlai was especially impressive, tormenting the hosts with his movement and link-up play.
Well done, boys, good process.
– Arne Slot’s post-match reaction
Spurs’ Admirable Approach
To their credit, Spurs never deviated from Postecoglou’s front-foot philosophy, even when staring down the barrel of a historic drubbing at 1-5 down. James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Dominik Solanke all found the net for the hosts, with Kulusevski in particular catching the eye with his relentless running.
However, the manner in which Liverpool carved through Spurs’ high defensive line time and again will be a major concern for Postecoglou. The Australian has some soul-searching to do after this chastening defeat.
Fan Frustration
Before kickoff, a protest against Spurs chairman Daniel Levy drew a couple hundred diehard supporters to the High Road. Inside the ground, the home fans were reduced to watching through their fingers as Liverpool ran amok.
- Tottenham remain winless in three Premier League home games this season
- Liverpool have won 12 consecutive Premier League away matches, a new club record
While one game is unlikely to alter Levy’s long-term thinking, the restlessness of the Spurs faithful is impossible to ignore. Postecoglou has plenty of credit in the bank for the attacking revolution he has ushered in, but he will know that such comprehensive losses cannot become a regular occurrence.
Title Marker
For Liverpool, this was the kind of statement victory that title contenders dream of. In systematically dismantling a fellow ‘Big Six’ side, Slot’s men laid down a formidable marker to the chasing pack.
Having played a game fewer than second-placed Chelsea, the Reds will feel they have one hand on the Premier League trophy already. On this evidence, it will take a Herculean effort to stop their relentless red machine.
Time and again, Liverpool sliced through and a prominent detail at the end of a wild occasion was the glaring nature of some of their misses.
– The Guardian’s match report
Next up for Liverpool is the visit of Southampton to Anfield on Boxing Day. Spurs will attempt to bounce back when they travel to Crystal Palace on the same day. Strap yourself in – if this rollercoaster is anything to go by, we’re in for a wild ride in the second half of the season.
