Liverpool defeated Tottenham in a thrilling match at Anfield thanks to a last-second goal from Diogo Jota. Tottenham had appeared to be able to rescue a point after falling down three goals inside the first 15 minutes.
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Image Source - Google | Image by <br><a href= BBC News |
At Newcastle United, Spurs found themselves 5-0 down after 20 minutes, and they quickly found themselves three goals behind at Anfield after Liverpool scored the game's first goal, leaving them chasing what appeared to be an impossible goal.
Instead, Spurs was on the verge of salvaging an unexpected draw when ex-Everton forward Richarlison headed his first Premier League goal of the season in stoppage time, but Jota took advantage of a defensive blunder seconds later to win the game for Liverpool.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's pass set up Curtis Jones' goal in the third minute, and two minutes later, Luis Diaz, making his first start since needing surgery for a knee injury sustained in October, converted Mohamad Salah's cross at the near post.
Following Romero's careless challenge on Cody Gakpo, Salah added the third penalty to make up for missed opportunities against Bournemouth and Arsenal.
Harry Kane scored with a volley six minutes before halftime and Spurs supporters, who had received a refund following the 6-1 disaster on Tyneside, demanded their money back once more.
Spurs really had opportunities to give Liverpool even more cause for concern, but in the last seconds of the second half, both Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero struck the post.
But with 13 minutes left, Son broke free to defeat Alisson. This gave Spurs new life.
Before Jota had the final say, Richarlison sent the opposing fans into a frenzy with a header.
Liverpool moves up to fifth to maintain its small chances of playing in the Champions League, but Manchester United and Newcastle United's recent victories make this a more remote possibility.
Liverpool wins despite playing poorly.
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Image Source - Google | Image by <br><a href= BBC News |
After a quick start that gave Spurs a way back into the game, Liverpool's late performance, which was completed by Jota's winner, was met with a great deal of relief and joy inside Anfield.
After dominating the first half and scoring three goals, Jurgen Klopp's team appeared to be cruising to victory. However, the Spurs received multiple lifelines thanks to a sloppy, reckless, and complacent performance from Klopp's team.
Liverpool's defense was often breached, and twice in the second half, they were grateful for the woodwork as Spurs, who appeared to be out of the running, eagerly welcomed the encouragement being offered to them.
The game-winning goal came from Jota, who is once again in his finest goal-scoring form, who hammered a low effort past Fraser Forster at the Kop end to rescue the three points Liverpool appeared to have lost.
Liverpool outclassed Spurs, putting them squarely in the race for a spot in Europe. However, this was a performance that once again showed the two sides to their game that they have displayed throughout this season.
The Spurs pay again for their sluggish start.
Tottenham's season has been marked by sluggish beginnings, and they once again paid the price for not grasping the game in the early going.
The worst instance was the disastrous 6-1 loss on Tyneside a week ago, and it appeared like they might repeat themselves again as Liverpool took advantage of another instance of Spurs' sleepwalking to go out to an early lead.
They played the first 15 minutes as if they were in a fog, despite interim manager Ryan Mason's warnings to them about the dangers of such a tentative start.
It will have been even more hurtful and frustrating given how they demonstrated genuine character to battle their way back into the game, overturning a 3-0 deficit in overtime, only to throw away the point they believed they had earned.
Mason was enraged. After Oliver Skipp was hurt by Jota's high boot late in the game, the frustration in the Spurs camp was summed up by the fact that a crucial point was dropped due to one moment of distraction.