Liverpool back to winning ways
FOOTBALL
LONDON: Liverpool’s spluttering attack burst back to life to help the champion return to winning ways with a commanding 31 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League yesterday.
Goals from Roberto Firmino, Trent AlexanderArnold and Sadio Mane capped a dominant display by Juergen Klopp’s side, which restored its place in the top four with its first league win since a 70 thrashing of Crystal Palace on December 19.
Firmino’s effort in firsthalf stoppage time ended Liverpool’s barren run of 482 minutes without a league goal.
AlexanderArnold doubled its lead in the 47th minute before PierreEmile Hojbjerg quickly lashed in his first goal for Spurs to give the host hope.
With Tottenham’s defence unravelling, Mane struck again for the champion in the 65th minute and there was no coming back for Jose Mourinho’s side, its disappointment compounded by an injury to talisman Harry Kane.
Both sides also had goals ruled out by VAR decisions.
Liverpool’s seventh successive win over Spurs in all competitions moved it into fourth spot with 37 points from 20 games, four points behind leader Manchester City which has played a game less. Tottenham stayed sixth with 33 points.
This was not quite Liverpool back to its best but it was an important statement of intent for Klopp’s side that it will not be giving up its title without a fight.
Even with a makeshift central defensive partnership of Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip, Liverpool was too strong for a Tottenham side which was culpable for all three goals.
‘‘Nothing has really changed. We’re the same team we always have been,’’ AlexanderArnold said.
‘‘We have the same mentality going into games — we respect the opposition. We have the expectation on ourselves that we should win the game and it was a whole performance from the lads.’’
Liverpool should have ended its drought in the opening minutes when Mane was through on goal but steered his shot wide.
That miss looked costly as Son Heungmin thought he had given Spurs the lead from Kane’s pass, but his effort was ruled marginally offside by VAR.
While Tottenham looked dangerous on counterattacks, Liverpool was the more threatening side and it was gifted the opening goal deep into stoppage time.
Mane again got behind Tottenham’s defence and prodded the ball across towards Firmino, who capitalised on indecision by keeper Hugo Lloris and Eric Dier to tap home.
Tottenham replaced Kane, who twice needed treatment, with Erik Lamela at halftime and Harry Winks also came on for Serge Aurier, but Tottenham’s plans were soon in disarray.
Mane was again the creator as he burst into the area and his shot was pushed out by Lloris into the path of AlexanderArnold for him to rifle in the rebound with his right foot.
Tottenham responded within a minute from an unlikely source as Hojbjerg sent a swerving effort past Allison from the edge of the area.
In a frenetic passage of play, Mohamed Salah belted a shot past Lloris but Tottenham was spared by a VAR check which showed a handball by Firmino in the buildup.
Ten minutes later another Spurs error, this time by central defender Joe Rodon, allowed a low cross to reach Mane, who made no mistake.
‘‘It’s hard to resist so many defensive individual mistakes — unless you score four goals against Liverpool,’’ Mourinho said.
‘‘Every time we came back the next mistake was coming.’’ — Reuters