Before the start of the match at Anfield, it was uncertain whether it would be Tottenham’s malleable weakened display from Newcastle or their successful resilience against Man United that would make an appearance. It only took five minutes for the result to be decided – Curtis Jones was fouled in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross and Luis Diaz scored on his first start since October, sealing it with a 2-0 victory.
Liverpool was unstoppable in the early stages of the game, with Cody Gakpo at its forefront. Cristian Romero brought him down carelessly in the box, leaving the referee no option but to call for a penalty. Mo Salah stepped forward and made his 300th game memorable as he scored from the spot-kick.
Tottenham put in an abysmal performance overall, but had a glimmer of hope with Heung-min Son’s shot late in the first half; unfortunately, it was thwarted by Virgil van Dijk’s impressive clearance off the goal-line. Van Dijk’s misstep set the stage for Harry Kane to volley in the goal that put Spurs up 3-1. Ivan Perisic had sent a superb cross, right before Kane’s shot.
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After the pause, it was a more demanding start to the second half as both Son and Romero struck the post within a few minutes, making it apparent to Liverpool that they couldn’t let their guard down. Spurs then got a fortuitous second goal, courtesy of Son Heung-min. Robertson provided a delightful assist through the offside trap and Son made no mistake with his finish to make it 3-2.
You could feel the tension in the air for Liverpool as Jota committed a foul on Oliver Skipp. This pause further amplified the anxiety, providing an extra boost to away fans already trying to create an intimidating atmosphere for Klopp’s team.
Richarlison made it all square in stoppage time with his former-Everton strike, only for Jota to net a sensational winner mere seconds later and send the Anfield crowd into jubilation. Anfield was filled with raucous cheers as Richarlison quickly put his shirt back on, and Klopp enthusiastically limped in excitement as the Reds jumped to fifth place.
