Late win sees Liverpool back on top
LIVERPOOL kept their title hopes alive as they went top of the Premier League with a dramatic late victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield yesterday.
Jurgen Kopp’s side needed to win to leapfrog Manchester City at the top of the table, while Spurs wanted to pull away from Arsenal and Manchester United beneath them.
Roberto Firmino put the home side ahead with a well-worked goal just after the quarter-hour, and Spurs looked like a team out of form – they had won just one of their previous five league games – though they slowly grew into the first half.
In the second half, Spurs started brightly but Alisson was on hand to stop Harry Kane’s low drive at goal with their best chance of the game so far.
With 20 minutes of normal time remaining, Lucas Moura swept in an equaliser after a rapid Spurs counter, sending Liverpool’s title challenge off track briefly, Mo Salah intervened.
Reaching a cross at the back post, he headed at goal, Hugo Lloris pushed away the ball when he should have caught, pushing it into the path of Toby Alderweireld who knocked it into the net.
The win leaves Liverpool two points clear of City having played a game more than the current champions, and Spurs are in danger of losing their top four place as Manchester United and Arsenal lurk.
Liverpool needed Salah back on form. He was a shadow of his best self again, as he struggles in front of goal. While Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane continue to threaten, they will need their best player back to make the difference in the title race.
His intervention with the game about to drift to a depressing conclusion for his team could spark him back into life. – Eurosport