Liverpool have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to 16 points following a 1-0 victory over Tottenham in north London.
Jose Mourinho parked the bus for vast periods of the game in an attempt to frustrate the Reds, but Jurgen Klopp’s side were too good for their opponents and deservedly secured their 20th victory of a quite remarkable campaign.
Roberto Firmino scored the only goal of the match late in the first half to add another three points to the Premier League title favourites’ tally.
Liverpool almost took the lead in the second minute. Debutant Japhet Tanganga blocked a shot from Firmino before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hit the post with the follow-up.
Spurs were set up to soak up pressure and hit Liverpool on the counter-attack and went close minutes later through Lucas Moura, whose shot from the edge of the box went wide.
The Premier League’s ultimate big-game players
Man Utd fans’ anti-Woodward and Glazer chants
Karius concedes comical own goal for Besiktas
Son Heung-min then also threatened the Liverpool goal after dispossessing Jordan Henderson, but this was as close as the hosts came to getting on the scoresheet during the opening 45 minutes.
Liverpool had the first-half’s best chances and went close through both Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane.
And Spurs’ resistance was finally broken in the 37th minute when Mohamed Salah picked out Firmino, who kept his cool and produced an emphatic finish past Paulo Gazzaniga to give Liverpool the lead.
VAR checked to see whether Henderson had handed the ball in the build-up, but replays confirmed this wasn’t the case and the Brazilian’s goal was allowed to stand.
Tottenham needed to be more adventurous in the second half and managed to test Alisson Becker 10 minutes after the restart through Serge Aurier, whose shot was saved by Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Son then shot wide as Spurs continued to look more dangerous, before Mane forced a save from Gazzaniga.
But scoring against this Liverpool team isn’t easy – they’ve only conceded 14 Premier League goals all season – and Tottenham, of course, weren’t able to rely on the injured Harry Kane for inspiration in the final third.
Son was presented with a decent chance to equalise shortly afterwards but skied over the bar, before substitute Giovani Lo Celso was presented with an even better opportunity shortly afterwards after being picked out at the back post by Aurier.
The Argentina international somehow sent the ball wide from close-range when it looked easier to score.
This was a huge let-off for Liverpool, who appear to be unstoppable right now.
It was another big test passed by the Merseyside outfit and it now seems inevitable that they will lift the Premier League trophy for the first time later this season.
Jose Mourinho parked the bus for vast periods of the game in an attempt to frustrate the Reds, but Jurgen Klopp’s side were too good for their opponents and deservedly secured their 20th victory of a quite remarkable campaign.
Roberto Firmino scored the only goal of the match late in the first half to add another three points to the Premier League title favourites’ tally.
Liverpool almost took the lead in the second minute. Debutant Japhet Tanganga blocked a shot from Firmino before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hit the post with the follow-up.
Spurs were set up to soak up pressure and hit Liverpool on the counter-attack and went close minutes later through Lucas Moura, whose shot from the edge of the box went wide.
The Premier League’s ultimate big-game players
Man Utd fans’ anti-Woodward and Glazer chants
Karius concedes comical own goal for Besiktas
Son Heung-min then also threatened the Liverpool goal after dispossessing Jordan Henderson, but this was as close as the hosts came to getting on the scoresheet during the opening 45 minutes.
Liverpool had the first-half’s best chances and went close through both Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane.
And Spurs’ resistance was finally broken in the 37th minute when Mohamed Salah picked out Firmino, who kept his cool and produced an emphatic finish past Paulo Gazzaniga to give Liverpool the lead.
VAR checked to see whether Henderson had handed the ball in the build-up, but replays confirmed this wasn’t the case and the Brazilian’s goal was allowed to stand.
Tottenham needed to be more adventurous in the second half and managed to test Alisson Becker 10 minutes after the restart through Serge Aurier, whose shot was saved by Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Son then shot wide as Spurs continued to look more dangerous, before Mane forced a save from Gazzaniga.
But scoring against this Liverpool team isn’t easy – they’ve only conceded 14 Premier League goals all season – and Tottenham, of course, weren’t able to rely on the injured Harry Kane for inspiration in the final third.
Son was presented with a decent chance to equalise shortly afterwards but skied over the bar, before substitute Giovani Lo Celso was presented with an even better opportunity shortly afterwards after being picked out at the back post by Aurier.
The Argentina international somehow sent the ball wide from close-range when it looked easier to score.
This was a huge let-off for Liverpool, who appear to be unstoppable right now.
It was another big test passed by the Merseyside outfit and it now seems inevitable that they will lift the Premier League trophy for the first time later this season.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
