Liverpool kept up their unbeaten start to the Premier League season as they came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday evening.
The visitors seized the advantage within just 50 seconds as Harry Kane reacted first to Heung-Min Son’s shot that deflected off of the post. Jurgen Klopp’s men dominated the game from that point on and the pressure finally told as Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson hit home the equaliser just after the break.
The turnaround was complete with a quarter of an hour remaining as Sadio Mane won a penalty, that was emphatically converted by Mo Salah, to keep Liverpool six points clear at the top of the table.
Lightning start from Kane
Tottenham enjoyed an absolutely perfect start to the match as Kane opened the scoring within the opening minute. A great run from Moussa Sissoko saw the Frenchman power through midfield and play the ball into Son. He struck for goal but had his effort deflected onto the post before it fell kindly for the Tottenham captain, who finished with a cool, stooping header.
The North Londoners could well have doubled their lead on a few occasions as Dele Alli just failed to get on the end of Kane’s cross before the returning Christian Eriksen lashed a volley marginally wide.
Liverpool did have opportunities to equalise before the break but Paulo Gazzaniga twice produced excellent saves to deny Salah and Roberto Firmino. The Argentine also reacted very well to paw away efforts from Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Son strikes crossbar
The pressure continued throughout the opening first-half as Mane ran beyond the Tottenham defence but he could only glance his header wide.
Despite the hosts’ opportunities, it was Spurs who came closest to netting after the break. Having sprinted behind the Liverpool defence, Son skipped around Alisson but could only smack the crossbar when presented with an empty net.
Henderson draws Reds level
That missed opportunity came back to bite the visitors as only minutes later, Liverpool equalised. Ghosting in at the back post, Henderson cut across the ball and guided it into the far corner of the net.
The Reds could have claimed the lead shortly after as Roberto Firmino got on the end of a throw-in whilst Tottenham were sleeping but could not quite squeeze the ball underneath Gazzaniga.
Salah edges Liverpool ahead from spot
They did eventually get ahead and it was a silly piece of defending from Serge Aurier that resulted in the goal. Having seemingly wrestled the ball away from Mane, he then caught the forward on the leg, resulting in a penalty kick. Salah stayed cool from the spot and struck low into the net.
The drama was not quite over though as with only minutes remaining, Danny Rose had a chance to hit a late equaliser as he tore into the box. When the moment came to take his shot, the ball was blazed high over the crossbar, allowing Liverpool to claim a hard-fought win.
Final Thoughts
Despite having a horrendous start to the match, Liverpool just about deserved victory at Anfield. Tottenham did have some periods in the match where they looked dangerous but Liverpool were the most ruthless when it counted. Of course, it was a tight match but Jurgen Klopp and his team will reflect on what could be a vital victory in their pursuit of a maiden Premier League crown.
Match Report
Liverpool: Alisson (7); Robertson (7), van Dijk (7), Lovren (6), Alexander-Arnold (7); Wijnladum (6) (Milner (N/A), 77′), Fabinho (7), Henderson (7); Salah (7) (Gomez (N/A), 85′), Mane (7), Firmino (6) (Origi (N/A), 90+3′).
Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga (7); Rose (6), Sanchez (6), Alderweireld (6), Aurier (5) (Moura (N/A), 84′); Sissoko (7), Winks (6) (Ndombele (6), 63′); Alli (5), Eriksen (6) (Lo Celso (N/A), 88′), Son (6); Kane (7).
Goals: Kane (1′), Henderson (52′), Salah PEN (75′)
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Yellow Cards: Sissoko (36′), Rose (37′), Lovren (50′), Alexander-Arnold (64′), Ndombele (72′), Milner (90+1′)
Red Cards: N/A
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