Liverpool beat Spurs at Anfield to continue late European charge

Seven days removed from their last mauling on the road, Tottenham, now making a habit of falling behind early on, shipped three inside the opening 15 minutes of action.

It started via an unlikely source, when Curtis Jones, who had evaded a sleepy Spurs backline, volleyed first-time past Fraser Forster after being picked out by a trademark Trent Alexander-Arnold back-post cross.

Balls in behind proved to cause Tottenham issues in the early stages, with Luis Díaz profiting from Cody Gakpo’s pin-point cutback, to double Liverpool’s increasingly comfortable advantage.

Goals, clearly the order of the day, would continue to come in their droves as the half progressed. In seemingly full control, Liverpool added a third from the spot 15 minutes in, after the ever-rash Cristian Romero lunged in on Gakpo inside the penalty area, with Mohamed Salah converting with ease.

A touch of respectability would be clawed back for Tottenham before HT, with Harry Kane, as he did last weekend against Newcastle United, found himself on the scoresheet, this time a cultured first-time finish from eight yards out.

Bruised, but not battered at the break, the chances of a Spurs comeback remained slim, but the north Londoners did at least attempt to make a game of it.

With what were their best and, in truth, only real chances after the restart, Son Heung-min clattered the woodwork from range via a rasping right-footed effort, before Romero clipped the opposite post while attempting an audacious effort moments later.

Feeling down on luck, Tottenham didn’t let their misfortune impact their attacking endeavours. While often shaky at the back, a fluid performance from the Spurs frontmen would see them edge even closer to a historic comeback, with Son able to keep his cool in front of goal and slide a composed right-footed finish underneath an onrushing Alisson Becker.

The deficit would be removed, albeit momentarily, when Richarlison netted his first-ever Tottenham Premier League goal in added-time to snatch what looked to be a dramatic equaliser.

It ultimately would count for little, as Jota capitalised on a lack of concentration from Lucas Moura to sneak in behind the Tottenham backline and snatch the winning goal in front of the Kop.

A classic at Anfield, which despite their valiant comeback, sees Tottenham leave Merseyside empty-handed.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)