Liverpool in fine form as Spurs’ top four hopes once again look doomed, writes JOE BERNSTEIN after Reds’ 4-2 win
Mo Salah’s return to center stage was a welcome one and the Egyptian king let no one down with a goal and two assists in a thrilling penultimate match at Anfield for Jurgen Klopp.
But after going 4-0 up against chaotic opposition displaying the worst aspects of Angel-ball, it was Liverpool who then suffered late nerves as they conceded two goals and worried about the mother of all comebacks.
The full-time conclusion is that both groups of artists have huge vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.
Nothing is mathematically certain yet, but all the evidence has been presented as to why Liverpool will not be Premier League champions this season and Tottenham will not be in the Champions League.
Still, the sight of Salah in full swing, determined to help Klopp earn a deserved farewell, was the main takeaway for the thousands who created a fantastic atmosphere on The Kop.
Mohamed Salah put his row with Jurgen Klopp behind him to score Liverpool’s first goal
Harvey Elliott scored an absolute screamer to give the Reds four goals at Anfield
Despite a late rally, the end result was another setback for Ange Postecoglou and Spurs
There was a sadness in seeing the two Liverpool titans, manager and star player, clash a week ago at West Ham.
Neither man deserves to have their relationship problems overshadow the end of a glorious era, and it won’t.
Klopp had the maturity to integrate Salah back into the starting lineup. The player justified his decision in the first minute, giving Spurs left-back Emerson Royal the most scorching of his 100 Premier League appearances.
It was almost merciful when Ange Postecoglu removed the defender in a triple substitution after 61 minutes.
Spurs certainly showed character in the final half hour, but that doesn’t hide the way they capitulated earlier to a fourth consecutive defeat – their worst run since 2004.
The obsession with playing out from the back, even when their defenders looked uncomfortable and Liverpool were pressing like demons, caused them repeated problems.
Goalkeeper Gugliemo Vicario protested to his defenders after conceding a second goal just before half-time. Worse was to come when Cristian Romero and Emerson clashed at the break, with the Argentine hardman catching his teammate before Vicario separated them.
This approach to “clarifying things” had no immediate benefit. Spurs allowed Liverpool to score quickly twice more and it was only the subsequent arrival of Richarlison that truly changed the flow of the game.
“An extremely disappointing result. There’s probably a lack of confidence,” conceded Postecoglu, who was some Liverpool fans’ initial choice to replace Klopp.
Regarding the public friction between his players, Postecoglu added: “Because they care, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.”
Klopp acknowledged his team’s inconsistency throughout the 90 minutes: “We were exceptional until we weren’t good,” he said.
Spurs had learned in the dressing room before kick-off in Aston Villa’s defeat at Brighton, but any hopes that it would give them a moral boost in their race for a top four finish proved false.
Instead, it was Liverpool who took inspiration from Salah’s presence.
Social media had blamed the player for his row with Klopp, but Anfield were clearly keen to move on and applauded Salah’s name loudly when it was read out before kick-off.
Klopp and Salah clashed during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against West Ham last week.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s (left) cross to Andy Robertson (right) gave the Reds their second
It’s now four defeats in a row for Tottenham, with a superb start to the season running out of steam.
Cody Gakpo and Elliott both scored second-half goals to further compound the visitors’ misery.
It didn’t take long to make an impact. A cheeky cross shot with the outside of his boot banged against the crossbar and a run down his favored right channel ended in a good save from Vicario with Romero hacking away Harvey Elliott’s rebound on the line.
It was no surprise that Liverpool scored after 18 minutes. Cody Gakpo crossed to the far post where Salah had lost marker Emerson, allowing him to head home from close range.
On television, Gary Neville took stock: “This is Salah’s 18th goal in the league this season. It’s a hell of a stat to hit those numbers when people are saying he’s not having a good season.
With their title hopes effectively over, Liverpool played with a freedom that suited the late afternoon sun.
A busy Vicario saved from Harvey Elliott, Gakpo and Luis Diaz, who also went close with an acrobatic volley.
Spurs, with chief creator James Maddison on the bench, were unable to string together two passes. This was particularly worrying given how many times they tried to maintain possession in their final third – and failed to do so.
The inevitable second goal arrived just before half-time.
Vicario once again worked wonders to prevent Salah’s shot from close range, but the ball fell kindly to Robertson who tapped in from close range.
If Postecoglu was hoping a locker room talk would help, that’s not the case. After 48 minutes, Emerson was so busy focusing on Salah that he allowed Elliott to dispossess him.
Elliott curled a magnificent cross towards the penalty area and Gakpo managed to hang in the air Michael Jordan-style to head in.
When Salah allowed Elliott to score the game’s best goal after 59 minutes to make it 4-0 – the youngster hitting the postage stamp from the top corner from 25 yards – a dismayed Postecoglu made a triple change.
Klopp received huge roars from the full-time crowd after his penultimate match at Anfield
Elliott’s sublime strike from outside the box went into the top corner of Guglielmo Vicario’s net
Late goals from Richarlison and Son Heung-min halved the deficit, but the damage was done
Remarkably, this significantly changed the mood of the party at Anfield. Richarlison seemed to relish being naughty for being a former Evertonian and put Spurs on the board with a neat side-footed finish from Brennan Johnson’s cross after 72 minutes.
Five minutes later, the Brazilian stayed in the game to revive Son who beat Allison.
Anfield was suddenly anxious. Salah missed a golden opportunity from three yards out to make the game safe and there were audible groans when seven extra minutes were signalled.
Alisson made a couple of saves and Joe Gomez had to be alert to clear after Maddison slipped into the penalty area on a slalom run.
The dominant emotion at full time was relief. Both for the victory and for the fact that they will be able to salute Klopp and Salah instead of being forced to choose sides. Not that the manager admits to having favorites. Asked about his enthusiastic reaction to Elliott’s goal, he replied: “I smiled at all the scorers!”
