Digging Deeper Into Liverpool's Goalfest Win Over Spurs

Yesterday at 04:30 PM

With a thrilling 6-3 win in the books, we take a look at what it means for Arne Slot's Reds.

What started out looking like a controlled and comfortable victory after the Reds jumped out to leads of 2-0 and then 5-1 exploded into chaos with an additional 3 late goals. In the end, it was a fun 6-3 victory for Liverpool with plenty of plaudits to go around.

Below, we take a look at some winners and losers on the night, and attempt to disentangle narrative from fact.

Winners

Mohamed Salah
Mo looked sharp from the off, coming close to scoring a couple of early goals. He turned provider just before the half, laying off a sweet reverse pass to Dominik Szoboszlai to finish off a beautiful sweeping move. The assist from Salah was his 10th in the Premier League this season, putting him on double digit goals and assists before we hit the Boxing day fixtures. He's the first player in league history to hit this mark. Mo added a second assist in the second half for Liverpool's sixth goal of the night. Mo did get in the goals in the second half, poking home two from close range.

Trent Alexander-Arnold
It was a vintage performance from the right back, pinging seemingly impossible passes to create attacking opportunities. His ball in for Luis Diaz on the first ball was sublime, and Trent also played what seemed like an over-the-shoulder ball with his left foot to start the break for the third goal. He finished the match with 4 key passes. Trent also was quite solid defensively, being smart about when to challenge and when to stay in position and slow play down. He had 3 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 7 clearances.

Dominik Szoboszlai
The Hungarian was magnificent, both manipulating the ball and the space in the attacking half. He finished the match with a goal and an assist, and likely could have had more of each with a little more luck. He was essential to the counters, pulling defenders out of shape with his runs through the middle, as well as playing off the runs of Mohamed Salah in particular.

Luis Diaz
The Colombian scored bookend goals, a leaping header for the opener and a fantastic hip swivel to fire across to the far post from a tight angle for the closing goal. Diaz finished with 5 shots on goal

Joe Gomez
It may be weird to highlight a defender in a match where Liverpool gave up 3 goals, but Gomez was not culpable for any of the Tottenham tallies. The ultimate utility player was quietly sensational, mopping up anything that leaked through on the right side of defense. He outraced Son on a few occasions, and was calm and efficient on the ball out of the back.

Losers

People who hate goals
That certainly was not a boring match, with 9 combined goals scored off of an xG almost 6 between Liverpool and Spurs. The Reds created 9 big chances themselves in an entertaining match.

Talking Tactics

For 75 minutes, Liverpool played a smart and controlled match against a Spurs side looking to bait the Reds into playing a basketball match. Liverpool repeatedly slowed the game down to exert their control in the middle third of the pitch. When the numbers worked, the Reds took their opportunities on the counter, carving Spurs apart. Liverpool rarely overcommitted, however, always ensuring there were enough to cover if needed. Tottenham required an individual error and a moment of brilliance to score their first two goals, with Liverpool proving stingy until the last 15 minutes.

What Happens Next

Liverpool extend their lead to four points (with a game in hand) at the top of the table with the busy festive period is in full swing. The Reds will return home for a boxing day fixture with Leicester City before hitting the rode to take on West Ham on Sunday for their last match of 2024.