Liverpool will spend Christmas Day four points clear at the top of the Premier League table thanks to a breathtaking 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur in North London.
Taking advantage of Tottenham's depleted defence in the first 45, Liverpool deservedly raced ahead through Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister's headers before James Maddison gave the hosts a flicker of optimism with a fine finish.
That hope was quickly eradicated when Dominik Szoboszlai restored the Reds' two-goal advantage, and as Tottenham failed to learn their defensive lessons from the first half, Mohamed Salah helped himself to the brace that made him Liverpool's fourth-highest goalscorer in history.
Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke managed to reduce the arrears for a never-say-die Tottenham, but the die was cast when Diaz struck his second of the evening, capping off one of the most extraordinary matches in the history of the Premier League.
Arne Slot's side travel home for Christmas with an unassailable lead at the summit, while also holding a game in hand on all of their title rivals, but volatile Spurs - whose commitment to always providing entertainment cannot be knocked - will spend the festivities in the bottom half of the rankings.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© Imago
As Postecoglou said on Thursday evening - are you not entertained?
Having been handed a massive title boost less than an hour before kickoff, as closest challengers Chelsea were held to a goalless draw by Everton, the onus was on Slot's machine to rise to the challenge in North London.
Barring a late defensive collapse, the Reds passed with flying colours and looked capable of scoring every time they surged forward, thanks in part to their scintillating attacking play and Tottenham's dreadful rearguard performance.
Managers never like to publicly discuss the standings at the mid-point of the season, but Slot and his charges will surely allow themselves to revel in their magnificent position, and it would be nothing short of catastrophic if they were to blow the title now.
On the other side of the coin, mid-table Tottenham put in an abysmal defensive display akin to their 4-1 loss to Chelsea last year, albeit with 11 men on the pitch rather than nine, and Postecoglou's persistence with the high line against the devastating Reds was an extremely difficult watch.
The Australian may come out with the old "that is just who we are" when grilled by the press, but a failure to change tack when one approach is not working is what got Russell Martin sacked from Southampton.
Postecoglou's situation is nowhere near as dire yet, and their late attacking show offers some solace, but a team of their calibre should never be shipping six goals at home no matter who they are up against.
TOTTENHAM VS. LIVERPOOL HIGHLIGHTS
Luis Diaz goal vs. Tottenham (23rd min, Tottenham 0-1 Liverpool)
Come for the superb Luis DÃaz header, stay for that Trent Alexander-Arnold cross 💥
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 22, 2024
A brilliant goal from Liverpool 🔴 pic.twitter.com/22IjQhI8kN
Tottenham cannot say it was not coming! Diaz gets the goal, but this one is all about the delivery from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has just boosted his chances of securing a massive pay rise in his new contract.
The England international sends in a devastating cross from the right-hand side, which Diaz makes a brilliant run to meet, and the Colombia international sends his header back across goal and into the far side of the net.
Alexis Mac Allister goal vs. Tottenham (36th min, Tottenham 0-2 Liverpool)
Alexis Mac Allister doubles Liverpool's lead! 👊🔥 pic.twitter.com/ahZgfrGOSs
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 22, 2024
Another cross, another goal! Fraser Forster put in a horror show of a performance in midweek, and the Spurs goalkeeper does not cover himself in glory here either.
This time the outswinging delivery comes from Andy Robertson in the left half-space; Szoboszlai competes with Archie Gray and Djed Spence in the air, and the ball loops up in the corridor of uncertainty.
Forster comes off his line, but Mac Allister beats him to it and heads into the top corner with the goalkeeper in no man's land
James Maddison goal vs. Liverpool (41st min, Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool)
James Maddison from distance to put Spurs back in the game! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/IpGKFn7yJS
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 22, 2024
A lifeline, but for how long? Kulusevski and Mac Allister get in a tangle on the ground, and Spurs come away with the ball as Liverpool's pleas for a foul fall on deaf ears.
Maddison has time and space to pick his spot from inside the D and curls a beautiful finish into the bottom corner with Alisson Becker rooted to the spot. Virgil van Dijk furiously remonstrates with referee Sam Barrott, who is unmoved.
Dominik Szoboszlai goal vs. Tottenham (45+1 min, Tottenham 1-3 Liverpool)
Liverpool answers right back! 😮
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 22, 2024
Dominik Szoboszlai makes it THREE! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/B97uLfifRg
As a Tottenham fan, it is the hope that kills you. Liverpool strike straight back, as Szoboszlai flicks on a long ball over Radu Dragusin's head, and Liverpool have a four-on-two with Salah leading the charge.
The Egyptian picks the correct pass as he slips in Szoboszlai, who had continued his run and takes one touch before coolly slotting home into the middle of the goal through Forster's legs.
54th min: Tottenham 1-4 Liverpool (Mohamed Salah)
Role reversal of sorts from Liverpool's third goal, and Salah has yet another landmark goal in a Liverpool jersey!
Cody Gakpo's cutback from the left is cut out by Gray, who also manages to get in the way of Szoboszlai's weak effort while both men are on the ground, but his weak interception falls at the feet of Salah.
The 32-year-old has the simplest task of tapping in from a couple of yards out for his 228th Liverpool goal, level with Billy Liddell for the fourth most in the Reds' history.
61st min: Tottenham 1-5 Liverpool (Mohamed Salah)
No sooner had Salah gone level with Liddell in Liverpool's all-time goalscoring charts to overtaking him!
The same combination is involved for the third time in a row, as Szoboszlai controls a fizzed pass with a top touch and unselfishly feeds Salah, who has another empty net to stroke home into.
The true definition of a demolition job.
72nd min: Tottenham 2-5 Liverpool (Dejan Kulusevski)
A smart finish from Dejan Kulusevski gets one back for Tottenham 💥 pic.twitter.com/TSPtzBmjb1
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 22, 2024
One of the most well-executed volleys you will see in this season's Premier League, but surely not one that will count for anything.
Kulusevski and Solanke link up well on the edge of the box, and the latter finds the Swede's run with a delicate ball over the top, which Kulusevski finishes off with a terrific first-time strike.
83rd min: Tottenham 3-5 Liverpool (Dominic Solanke)
Dominic Solanke gets Tottenham's third of the night 😮 pic.twitter.com/gMQ6u841Dv
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 22, 2024
Hello hello, is the unthinkable on the cards?
Brennan Johnson gets above Robertson to head a cross back into the mixer, and Solanke turns well to evade the attention of Van Dijk before prodding home the eighth goal of the evening.
Luis Diaz goal vs. Tottenham (85th min, Tottenham 3-6 Liverpool)
It's six for Liverpool! 😲
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 22, 2024
This game 🤯 pic.twitter.com/SNmOUAWqCN
The unthinkable is not on the cards.
Diaz has his second goal of the evening, and Salah has his second assist of the evening, slipping in his South American colleague to fire in Liverpool's sixth across goal from a tight angle.
MAN OF THE MATCH - MOHAMED SALAH
© Imago
Gary Neville may have sided with fellow two-goal attacker Diaz, who was an equally worthy candidate for the man of the match award, but Liverpool's fourth highest scorer in history gets our vote.
Salah's two goals may have been two of the more simpler finishes he will have in a Reds jersey, but the Egypt international also laid on two smart assists and was too hot to handle for the Tottenham backline all evening.
The best player in the world? Maybe. Worthy of that lucrative new Liverpool deal he so desires? Absolutely.
TOTTENHAM VS. LIVERPOOL MATCH STATS
Possession: Tottenham 52%-48% Liverpool
Shots: Tottenham 9-24 Liverpool
Shots on target: Tottenham 5-12 Liverpool
Corners: Tottenham 7-5 Liverpool
Fouls: Tottenham 7-9 Liverpool
BEST STATS
Mohamed Salah is the first player in the competition's history to score 10+ goals AND provide 10+ assists in four consecutive Premier League seasons.
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 22, 2024
He's also the first player to reach double figures for both goals and assists in a single Premier League season before... pic.twitter.com/6OdUGLMNjY
🚨 🚨 🚨 HISTORY: Mohamed Salah is now 4th place in all time Liverpool goalscorers after overtaking Billy Liddell with 229 career goals for Liverpool. We are literally witnessing history today. An iconic footballer. pic.twitter.com/nixYCqfYkc
— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) December 22, 2024
6 - This is the sixth Premier League season in which Mohamed Salah has both scored and assisted 10+ goals; the most of any player in the competition's history (overtaking Wayne Rooney's five). Super. pic.twitter.com/FypJsl1J8N
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 22, 2024
WHAT NEXT?
After celebrating December 25 at the summit of the standings, Liverpool get back to work on Boxing Day, when Leicester City are the visitors to Anfield.
Meanwhile, Postecoglou's depleted Tottenham are also returning to action on December 26 away to Nottingham Forest, who ought to be licking their lips after Spurs' sorry defensive performance on Sunday.
Ben Knapton
