Sadio Mané should have put Liverpool ahead after 90 seconds, but blazed a chance over the bar when he was through on goal.
From the restart, Spurs went up the other end of the pitch and after a simple ball over the top of Liverpool’s makeshift centre back partnership, Joel Matip – who came back into the side in place of the injured Fabinho after having missed the defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday – and Jordan Henderson, Son put the ball past goalkeeper Allison Becker, only for VAR to rule the goal out for a marginal offside – Son’s heel was the guilty bodily part.
Liverpool had another lucky break when Spurs’ top striker Harry Kane suffered not one but two ankle injuries – Kane has a history of ankle injuries that have caused him to miss large parts of the season for club and country – that made him immobile for most of the half and his substitution at half-time was inevitable.
Robert Firmino deservedly put Liverpool ahead in first-half injury time, tapping in a cross from Mané, which both Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris and centre-back Eric Dier made a mess of.
Lloris was also at fault for Liverpool’s second goal, scored by Trent Alexander Arnold within a minute of the second-half restart. Mané shot well from the edge of the area but Lloris turned what should have been a comfortable save into a disaster when he clumsily pushed the ball out to the Liverpool right-back who rifled the ball into the back of the net.
The goal and Lloris’ mistake infuriated Spurs manager José Mourinho, whose body language suggested that Liverpool’s second goal had killed the game, only for an instant response from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to improve his mood. The Dane's rocket from outside the area, after some neat build up play from Spurs, and a calm layback from Steven Bergwijn, put Spurs back in the game and all seemed set for a compelling to and fro.
Except Spurs didn’t seem capable of pushing on, taking advantage of the withdrawal of Joel Matip at half-time and exploiting his replacement, the inexperienced Nat Phillips.
On 55 minutes, Firmino held the ball up on the half-way line, feeding the superb Thiago Alcantara who found Mané who squared for Mo Salah to blast the ball into the back of the net and the game seemed over. VAR reprieved Spurs when Firmino was found to have used his hand in the build up; but the writing was on the wall: as Spurs pushed forward looking for an equaliser, Liverpool’s play was good enough to suggest a third goal was inevitable.
And on 65 minutes, a wicked cross from Trent Arnold Alexander had Spurs’ centre-back Joe Rogan at sixes and sevens, not knowing whether to kick or head the ball clear and ending with the hapless defender chesting the ball into the path of Mané who didn’t miss the chance.
Next up for Liverpool is in-form West Ham, followed by a home game against Brighton, then a possible title-decider against Man City at Anfield. The injuries to Matip and Fabinho mean Liverpool’s centre-back problems continue to deteriorate.
