LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 22: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 22, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah scored twice to carry Liverpool to a dominant win over Tottenham
Liverpool handed boss Arne Slot an early Christmas present with a dominant win over Tottenham on Sunday.
Goals from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai saw the Reds take control in the first-half. Mohamed Salah added two strikes of his own in the second-half to ensure it was a perfect evening for the visitors.
It means they will be top of the Premier League on Christmas Day and are in full control of the title race. James Maddison had pulled a goal back in the first-half but even at that point, the hosts appeared resigned to defeat.
They did gain hope of a stunning comeback in the second-half when Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke scored in the final 20 minutes, but Diaz's second goal with six minutes to go put the game to bed. Here, Mirror Football looks at the biggest talking points as Liverpool marched on.
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Liverpool march on
If it wasn't obvious before, it is now abundantly clear that this is Liverpool's title to lose. Tottenham has been a tricky place for the Reds to visit in past years, but Arne Slot passed his first Spurs test with flying colours.
Slot's side were utterly dominant on Sunday night, with Spurs never having more than a slight glimmer of a result. Their pressing made it difficult for Spurs to break out of their own half and much of the first period was attack versus defence.
Alisson was barely troubled in the Liverpool goal, while Spurs' defence was kept busy throughtout the game. Liverpool are now four points clear of second-place Chelsea, six ahead of third-place Arsenal and a whopping 12 clear of champions Manchester City, with a game in hand against all of those sides.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who was man of the match as Liverpool hammered Tottenham? Comment below.
Trent sends a message
Luis Diaz ensured Trent Alexander-Arnold got the credit he deserved for Liverpool's opener (
Image:
Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images2024 Liverpool FC)
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of three Reds stars to be out of contract in the summer. He sent a clear message to Liverpool chiefs that they have to prioritise his future with another starring performance in this win.
Up against Son Heung-Min, the Englishman successfully stifled the Spurs captain to prove his defensive credentials deserve more praise. But it was going forward where Alexander-Arnold unsurprisingly caught the eye.
He delivered an inch-perfect cross for Luis Diaz to open the scoring with a header 23 minutes in. With Real Madrid sniffing around, Liverpool need to act quickly if they are to keep hold of a player who is undoubtedly among the best right-backs in the world.
More questions for Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou's position appears to be increasingly tenuous (
Image:
Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Tottenham appeared to have little answer to Liverpool's powerful performance. The hosts had just two shots on target in the first-half, one of which was virtually gifted to them by Alexis Mac Allister's slip.
They were overwhelmed by Liverpool in the first-half and struggled to break out of their own third. The performance will only add to the questions being aimed at Ange Postecoglou for his stubborness over his side's style of play.
To cap that all off, it was the first time Spurs have conceded five goals at home for 10 years. The defeat means Spurs head into Christmas in the bottom half, nine points adrift of the top four, with the pressure on Postecoglou increasing.
Szoboszlai's standout day
Dominik Szoboszlai enjoyed a standout day for the Reds ( Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images2024 Liverpool FC)
Don't Miss
There were a number of impressive performers among Liverpool's squad but Dominik Szoboszlai was a standout. The midfielder was at the heart of everything the visitors did to subdue their opponents.
He played a key role in Mac Allister's goal, beating the challenges of Archie Gray and Djed Spence to head the ball into the path of the Argentine to nod home. He was again at the heart of things for his own strike.
After Alexander-Arnold's long ball forward, Szoboszlai again won the aerial challenge, this time against Radu Dragusin. He then continued his run forward before slotting in past Fraser Forster, to put the game to bed. He added another assist in the second-half for Salah to strike to round off his day.
Record-breaking Salah
At this point, it seems like Mohamed Salah sets a new record every week. His assist for Szoboszlai's goal ensured he became the first player to reach double figures for both goals and assists before Christmas in a Premier League season in the history of the competition.
He then added two more goals in the second-half to claim sole occupancy of fourth place in the list of Liverpool's all-time scorers and first place in this year's Golden Boot race. It has been a remarkable season for Salah and it is a sign of his talent that he played such a key role given his otherwise quiet performance.
Spurs left-back Djed Spence had the better of their one-on-one battles, but Salah still found a way to make an impact. The Egyptian has surely proven beyond all doubt that he is deserving of a new contract.
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