As it happened: LFC 2-2 Spurs

Premier League
Sunday 04 February 2018 - 4:30 pm
Anfield
Liverpool2
2Tottenham
Show Match Events
⚽️ Salah3'
Alexander-Arnold42'
Milner59'
Mane off, Oxlade-Chamberlain on ↔️64'
Henderson off, Wijnaldum on ↔️64'
68' Alli
71'↔️ Sánchez off, Lamela on
Milner off, Matip on ↔️78'
79'↔️ Dembélé off, Wanyama on
80'⚽️ Wanyama
90'⚽️ Kane
⚽️ Salah91'
Possession %
3466
Total Shots
912
Shots on Target
35
Shots Blocked
25
Offside
22
Hide Match Events

It's the 26th game of the Premier League season, entering the final third of the season.

Spurs and Liverpool face off at Anfield - with the reds keen to get some revenge for the October 22nd defeat at Wembley when the reds were stunned 4-1 and Dejan Lovren was hauled off before half time.

Several individual mistakes led to Liverpool on the wrong end of an unflattering scoreline.

But both clubs remain involved in the race for next season's Champions League qualification and today's game will have an important say in how the remaining race will play out.

As it happened...

15:26 UK
Big day in the top four race

Spurs and Liverpool are both in good Premier League form.  Liverpool have 12 points from the last 5 games - Spurs have 11.

And a win today for Spurs could see them leapfrog the reds into the top four with a 1 point advantage.

But if the reds get all three points then they would have a 5 point cushion over 5th placed Tottenham Hotspur.

A pivotal clash!

15:33 UK
Confirmed LFC team

Van Dijk comes in to replace Joel Matip.  Trent Alexander Arnold in for Joe Gomez, who misses out due to injury.

Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Lovren, Robertson, Milner, Henderson, Can, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Mignolet, ​Wijnaldum, Moreno, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ings, Solanke, Matip.

15:39 UK
And today's opponents...

Same starting XI for Spurs that beat Man Utd in midweek.  New signing Lucas Moura not yet ready for their matchday squad.

Lloris, Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Dembele, Eriksen, Dele, Son, Kane.

Subs: Vorm, Aurier, Wanyama, Llorente, Winks, Sissoko, Lamela

16:01 UK
Reds have been better since last Spurs defeat

Liverpool's 4-1 defeat against Spurs at Wembley earlier this season was a bit of a defensive horror show, but Lovren partners van Dijk for the first time today and will be hoping to make amends.

The reds have been the better side since that game though. 

Here's how the table looked after that game in October - the reds have won 9 more points than Spurs since.

16:10 UK
Goalscoring shoot-out?

Both Harry Kane (21 league goals) and Mo Salah (19 league goals) are in the starting line ups at Anfield today.

They are 1st and 2nd in the Premier League top goalscoring chart.  Roberto Firmino is currently in 7th place with his 11 goals.  A goal today would put him level with Jamie Vardy and Romelu Lukaku in 5th place.

16:19 UK
Pundits view

Graeme Souness suggests that Spurs are the favourites today, whilst Jamie Carragher says he would have preferred to have seen Wijnaldum or Oxlade-Chamberlain in the Liverpool midfield to provide some 'legs'.

16:27 UK
Teams are out

Anticipation is building at Anfield

16:30 UK
KICK OFF

We are underway at Anfield - 3rd v 5th.

Tottenham win the toss and Liverpool are kicking towards the Kop in the first half.

Just like the Man City game.

16:32 UK

No goals for Spurs after 11 seconds today. 

Spurs trying to draw the reds on to them so we could see a counter-attacking plan from them today.

16:34 UK
GOAL

2 minutes 20 seconds - Mo Salah with the opening goal - Erik Dier with a passback and Mo Salah intercepts for his 20th goal of the Premier League season.

1-0 to Liverpool

16:39 UK

8' Firmino working hard, as usual, no time or space for Spurs defenders as he is constantly there trying to win the ball back.

Liverpool midfield looking enterprising too early on - Spurs still trying to draw the reds out by playing the ball in their defensive third.

16:43 UK

11' Good chase by Mane who wins the ball on the wing but his final pass is cut out for a corner.

Corner is taken by Milner but Hugo Lloris catches it.

16:47 UK

15' A great start to the half for Liverpool who are looking on top here at Anfield.  Salah looks a constant menace and the midfield are attempting to give plenty of protection to the defence.

16:47 UK

17' Son turns inside the area and shoots but van Dijk is there with the slide to put it out for a corner.

From the corner - it goes backwards and then van Dijk heads the cross away to safety.

16:49 UK
Chance!

18' Great ball from Alexander Arnold who lifts it forward and finds Milner who shoots but Sanchez deflects it and it's a Liverpool corner. 

The Liverpool corner is headed away but then Alexander-Arnold shoots and Salah can't redirect it towards goal.

16:51 UK

20' End to end stuff.  Son breaks quickly but runs into traffic.  Replays are focusing on an aggresive challenge by Ben Davies on Trent Alexander Arnold.  Liverpool right back thankfully uninjured.

16:53 UK

22' Another lovely right sided cross from Alexander-Arnold - Firmino gets a bit of his head on it but not enough to trouble the Spurs goal.

Midway through the half - reds are on top.

16:54 UK

16:57 UK

26' Spurs with a couple of short goal kicks that seem pointless because Liverpool invariably press the ball either back or back for another goal kick. 

Clearly they want to expose the gap between Liverpool's defence and midfield with this tactic.  Hasn't worked for them so far.

17:03 UK

32' Salah fouled and Liverpool awarded a free kick. 

Ironic cheers for the Liverpool crowd.  Salah sends in the free kick and van Dijk gets his head on it - but it goes very high and doesn't cause any danger.

17:05 UK

And from another free kick - once again it finds van Dijk and this time his header is on target.  Hugo Lloris has to get down low to save that.

17:05 UK

33' Opportunity for Spurs.  Harry Kane sends in a through ball from the half-way line but Son is flagged for offside.  Have to admit - it looked close for the Spurs man.

17:09 UK

39' Another interception from Mane, who is having a good game.  This time he finds Firmino who finds himself in a similar position as his goal in midweek.  He opts for the pass this time and Spurs get it away for a corner.

Liverpool corner finds Salah at the near post but Spurs manage to get the ball away.

17:11 UK

Dembele with a half volley from the edge of the area but Karius is down quick and low to keep that shout out.

Good save by the Liverpool keeper.

17:14 UK

42' Alexander-Arnold gets his revenge on Ben Davies and gets a yellow card.  It was quite a high foot but he was going for the ball and catches Ben Davies' boot.

From the free kick Harry Kane can't reach the incoming ball and Karius catches it.

17:15 UK
Foul

44' Dembele takes Sadio Mane's legs away from him and Sadio spends a bit of time on the pitch.  Referee doesn't hand out a yelow card and the Liverpool attacker is back up on the pitch - a little bit peeved off.

17:18 UK
HALF TIME

A good half of football at Anfield

Liverpool 1-0 Spurs

The reds will probably think they should be more ahead but it's been a determined and strong performance so far from Liverpool.

Can Liverpool stay in the driving seat in this second half?

17:24 UK

Mo Salah is the fastest Liverpool player to reach 20 Premier League goals.  He's done it in just 25 games.

Salah 25 matches
Torres 27 matches
Sturridge 27 matches
Fowler 37 matches
Owen 39 matches

17:32 UK
Second half

Liverpool with the slender lead as the second half is underway.

17:41 UK
Chance for Salah

54' Great pressing by Henderson - it's a long raking pass to Salah - Emre Can is running down his side but Salah gets the pass all wrong and Spurs can clear.

17:45 UK
Brilliant from Karius

57' That was brave from the reds keeper - Son looked to be in and Karius spread himself well to stop a great chance from the Spurs man

17:47 UK
Yellow card

59' James Milner goes into the book for a foul on Kieran Trippier.

From the free kick Harry Kane gets his head on it but it's straight at Karius.

Tottenham having a better second half here.

17:50 UK

Oxlade Chamberlain and Wijnaldum both about to come on.

17:52 UK
Double sub

65' Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gini Wijnaldum are on.

Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson are off.

17:56 UK
Dele Alli booked

69' It's a bad dive by Dele Alli inside of the area.  Really poor and Dejan Lovren let him know it was.  Yellow card deserved. 

17:58 UK
Attacking sub

by Spurs. 

71' They've brought on Erik Lamela for Davison Sanchez as they search for an equaliser.

17:59 UK

18:07 UK

78' It's mostly Spurs here now - Liverpool make a final change - Joel Matip is on for the tiring James Milner.

Spurs make a change too.  Mousa Dembele goes off and on comes Victor Wanyama.

About to enter the final 10 minutes and Liverpool are trying to maintain a 1-0 lead.

18:08 UK
GOAL

80' That was coming lets face it.  Karius saves the first chance and then from 30 yards Wanyawa fires in a great shot.

No stopping that.  1-1.

18:13 UK
SAVED PENALTY

Karius saves the penalty from Harry Kane - which shouldn't have been awarded because he was offside!

18:18 UK
GOAL!!!

Mo Salah scores in STOPPAGE TIME

Liverpool 2-1 Spurs

 

18:22 UK
ANOTHER PENALTY FOR SPURS

And this time Kane scores. 2-2.

Looked one of the softest penalties you will see.

18:28 UK

Well well, that was some ending to the game.  From Spurs looking like they would win, to Liverpool taking the lead and then a second, soft, penalty for Spurs.

Spurs probably didn't deserve to lose, but they shouldn't be helped by the officials.



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