Match report: Liverpool 4-3 Tottenham
Andy Hunter’s report has arrived, so I’m off to watch the snooker. Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight.
Liverpool reaction
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Crazy. What a game. It was a fantastic end to the game, stuff that you want to see to be honest. It wasn’t so much relief [when Jota scored], just celebration. You go from disappointment to sheer joy in a couple of a minutes.
We were all over them in the first 15 minutes. That was our gameplan. But there’s a lot of stuff we need to learn. We can’t be almost drawing 3-3 when we’re 3-0 up; that’s not what top sides do.
It’s not just my position that has changed, it’s everyone’s. There’s still things to learn but we’re enjoying our football. We need to see it through to the end of the season.
Diogo Jota
We made it hard for ourselves but in the end it’s a day to remember for the people in the stands and for me. Getting the winner is always special.
I don’t think we’ve ]won four games in a row] before this season. It feels great and we just need to keep going.
🗣️ "From disappointment to sheer joy in a matter of minutes. It's an outstanding way to finish a game." 👏
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 30, 2023
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota react to a CRAZY 90 minutes of football 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7kJmep83d9
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“The second Newcastle 4-3 is a great point for comparison,” says Niall Mullen. “As today the Reds had all of the attacking talent and no defensive solidity. That said, I doubt Allison will ever give a performance as truly abysmal as David James did that night.”
He doesn’t have a PlayStation.
As Yash Gupta points out, Lucas Moura hasn’t had the greatest time on Merseyside this season. He lasted six minutes at Goodison Park before getting a straight red card, and I think his unwitting assist for Jota was his first touch today.
“Shades of Liverpool v Newcastle in 1997!” says Duncan Roberts.
Ah yes, good point. Everyone forgets that game for obvious reasons.
Liverpool go above Spurs and into fifth after a preposterous match. Spurs were 3-0 down in 15 minutes and looked a total shambles. But then Kane scored, Son scored and Richarlison scored in injury time. It looked like one of the great comebacks – until Lucas Moura presented the ball to Diogo Jota, who punished him with extreme prejudice.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 32 | 54 | 76 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 33 | 40 | 75 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 33 | 34 | 65 |
| 4 | Man Utd | 32 | 10 | 63 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 33 | 23 | 56 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 34 | 6 | 54 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 34 | 4 | 54 |
| 8 | Brighton | 31 | 21 | 52 |
| 9 | Brentford | 34 | 8 | 50 |
| 10 | Fulham | 33 | 0 | 45 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 34 | -10 | 40 |
| 12 | Chelsea | 32 | -5 | 39 |
| 13 | AFC Bournemouth | 34 | -28 | 39 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton | 34 | -21 | 37 |
| 15 | West Ham | 33 | -10 | 34 |
| 16 | Leeds | 34 | -24 | 30 |
| 17 | Nottm Forest | 34 | -32 | 30 |
| 18 | Leicester | 33 | -13 | 29 |
| 19 | Everton | 33 | -25 | 28 |
| 20 | Southampton | 34 | -32 | 24 |
Updated
Full time: Liverpool 4-3 Tottenham
Well that was fun.
90+7 min Now Ryan Mason is giving the fourth official a bit of a mouthful, though not quite as in your face as Klopp. He was booked by the way.
Liverpool have snatched it! It’s a nightmare for the substitute Lucas Moura, who tried to cushion the ball infield to Romero and instead gave it straight to Diogo Jota. He surged into the area, in the inside-left channel, and rifled a brilliant low shot across Forster. In the circumstances that was a nerveless finish.
Klopp celebrated by giving the fourth official a mouthful, and then pulled his hamstring! Pure comedy.
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GOAL! Liverpool 4-3 Spurs (Jota 90+4)
Oh my goodness!
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Of all the gin joints in all the world, Richarlison has scored his first Premier League goal for Spurs at Anfield. Son curled a superb inswinging free-kick towards Richarlison, who stooped to head the ball as Nunez’s studs flew towards his face. He didn’t time the header at all – I think he took his eye off the ball - but because of that it went straight into the ground and bounced over Alisson!
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GOAL! Liverpool 3-3 Spurs (Richarlison 90+3)
This is bonkers.
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90+2 min Davies is off the field receiving treatment for a cut lip.
90+1 min Milner is booked for a rustic challenge on Kane.
90+1 min Davies goes down holding his face after a challenge from Salah. Liverpool are furious, and Klopp lies down on the floor for some reason. It was a foul, a whack to the face, albeit accidental.
90+1 min Six minutes of added time.
90 min: Spurs substitution x2 Lucas Moura and Arnaut Danjuma replace Pedro Porro and Ivan Perisic.
89 min The free-kick is punched away by Alisson.
89 min “If a team was able to combine the first half performances of Manchester United with the second half performances of Tottenham, they might be able to keep up with City,” says Ian James. “What to do with the leftover halves is another question - though Chelsea might be interested.”
88 min Liverpool are a bag of nerves. Salah fouls Davies on the Spurs left, which allows the centre-backs to go forward for the free-kick…
86 min No penalty! I suppose that’s fair enough on the grounds that it wasn’t a clear and obvious error, but Konate is a bit fortunate.
86 min: Liverpool substitution James Milner replaces Curtis Jones.
86 min Richarlison made a meal of it, no doubt, but Konate was on the wrong side and wrapped his arms round him.
85 min Richarlison goes down in the area after being held back by Konate. This might be given by VAR.
84 min: Spurs substitution Richarlison replaces Oliver Skipp, who is bleeding but seems fine.
83 min Skipp is still being treated. Jurgen Klopp is enjoying a chat with Ivan Perisic on the touchline.
82 min It was pretty nasty, that. The ball bounced between the two players and Jota, though trying to play the ball, ended up studding Skipp in the face. A booking is probably right, though had he received a red card I don’t think VAR would have overturned it.
81 min Jota is booked for a high foot on Skipp. It’s drawn blood, in fact, and Skipp is being treated.
79 min The replays we’ve seen don’t show a clear push from Alexander-Arnold, so I think that was the right decision. Just before that Konate made a desperate lunging tackle on Skipp in the box. He got the ball, and it’s a good thing he did.
79 min Hojbjerg heads Porro’s cross well wide, but he’s convinced he was pushed over by Alexander-Arnold. I’d like to see that again.
This is a lovely goal. Romero, near the halfway line, clipped an excellent pass over the top, which Son controlled magnificently on the half turn. That put him through on goal, and he calmly slid a low shot past Alisson’s left foot.
There was a check for offside but the timing of the run and the pass were immaculate.
Son gets another one back... GAME ON!!! 🎮 pic.twitter.com/wTcFIHUkQ7
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 30, 2023
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 3-2 Spurs (Son 77)
Now. Then.
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76 min Nothing much is happening, hence the below filler. Liverpool have kept the ball well in the last 15 minutes or so, even if they haven’t done a great deal with it.
75 min As things stand Liverpool are fifth, which equals their highest position this season. You’d have got decent odds on that when they overran Manchester City in the Community Shield.
74 min Nunez has gone to the left wing, with Jota moving infield.
73 min: Liverpool substitution Darwin Nunez replaces Cody Gakpo, who had a good day and played a big part in the second and third goals.
73 min Liverpool continue to probe until Van Dijk, 40 yards from goal, mistakes himself for Arie Haan. Goalkick to Spurs.
70 min Alexander-Arnold’s long-range shot is headed away, I think by Davies; then Konate is booked for a tactical foul on Son.
Updated
69 min Lots of Liverpool possession now. It’s not completely clear what Spurs are to, because they’ve spent most of the last 10 minutes on the back foot.
68 min After a very dodgy spell either side of half time, Liverpool are looking comfortable again.
67 min: Spurs substitution Pape Sarr replaces Dejan Kulusevski, which means a switch to 5-3-2.
66 min A looping header from Jota lands on the roof of the net, though Forster had it covered.
65 min “Right now,” says Matt Dony, “I’m on the Kop with my son for the first time. He’s unbelievably excited, and I’m feeling unbearably emotional because of it. I’m from west Wales, a long way from Liverpool. My connection to the club is largely arbitrary. But that doesn’t matter. It means a lot to me, and now it means a lot to my son. Football is amazing. And right now, the world is a slightly better place.”
The first home game is one of life’s more beautiful rites of passage, isn’t it. He’ll remember the date forever.
Updated
63 min: Double substitution for Liverpool Diogo Jota and Jordan Henderson replace Luis Diaz, who reminded everyone of his abundant class with a fine goal, and the ever-perky Harvey Elliott.
62 min A few minutes of peace for Liverpool. Jordan Henderson is about to come on.
59 min “I don’t know which mystery is a bigger one,” says Admir Pajic. “That this Spurs team have lost so many games this season yet are still in the mix for the top four or that this Spurs team have done the double on that wonderful Brighton team.”
59 min Liverpool, who did as they pleased for 40 minutes, are now really struggling to keep the ball. It’s a bizarre match.
57 min: Good save from Alisson! Porro sizzles a dipping long-range strike that is tipped over acrobatically by Alisson. It’s all Spurs!
Updated
54 min: Now Romero hits the other post! Two near missed for Spurs. Kane curled a cross from the left towards Romero, and no I’ve no idea what he was doing up there. It came at an awkward height, a few yards in front of his body, so Romero improvised a volley on the stretch. The ball drifted back across in goal in slow motion, with Alisson unmoved, and bounced off the post.
Updated
54 min: Son hits the post! This one would definitely have counted. Kulusevski waved a pass infield with the outside of his left foot, which Son collected 25 yards from goal. He cut across Konate and curled a lovely shot that beat the diving Alisson and clattered off the base of the post.
Updated
51 min Son is booked for a foul on Gakpo.
50 min There are a few nerves at Anfield, and the next goal is a big one.
I was going to write ‘the next goal, if there is one’, but you know.
49 min “If there are any doubts about the global reach of football, here’s a display honoring Messi at this year’s Thrissur Pooram, a huge Hindu festival in the Indian state of Kerala,” writes Kári Tulinius. “I realise this has little to do with this match, but some of your readers need a bit of joyful distraction just about now.”
Some?
Scenes from Thrissur pooram, Kerala 👀 #Messi #Kerala #ThrissurPooram #Football pic.twitter.com/4JRzv0zGGC
— Abdul Rahiman Masood (@abdulrahmanmash) April 30, 2023
48 min Here’s that Luis Diaz goal by the way, the best of Liverpool’s three in the first half. It’s such a good finish.
LUIS DIAZ, 2-0! 👀👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/FISbwhYcug
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 30, 2023
46 min Peep peep! Harvey Elliott gets the second half under way.
“Liverpool might have stopped playing,” says Yash Gupta, “but that resurgence is down to Skipp upping his game and a few more passes from the front three. This season is gone but bring Sarr or Devine on. It wouldn’t hurt one bit in defensive terms since Hojbjerg is a traffic cone. Play youngsters, tell them to pass the ball and give an eff to caution. We conceded six anyway doing that.”
“Prime Van Dijk made the rest of the Liverpool defence more solid and confident,” says Dan Christmas, “and Present Van Dijk makes them so skittery/skitterish/skitting ducks. Time to move on?”
I’m not sure we’re at that stage yet, though his form is a worry and he turns 32 in July. It doesn’t help that the full-backs have also been jittery this season. Even so, he needs to start next season well. But I suppose you can say that about most of the Liverpool regulars.
Half-time reading
Half time: Liverpool 3-1 Spurs
That’s the end of a frankly weird first half. Liverpool strolled into a 3-0 lead inside 15 minutes through Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz and Mo Salah, and Spurs looked like they were having a collective breakdown.
The next 25 minutes were a non-event, and then Spurs’ front three came to life just before half-time. Son Heung-min had a shot cleared off the line, Harry Kane scored a good volley and then Son hit the post (although he might have been offside).
45+3 min Robertson’s corner is met by Van Dijk, whose header hits Skipp and goes behind. Van Dijk thinks there was a possible handball; Paul Tierney does not.
44 min Son hits the post with a beautiful left-footed curler from the edge of the area. The flag went up after he had taken the shot, though it was really close so any goal might have counted.
Updated
43 min All of a sudden Spurs are rampant. What a bizarre game.
41 min: Another chance for Spurs! Robertson loses the ball in a dangerous area to Kulusevski. He runs to the edge of the area, cuts across Van Dijk and scuffs a low shot that Alisson saves with his left foot. It was a good stop because his weight was going the other way. I bet he’s good at Twister.
Updated
41 min Jurgen Klopp was fuming and started punching the air after the goal. Liverpool had stopped playing, basically.
It was a really good goal too. Skipp’s early pass released Perisic on the left, with Alexander-Arnold caught infield. Perisic cut inside Van Dijk, who slid towards the wrong fire, and lofted a cross to the unmarked Kane in the middle. He contorted his body to slap a volley through the legs of Alisson. Excellent finish.
Perisic sent Van Dijk for a hot dog 👀😵💫 pic.twitter.com/0cKiMdJYyr
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 30, 2023
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Spurs (Kane 40)
Harry Kane has got one back.
Updated
39 min: Off the line by Van Dijk! Robertson miscontrols the ball and is robbed by Kane, who puts Son through on goal. Son moves onto his right foot and drives a low shot that beats Alisson and is kicked clear by Van Dijk in the six-yard box.
Updated
37 min This is the relevant part of the league table as things stand.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Man Utd | 32 | 10 | 63 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 33 | 25 | 56 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 34 | 4 | 54 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 34 | 4 | 54 |
35 min Diaz is fine.
35 min “I think the cheering when Spurs managed a few passes was from the Kop,” says Paul Shields. “I was at the game in 1978 (aged 14) when we whooped them 7-0. We started feeling sorry for them near the end and would cheer every time they got the ball (and booed Liverpool when they inevitably won it back). That was the season they signed the two Argentinians btw. Great players, but not in this game.”
Terry McDermott’s goal in that game was wonderful. It’s rare to see a goal that would have been enjoyed equally by Johan Cruyff and Charles Hughes.
34 min Diaz is receiving treatment after a forceful challenge from Skipp. He doesn’t seem particularly worried.
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32 min Robertson’s cross is headed wide by Elliott, under pressure from Davies. This game was over after 15 minutes, arguably after five, and as a result Liverpool are struggling to produce the desired intensity. It has the feel of a friendly at the moment.
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30 min “I’d take issue with Mary Waltz,” says Martin Gamage. “I don’t think Spurs have packed it in. They’re a collection of players that have lost all form and confidence. Most worryingly, there is not one Spurs player that has improved this season. Most have got far, far worse.”
It’s like a collective professional depression. I feel a bit sorry for them.
29 min Pedro Porro tries to change the mood by shooting from inside his own half. It doesn’t have the legs and Alisson nonchalantly controls it on the chest.
29 min Kane makes a mess of a one on one, trying and failing to find Son to his left, though he was subsequently flagged offside.
26 min “Arsenal fan here,” says Harry Christie. “I’d like to thank Spurs (and Chelsea) for their commitment to neighbourly support in this trying time.”
I wonder when all three were in quite such wretched form.
24 min The game in miniature. Kane dithers for ages, 35 yards from his own goal, and has his pocket picked by Salah. The home fans loved that, because Kane had no idea Salah was behind him.
22 min Salah, with no backlift, curls a few yards wide from the edge of the area. Liverpool haven’t even had to play that well – this has not been one of those ferocious, overwhelming Liverpool performances.
22 min “Alex (17 min) has a point,” says Joe Pearson. “I spent almost 40 years with one company when I could have probably done better for myself by being a bit more mercenary. Inertia is quite powerful. The devil you know, and all that.”
I wouldn’t kn-oh.
21 min A rare Spurs attack ends with Son crossing too close to Alisson.
21 min “This is a classic example of a team that has packed it in and is thinking more about off-season golf instead of football,” says Mary Waltz. “Sad.”
20 min Imagine the expression on Antonio Conte’s face as he considers this scoreline.
18 min Gakpo’s shot hits Davies and spins behind for a corner. Spurs
17 min “So,” says Alex Whitney, “let’s make a (brief) list of reasons for Kane to stay at this shambles erm I mean Spurs past this summer:
Inertia
...
“Welcoming additions from MBMers and pedants.”
16 min Some Spurs fans have already buggered off. In the first quarter of their last two away games, Spurs have conceded nine goals. In 38 minutes.
16 min “Howdy Rob,” writes Niall Mullen. “I’ll tell you what, Trent and Curtis Jones are like two new midfield signings. Probably no need for any incomings in the summer. Yours, J Henry, Boston (MA).”
GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Spurs (Salah 15 pen)
Mo Salah has missed his last two penalties – but there’s relatively little pressure on this one, and he curls it nonchalantly down the middle. That’s his 184th goal in 300 games.
Updated
Oh good lord. Gakpo collects a loose ball just inside the area and is wiped out by Romero. An absurd lunge and a clear penalty.
14 min: PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL!
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13 min “Say what you like about Spurs,” says Phil Moseley, “but they are the only club you can watch for free if you travel to their away games.”
12 min Elliott slides a fine pass through to Gakpo in the area. He tries to chop back inside Romero and is well challenged. But this is pretty wretched from Spurs.
11 min That was Trent Alexander-Arnold’s sixth assist in April. Crikey.
10 min Liverpool have multiple problems but a forward line ain’t one. When all five are fit, Jurgen Klopp has so many brilliant options.
9 min “Conte was 100 per cent when he said the players and organisation are to blame for the state of Spurs,” says Jeff Sax. “No manager will change that.”
7 min “Afternoon, Bobby!” says Ian Copestake. “Am listening via the media of radio, like the wireless? Loving the atmosphere. Long live old technologies!”
Tell it to a carrier pigeon mate.
Updated
Luis Diaz has scored on his first start since October. It was far too easy for Liverpool, even if it was a brilliant finish. Salah played in the underlapping Gakpo, who cut the ball back towards Diaz at the near post. The ball was slightly behind him, but he improvised brilliantly – with both feet just off the ground – to crack a volley to the left of Forster.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Spurs (Diaz 5)
Lads. LADS!
Updated
Curtis Jones has volleyed Liverpool ahead inside three minutes. It was made by Trent Alexander-Arnold, who wandered over to the inside-right channel and curled a languid first-time cross beyond the far post. Jones, peculiarly unmarked, sidefooted a crisp half volley past Forster from six yards.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Spurs (Jones 3)
That didn’t take long.
Updated
1 min Peep peep! Dejan Kulusevski has the first kick of the game.
It’s a big day for Mo Salah, who plays his 300th game for Liverpool. That 3-3 draw at Watford can’t be six years ago, surely.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 30, 2023
“Spurs’ chance of a top-four finish was over when they drew with Everton after being up against 10 men,” says Yash Gupta. “That match was also the end of Stellini and Conte (who had gone but remained through his staff) and Lucas Moura. Nothing this season has baffled more than Lucas Moura, out of contract in the summer, getting picked ahead of Danjuma and before that Bryan Gil, who really started to play well before being shipped off.”
Match report: Man Utd 1-0 Aston Villa
Lads. LADS!
Can Tottenham turn their fortunes around at Anfield? 😬 pic.twitter.com/vbxHw7pjBD
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 30, 2023
Match report: Newcastle 3-1 Southampton
Our Trent has an exciting new project, and I don’t mean moonlighting in central midfield.
Premier League results (2pm games)
Bournemouth 4-1 Leeds
Fulham 1-2 Man City
Man Utd 1-0 Aston Villa
Newcastle 3-1 Southampton
The bad news for Liverpool and Spurs is that Newcastle and Manchester United won, so Champions League qualification looks even more unlikely than it did this morning. The good news is that Aston Villa lost, so one of these teams will be fifth in the table at sundown.
Oh, just one more thing: Manchester City have gone top of the league.
Thirteen Premier League starts, six goals: he’s doing pretty well.
Spurs’ last six away results: 1-6, 1-1, 3-3, 0-1, 0-1, 0-1, 1-4
Updated
Team news: Jota, Richarlison on the bench.
Three changes for Liverpool. Ibrahima Konate, Harvey Elliott and Luis Diaz replace Joel Matip, Jordan Henderson and Diogo Jota, who are all on the bench.
And two changes for Spurs. Ben Davies and Dejan Kulusevski come in for Clement Lenglet and Richarlison, who are also among the subs.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Fabinho, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Substitutes: Kelleher, Gomez, Milner, Henderson, Jota, Tsimikas, Nunez, Carvalho, Matip.
Spurs (5-2-3) Forster; Porro, Romero, Dier, Davies, Perisic; Hojbjerg, Skipp; Kulusevski, Kane, Son.
Substitutes: Danjuma, Austin, Sanchez, Tanganga, Lenglet, Sarr, Devine, Lucas, Richarlison.
Referee Paul Tierney.
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. When these two met at Anfield a year ago, the Premier League title and Champions League qualification were at stake, and a fascinating 1-1 draw may have ultimately cost Liverpool the championship.
This year, the stakes are more modest. There’s an outside chance of a top-four finish – and they each have an encouraging precedent in the last two seasons – but one team would probably need to win every remaining game. A Europa League place, awarded to those who come fifth and sixth, is a more realistic target.
Liverpool have won their last three matches, and another victory today would move them above Spurs for the first time in this peculiar season*. Spurs have lost eight points, a manager and a fair bit of dignity in their last three games, though they recovered well to draw with Manchester United on Thursday.
Logic says Liverpool will win a high-scoring game. These two haven’t really dealt in logic this season, have they.
Kick off 4.30pm.
* I think
