Liverpool got back to winning ways in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon by beating Tottenham 2-1 in North London.
The pressure was on Jurgen Klopp's side after back-to-back domestic defeats to relegation candidates Nottingham Forest and Leeds, yet a brace from Mohamed Salah secured the points. Harry Kane did pull one back for Spurs, but they couldn't get a second.
A lot of the talk before the game centred around Trent Alexander-Arnold and whether he should be included in England's squad for the World Cup. After Sunday's performance, it's fair to say the Liverpool right-back's hopes remain firmly in the balance.
Alexander-Arnold has been rather harshly described as a Champions League attacker but a Championship defender by some critics. That argument gained strength after Sunday, as the England international mixed the sublime with the shocking against Antonio Conte's side.
The 24-year-old played an incredible diagonal pass in the seventh minute. He barely looked up and hit a first-time ball into the path of Darwin Nunez on the left flank, later repeating the feat. Few current Premier League players are capable of doing it even once.
Alexander-Arnold's second pass was accompanied by a worrying gasp from the Tottenham crowd. It's not often a visiting player stuns the home fans, yet the Liverpool star's magic right foot achieved that feat. It's just a shame about his defending.
What did you make of Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance against Tottenham? Let us know in the comments below!
Alexander-Arnold was all over the place at the back. Early on, he gave the ball to Ivan Perisic, pushed Ryan Sessegnon to the floor and was lucky not to give away a penalty. Sessegnon then rinsed him in the 27th minute and he was lucky not to concede.
Sessegnon tormented Alexander-Arnold throughout the game and has thrown his name into the hat for a World Cup spot, as Ben Chilwell is out of the tournament with a hamstring injury. At the same time, he could've ended Alexander-Arnold's dwindling hopes.
Spurs legends return
Tottenham fans will struggle to forget Victor Wanyama's memorable thunderbolt against Liverpool in February 2018, when he lashed in a half-volley at Anfield that nearly broke the net. Thankfully, it found the back of the net and not an unsuspecting fan in the Kop!
The 31-year-old left Tottenham in March 2020 and now plays in the MLS with Montreal but was back in North London on Sunday to say hello to Spurs fans. His famous goal was played on the big screens to remind those from Merseyside of his destructive right foot.
Wanyama was interviewed by Tottenham's media team before kick-off and discussed his strike against the Reds. He admitted it was "the greatest goal" he's ever scored and insisted it "will live with me" for many years. Sadly, we didn't see a similar goal on Sunday.
Wanyama wasn't the only special guest in North London. Former Spurs captain Michael Dawson, who played more than 300 games for the club and won the League Cup in 2008, made an appearance at half-time to entertain those fans who didn't nip to the bar.
Conte/Klopp watch
It wasn't a particularly warm day in North London, yet Conte didn't need a coat. The Italian was at his animated best on the touchline, constantly jumping up and down - side to side - and rarely standing in his technical area. (Seriously, what is the point of those boxes?)
Klopp, meanwhile, went for his trademark big coat and reserved his energy for when he needed it - such as when he celebrated Salah's second goal. At that moment, the German looked at the travelling Liverpool fans and appeared to shout "get in". It was a moment which reaffirmed the close relationship between Klopp and the Reds.
