Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a dominant but chaotic 6-3 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday thanks to doubles from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah.
Diaz met Trent Alexander-Arnold’s beautiful cross with a diving header to open the scoring before Alexis Mac Allister nodded home from close range to double Liverpool’s lead, but James Maddison pulled one back four minutes before half-time.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored in added time and Salah netted twice in seven second-half minutes, before Dejan Kulusevski’s volley was followed by Dominic Solanke’s 83rd-minute goal to set up a frantic finish until Diaz made it 6-3 two minutes later.
Liverpool are top with 39 points from 16 games, four points above second-placed Chelsea who have played a game more. Spurs remain 11th, with 23 points from 17 games.
GOAL! Salah gets in on the act
GOAL! Salah doubles up in a rout
GOAL! Maddison pulls one back
GOAL! Mac Allister has Reds cruising
GOAL! Diaz heads home the opener
18:24 , Alex Young
96min: A true festive treat in north London!
No one stopping Liverpool this season.
18:19 , Alex Young
91min: Five minutes added on.
18:18 , Alex Young
89min: Both teams playing like they want another.
18:14
85min: Diaz fires low on the angle and it’s SIX for Liverpool!
18:11 , Alex Young
83min: Solanke pulls another back! What a ridiculous game of football.
18:11 , Alex Young
82min: Werner is on for Son.
18:08 , Alex Young
It’s a fifth game in a row with a goal for Kulusevski. It’s not the story but he is developing into a really consistent goalscorer.
The atmosphere has fallen a little flat but Spurs are still pushing forward, so there’s every chance of more goals in the final 10 minutes.
18:06 , Alex Young
77min: Diaz goes close with a lob after being sent over the top from Salah, but finds the roof of the net.
18:01 , Alex Young
72min: Kulusevski volleys home from inside the area. A cracker of a goal, but barely a celebration.
17:59 , Alex Young
70min: Liverpool play for Spurs to play around them for now, ready to pounce on the counter.
17:56 , Alex Young
68min: Gakpo and Mac Allister are off, Jota and Jones on.
17:52 , Alex Young
63min: A stunning save from Forster denies Alexander-Arnold from range.
Spurs are desperate for the final whistle, but still half an hour to play.
17:49 , Alex Young
61min: Salah slots home again and this is getting ugly for Spurs now.
17:48 , Alex Young
Spurs have not lost any of their previous seven defeats this season by more than a goal but that’s surely set to change this afternoon.
Liverpool are in the mood and Spurs’ makeshift back four is really wobbling. Postecoglou will want his side to keep trying to score but there is a danger the scoreline could get ugly.
17:46 , Alex Young
58min: Bergvall and Johnson are on, Sarr and Maddison make way.
17:45 , Alex Young
57min: It should be five as Szoboszlai runs through, rounds Forster but finds the side netting.
17:43 , Alex Young
54min: That’ll do it!
Liverpool are lining up to finish off Spurs, with Salah on hand at the back post after a sublime counterattack.
This team is something else.
17:41 , Alex Young
I think it’s fair to say that Spurs haven’t got many breaks from referee Sam Barrott this afternoon.
In the first half, Alexander-Arnold carelessly bundled over Maddison on the edge of the box, before Son was impeded by a grounded Szoboszlai from getting to the ball in a great position, and they have already been on the wrong end of a couple of tight calls since the interval.
Liverpool fans, of course, will remember last season’s VAR controversy in this fixture.
17:40 , Alex Young
52min: Salah tries to stand up Spence, but the full-back wins this round.
17:39 , Alex Young
50min: Solanke turns Van Dijk on the edge of the area but his shot is weak and straight at Alisson.
17:36 , Alex Young
48min: Salah tries to find the run of Gakpo into the area, but puts a little too much on it.
17:34 , Alex Young
46min: Back underway. No changes.
17:32 , Alex Young
This second half almost feels like damage limitation for Spurs now. They can’t concede four at home again.
17:28 , Alex Young
You wonder if Spurs could have sat back to see out the half at 2-1, with the momentum in their favour, but that’s not the Postecoglou way of course.
17:21 , Alex Young
Spurs second-best throughout, and tiring, with Liverpool able to step up through the gears with ease.
The best team in the country, by a distance.
17:18 , Alex Young
48min: There’s the whistle!
17:17 , Alex Young
46min: Spurs cannot hold on until half-time! Salah feeds in Szoboszlai, who ghosts in behind Gray to slot home.
17:15 , Alex Young
It’s an excellent finish from Maddison, going between two Liverpool defenders to disguise his strike from Alisson.
I don’t think Liverpool can have any complaints about Kulusevski’s press on Mac Allister. It was just a poor touch from the Argentine, which allowed Spurs to turnover the ball.
17:14 , Alex Young
42min: A little bit of hope for Spurs, who have offered very little.
17:13 , Alex Young
41min: Out of nothing, Spurs pull one back! Maddison bends one home from the edge of the area.
Mac Allister is claming a foul in the build-up, but there’s nothing in it.
17:11 , Alex Young
Spurs have looked like a side missing both starting centre-backs and the goalkeeper today. A floaty cross caused mayhem and Mac Allister had a simple finish with his head
This now feels like a massive uphill climb for a jaded Spurs against the league leaders but never take anything for granted with Postecoglou’s side.
17:10 , Alex Young
39min: Son gets his first sight of goal, collecting the ball in the area on the turn but shoots wildly wide.
17:07 , Alex Young
36min: A long way back from Spurs now!
Mac Allister beats Forster in the area to head home after the Spurs defence fail to deal with a cross.
17:06 , Alex Young
35min: Fantastic ball by Sarr sends Maddison scampering towards the penalty area, but Gomez is there is tackle the midfielder immediately.
Smart defending.
17:03 , Alex Young
Spurs haven’t matched the intensity of their recent first halves against Manchester City, Chelsea and Man United so far, and are clinging on a bit against a really slick Liverpool side.
As Postecoglou has emphasised, a lot of these players have played too much football recently and it looks like it so far this afternoon.
17:02 , Alex Young
31min: First booking of the game goes to Gakpo for a wild lunge on Bissouma.
17:00 , Alex Young
29min: It’s floated in, headed clear by Dragusin but the ball immediately comes back in and Spurs take one, two, three attempts to clear.
16:59 , Alex Young
28min: Spurs fans singing songs about Postecoglou as Liverpool line up a free kcik from deep.
16:58 , Alex Young
27min: Dragusin almost finds Maddison’s run through the defence, but a little too much spice on the ball.
16:57 , Alex Young
26min: Diaz carves open a space for another pop, but this time Forster is right behind it for a smart save to his right.
16:56 , Alex Young
Perhaps Sarr or Dragusin should have got tighter to Diaz there but I’m not sure how much Spurs could have done about that goal.
Just a phenonemal cross from Alexander-Arnold and a great striker’s finish by Diaz. Liverpool ahead and they deserve it on the balance of play.
16:53 , Alex Young
23min: It was coming! Alexander-Arnold puts a delicious cross right on Diaz’s head to nod home unmarked.
16:52 , Alex Young
20min: Huge boos around the ground as Son is tripped by Szoboszlai but the referee isn’t interested and then Liverpool go up the other end and almost score.
Looked a bit soft.
16:49 , Alex Young
19min: Salah is getting closer! He holds off Spence and Gray to beat Forster from close range, but not the woodwork.
16:48 , Alex Young
18min: Salah gets two bits of the cherry, both times hitting Spence inside the area.
16:47 , Alex Young
16min: As I type that, Sarr tries his luck from 30 yards which bobbles wide.
16:46 , Alex Young
15min: Diaz does well to get rid of Porro, cut inside and find Gakpo to blaze over.
Liverpool are making these half-chances, Spurs are not at the moment.
16:44 , Alex Young
13min: Alexander-Arnold is seeing plenty of the ball down the right, as expected. Liverpool looking for him time and again.
16:41 , Alex Young
10min: First shot on goal and it falls to Salah on the stretch to fling a leg at Alexander-Arnold’s smart, looping cross.
Forster makes himself big and saves.
16:41 , Alex Young
The problem with reporting on Spurs is that every time you think there is a natural break in play to type something out or consult social media, something happens. Postecoglou’s side restart every dead ball so quickly and Slot’s Liverpool are no slouches.
16:40 , Alex Young
9min: Maddison is shoved over by Alexander-Arnold near the penalty area, but the referee isn’t interested. Looked clumsy, that.
16:39 , Alex Young
8min: A tame start to the game, which is probably a good thing for Spurs.
16:37 , Alex Young
6min: Alexander-Arnold whips it in, Solanke clears.
16:36 , Alex Young
5min: Porro hits the deck after being hit by the ball, conceding a corner in the process.
He’ll be fine.
16:35 , Alex Young
4min: Diaz sends a low drive wide from the edge of the area.
Liverpool pushing Spurs high up.
16:34 , Alex Young
3min: Forster boots the ball straight to Salah in the penalty area, who takes a touch and finds the side netting.
Not a good start after his midweek mistakes.
16:32 , Alex Young
2min: Spence and Gray both getting early touches on the ball. Salah will be giving them plenty to think about today.
16:30 , Alex Young
1min: Here we go!
16:29 , Alex Young
Right then, this should be a corker.
16:26 , Alex Young
Here come the teams.
16:21 , Alex Young
“We’ve prepared in the best possible way. They have beaten some very good clubs here and lost to some very good clubs, when they deserved more.
“They are so intense, and they not afraid to take risks so when they take the ball off you they are an immeidate threat.”
16:17 , Alex Young
Not long to go now. Final drills have taken place and the players are heading back to the dressing rooms.
16:04 , Alex Young
Dan checks in.
16:00 , Alex Young
Dominic Solanke says the Tottenham squad love Ange Postecoglou’s unique style of play and are convinced it can end the club’s trophy drought.
“Ange is very unique in the way he plays and we love it. The way he plays, it suits us,” Solanke told the PA news agency at Tottenham’s One Hotspur Junior Christmas party earlier this week.
“It is a great style, especially for me being a striker to play in. Like I said, we haven’t been consistent enough this season. We’ve just come off not the greatest run but I feel we’re building towards that consistency.
“We’re like a family, we all want to achieve the same thing and every day we’re on the training ground working towards our goals. Ultimately we want to win stuff and we’re all on the same wave length.
“We all back each other, all believe in each other, like I said, we’re all on the same page.
“In football there is always times when you are on top and when you have a bit of dip, but it’s about working on the negatives to get that steady flow going. I think it will definitely come.”
15:52 , Alex Young
Chelsea have just been held to a draw at Everton, meaning they miss the chance to go top. Great news for Liverpool ahead of kick-off.
15:50 , Alex Young
Spurs fans protesting Daniel Levy ahead of the game. Further protests expected during the game.
15:40 , Alex Young
No Chiesa again for Liverpool, which is not down to injury. He’s had a torrid time of it since joining.
15:37 , Alex Young
Is Mo Salah in line for a big day?
15:31 , Alex Young
It’s a case of as you were for Spurs, who name the same side who beat Manchester United in the Carabao Cup in midweek. Johnson and Udogie are on the bench.
For Liverpool, it’s one change for last week’s draw with Fulham as Mac Allister comes in for Jones.
15:23 , Alex Young
Tottenham XI: Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Son
Subs: Austin, Reguilon, Udogie, Dorrington, Bergvall, Olusesi, Werner, Johnson, Lankshear
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo
Subs: Kelleher, Tsimikas, Quansah, Endo, Jones, Elliott, Nyoni, Nunez, Jota
15:16 , Alex Young
…and the hosts!
15:16 , Alex Young
Here’s how the visitors look.
15:07 , Alex Young
Team news is imminent. Will Udogie be fit, does Maddison get sacrificed for more defensive solidity?
Does Nunez get the nod for Liverpool? Robertson is also a doubt.
15:03 , Alex Young
Lovely day for it.
14:55 , Alex Young
iverpool head coach Arne Slot hopes Tottenham counterpart Ange Postecoglu’s bold attacking style is rewarded with a trophy.
Postecoglu’s brand of football has earned him plaudits and criticism, sometimes at the same time, as was evident in Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Manchester United when they almost squandered a 3-0 lead in their quarter-final tie.
Slot is a fan and believes the Australian is right to stick to his footballing principles despite the ongoing scrutiny
“I think Ange Postecoglou gives them that identity back completely. Every time it’s a joy to watch them,” said the Reds boss.
“Sometimes results once in a while go against them, but I think they were one of the teams that beat (Manchester) City, like us, and not all (teams) beat them in the manner like we and Tottenham did.
“It’s great work that Ange is doing over there. I hope this has been seen a bit more.
“I also hope that he wins a trophy – not the League Cup – but I’m completely a fan of his team for the Europa League because people always talk about trophies, trophies, trophies (and) that it’s so important.
“For his brand of football and his style, it is so much more important and if he can combine that with winning something that would be so good for football in general because people can stop talking about it’s too attacking or whatever.
“How on earth can you play too attacking football? I think it is a privilege to be a season ticket holder at Tottenham because they play such a great style and it’s not like since Ange arrived they don’t win anything any more.”
14:43 , Alex Young
We all remember what happened last season when Luis Diaz’s goal at Tottenham was incorrectly ruled out by VAR.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has admitted a “significant human error” led to the mistake.
Replays showed Cristian Romero had played the Colombian winger on however, and VAR officials Darren England and Dan Cook sent a “check complete” message to on-field referee Simon Hooper having wrongly assumed the goal had been given.
Liverpool threatened to “escalate” the issue and, then the audio footage of the incident was released to show the officials realising their mistake moments too late, with it decided that they could not go back and award the goal after the game had restarted.
Jurgen Klopp, remarkably, then called for the game to be replayed.
14:33 , Alex Young
Spurs have raised their game in some of the bigger matches this season but Liverpool look a step above.
Spurs are one of the leakiest defences in the league and that’s a problem when a team like Liverpool come to town.
Liverpool to win, 3-1.
14:21 , Alex Young
Liverpool are boosted by the availability of Andy Roberston today.
Roberston was sent off in last weekend’s 2-2 draw against Fulham but served his one-game suspension in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley remain sidelined but Arne Slot was boosted by the return of Federico Chiesa and Kostas Tsimikas in Wednesday’s 2-1 win against Southampton.
Slot was able to rest key players at St Mary’s and all of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Ryan Gravenberch are in line to return.
Diogo Jota is pushing for a start in attack after scoring off the bench last weekend.
On the latest on Konate and Bradley, Slot said on Friday: “These are the two that are still ‘in the red’, so they don’t train with us at the moment. They are on their way back but they don’t train with the team yet.
“The main thing is that if they come back, they are ready to come back and we must not focus on one, two or three days. It’s more important for the long term that they stay fit afterwards.”
Ryan Gravenberch and Darwin Nunez are both one yellow card away from a ban.
14:15 , Alex Young
Tottenham are set to be boosted by the return of Destiny Udogie, who missed Thursday’s dramatic 4-3 Carabao Cup win over Manchester United after coming off in last weekend’s 5-0 win against Southampton.
Udogie’s return would give Postecoglou a decision over who to play as his full-backs after Djed Spence impressed against Southampton and United.
Spurs remain without Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies so Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray will continue at centre-back.
Timo Werner missed the United game due to illness.
Speaking on Friday morning, Postecoglou said: “Timo was unwell yesterday, Udogie was out before the game and we hope they will be okay.”
Asked for an update on Mikey Moore, Postecoglou said: “No, no. he hasn’t been involved [in training]. We’ll need to get at least a couple of weeks’ training into Mikey.”
There could be a recall for Brennan Johnson, who came on as a substitute on Thursday.
Yves Bissouma is available again in the Premier League after he missed the Southampton game through suspension.
14:07 , Alex Young
TV channel: The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Coverage starts at 4pm GMT ahead of a 4.30pm kick-off time.
Live stream: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Sky Go app.
14:03 , Alex Young
Good afternoon and welcome to the Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between Tottenham and Liverpool.
Spurs re looking to make it three wins in a week after beating Southampton and Manchester United, but their records against the table-topping Reds is a lot to be desired.
Kick-off is at 4.30pm. Stick with us.
