Liverpool moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League heading into Christmas after both Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah scored twice in a devastating 6-3 statement win at Tottenham on Super Sunday.
First-half goals from Diaz (23), Alexis Mac Allister (36) and Dominik Szoboszlai (45+1) put the Reds in full control, despite James Maddison (41) reducing the arrears.
Salah then took centre stage, set up both times by Szoboszlai for close-range finishes (54, 61), to put the game seemingly beyond doubt with half an hour still to play.
Dejan Kulusevski (72) and Dominic Solanke (83) responded to threaten the monster of all comebacks, but Diaz raced onto Salah’s pass to complete a memorable victory for Arne Slot’s side (85).
A tennis score at Tottenham means it’s advantage Liverpool in the title race.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has both scored and assisted 10+ goals in the Premier League this season (15 goals, 11 assists). With just 16 games played, this is the joint-quickest in terms of appearances by a player to hit double figures for both in a single campaign in the competition (also 16 by Harry Kane in 2020-21).
How Liverpool cemented Christmas No 1
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates with team-mates
It is the first time since 2020-21 Liverpool have sat top of the tree on December 25. They have only won the title in one of the last seven top-flight campaigns in which they’ve been top at Christmas – but the signs this year under Slot are ominous.
At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they ticked off another tough away assignment. They were confirmed as Christmas No 1 before kick-off following Chelsea’s goalless draw at Everton earlier on Sunday.
After Diaz’s strike in the corresponding fixture last season was infamously ruled out for offside, the Colombian would not be denied the opener this time by any VAR controversy.
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Luis Diaz heads Liverpool in front at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Nothing but a good process from the moment Trent Alexander-Arnold opened his body and laid the ball on a plate for Diaz to head back across Fraser Forster into the far corner.
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville said on commentary: “The cross is something else! It is absolutely perfect. There are very few players in Premier League history with that level of accuracy. De Bruyne, Beckham and Gerrard maybe.”
It meant Spurs had conceded the opening goal in 14 different home games in the Premier League in 2024 – the joint-most ever by a team within a calendar year in the competition.
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James Maddison takes full advantage of a mistake from Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister
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Alexis Mac Allister added a second for Liverpool against Spurs
Szoboszlai competed for the ball from Andrew Robertson’s cross with it falling kindly for Mac Allister to direct his header in from close range for his first goal of the season.
The Argentine gambled to double his side’s lead, but a burglary is never too far away when it comes to Mac Allister and Christmas. Referee Sam Barrott wouldn’t come to his aid when Kulusevski dispossessed him for Maddison’s well-placed shot to breathe hope into the hosts.
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Liverpool take a 5-1 lead
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Liverpool move 4-1 in front
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Dominik Szoboszlai finds the net to extend Liverpool’s lead at Tottenham
It would prove short-lived as, in keeping with Spurs’ disregard for game state this season, they duly conceded a third before the break as Salah slipped in Szoboszlai for a composed finish.
The Hungarian would repay the favour for Salah – twice – after the restart only for Spurs to atone for those two concessions with two more goals of their own. Solanke’s vision for Kulusevski’s volley was sublime, and when the striker swept in Brennan Johnson’s header back across goal, you just wondered what this Tottenham team were capable of doing next.
Diaz would ultimately add the final word having had the first, firing across Forster to end the madness. Twenty-one goals in Tottenham’s last three games. Are you not entertained? But only one of these sides is going to win the title in May.
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Diaz secures a brace and a sixth for Liverpool!
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Solanke’s smart half-volley adds a third for Spurs!
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Dejan Kulusevski scores for Tottenham
Story of the match in stats…
Goals galore at Tottenham – Opta stats
Tottenham have conceded 31 goals in Premier League home games in 2024; their most in a single calendar year since 2007 (34). Today was just the second time they had conceded six goals in a Premier League home match, along with a 6-1 defeat against Chelsea in December 1997
- This will be the 21st time Liverpool have been top of the English top-flight on Christmas Day; the most of any side. They’ve gone on to win the title in 11 of those previous 20 seasons (55%).
- Nine goals is the joint-most that have been scored in a league fixture between Tottenham and Liverpool, along with a 7-2 win for Spurs in April 1963 and a 7-2 win for the Reds in October 1914.
- Tottenham’s Premier League matches under Ange Postecoglou have seen an average of 3.6 goals scored per game (both teams combined). Among those to take charge of 50+ games in the competition, this is the highest goals per game rate for any manager.
- Tottenham have conceded the opening goal in 14 different home games in the Premier League in 2024; the joint-most ever by a team within a calendar year in the competition (also Crystal Palace in 2017, Ipswich and Spurs in 1994).
