By Sonny Turner
Sub-edited by Cameron Winstanley
Champions Liverpool were back to their best, with goals from Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane seeing them cruise past Spurs in an entertaining game.
The game opened with a frantic three minutes, Mane firing wide a golden chance to take the lead, followed by Heung-Min Son sliding the ball past Alisson, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside in the build up.
With the game looking settled in the familiar pattern of Liverpool possession and Spurs attempting to break on the counter-attack, a lapse in concentration from the Tottenham defence 40 seconds before the end of the first half, saw Mane control the ball on his chest in the Spurs penalty area and roll the ball across to Firmino to tap in and give Liverpool the lead.
Things got worse for Spurs just two minutes after the restart of the second half. Having seemingly yet to regain their concentration, and with talisman Harry Kane taken off injured at the break, a low curled Mane effort forced Hugo LLoris down to his left, but only able to direct the ball into the path of the onrushing Alexander-Arnold, who powered the ball on the half-volley into the bottom corner.
A Spurs fight back looked on the cards when just two minutes after conceding the second, Steven Bergwijn rolled the ball to Pierre-Emile Hoijberg just outside the box, who hit perfectly across the ball, driving it into the side netting.
Salah then thought he had given the Champions back a two goal cushion when he blasted the ball past Lloris, only for Liverpool to now have a goal disallowed, this time for a Firmino handball in the build up.
Liverpool, however, didn’t have to wait long for their third goal, coming just eight minutes later. An inviting Alexander Arnold cross was left by Joe Rodon, only for Mane to be lurking behind him, latching onto the ball and sending it crashing into the net from close range.
With the two goal cushion restored, Liverpool coasted home against a Spurs side who looked out of ideas. The Champions back to their best, and not giving up on their title.
For more Overtime sport content click here and for more Football content click here.
