AnalysisFive talking points from Liverpool 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur
First-half goals from Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson put the Reds in control, and Cody Gakpo added a third shortly after the interval.
Harvey Elliott then drove in a brilliant fourth, as Jürgen Klopp’s side recorded their first home success since April 4, despite late strikes from Richarlison and Son Heung-min for the visitors.
Here are five things we noticed in the L4 sunshine…
Salah torments Spurs again
Tottenham must be sick of the sight of Salah.
Restored to the starting XI, the Egyptian was at the centre of everything here, tormenting Spurs’ back line with his positivity, dribbling and movement.
Denied an early goal by Guglielmo Vicario’s feet, Salah was on the scoresheet after only 16 minutes, timing his run to perfection to meet Gakpo’s glorious cross with a firm back-post header.
It was his 18th Premier League goal of the campaign, his 25th in all competitions and his first since netting the equaliser in the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on April 7. It was also his ninth in 15 Premier League appearances against Tottenham.
He followed it up by having a hand in two more goals, too, his shot leading to Robertson’s strike, and his pass inviting Elliott to make it 4-0.
And had it not been for a marginal offside call against substitute Darwin Nunez and a disappointing miss in front of the Kop, he’d have tormented his familiar foes even more.
Robertson on the goal trail
Liverpool could have a new goalscoring sensation on their hands.
For the second week running, Robertson found himself on the scoresheet, following up his strike at West Ham United with his side’s second goal here.
It was a proper poacher’s effort, too, the Scotland captain racing in like a centre-forward after Salah’s effort had been saved by Vicario on the stroke of half-time.
After a season disrupted by injury, Robertson is finishing the campaign strongly, and his energy and endeavour were key - at both ends of the field.
Gakpo’s strong form continues
Gakpo must wish this season had a few more weeks left to run.
The Dutchman has been in good form of late, and he continued his strong run at Anfield.
Playing as the Reds’ No.9, he was bright, hungry and dangerous from the off, delivering a cross of pure quality for Salah to open the scoring.
He would benefit from a delivery of similar class after half-time, his towering header giving Elliott’s cross the finish it deserved and taking him to 15 goals in all competitions this season.
Add in his six assists, and Gakpo has enjoyed a solid campaign indeed.
Elliott brings the house down
Wataru Endo’s face, in the background, said it all.
‘How did he do that?’
Elliott’s goal, just before the hour mark, not only wrapped up the points for Liverpool, it brought the house down too.
Collecting Salah’s lay-off, the 21-year-old, who had created a goal for Gakpo just a few minutes earlier - his ninth assist of the season - knew exactly what he wanted to do, dropping his shoulder to move inside a Spurs defender before whipping a stunning strike into Vicario’s top right-hand corner from 25 yards.
A diamond of a moment, from a diamond of a player for Liverpool.
Spurs’ Anfield misery goes on
After arriving on the back of three successive Premier League defeats, Tottenham could certainly have been forgiven for viewing a trip to Anfield with trepidation.
The Londoners have not enjoyed much success in L4 of late, and this defeat means they have now won only one of their last 30 Premier League visits.
That came back in May 2011, when goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric gave Harry Redknapp’s side a 2-0 victory over a Reds side that was managed by Sir Kenny Dalglish.
Since then, though, there has been little to shout about on Merseyside for Spurs fans, and despite a late flourish in which Richarlison and Son struck, Liverpool made sure that their latest visit was a disappointing one, too.
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