Liverpool blast through Spurs in 9-goal thriller

Following a chaotic victory against Manchester United mid-week, Spurs knew they would have to be at their best against table-topping Liverpool, a team that had led a revolution on Merseyside that season, with Liverpool having lost only one game up until that point. Whatever happened in this game, they would be top of the table by Christmas. Tottenham's manager opted for an unchanged lineup to take on the Reds, with a makeshift back four that included the teenager Gray as a center-half and right-footed Djed Spence as a left-back. Spence, in particular, faced a daunting task, as no left-back in the world would have wanted to face Mohamed Salah in the form he was in at that time. The energetic winger Brennan Johnson remained sidelined despite already having notched 10 goals that season. Although Tottenham seemed destined to concede plenty of chances, shots, and ultimately goals, it appeared Postecoglou simply hoped to outscore his opponents—a tactic that had earned him praise from his own fans. Their lowly league position was not yet a cause for concern.

As predicted, the game did not begin in a fashion Postecoglou would have desired. Not only did Mo Salah fire five shots at Spurs' relatively unstable goal in the first 20 minutes, but goalkeeper Fraser Forster's mistakes with distribution failed to cease, with his errors becoming laughable to the crowd in the stadium and those watching at home.

Although Spurs posed a threat on the counter, potentially causing some concern for Liverpool's defense, Luis Díaz opened the scoring with a header early on after Trent Alexander-Arnold's excellent cross. Spurs knew they would be up against it, especially as Liverpool's attacks continued even directly after the away side's opening goal. Another shot from Díaz was saved this time by Forster, but for a team that was already a goal down, the warnings could not have been more stark.

Liverpool's confidence in passing and creativity from all corners of the pitch allowed them to seamlessly overpower Tottenham's defensive structure. Forster missed a simple claim, allowing the diminutive Argentine, Alexis Mac Allister, to nip in and head home for his first goal of the season. With ten minutes until the break, Spurs had work to do and knew the next goal would be absolutely pivotal.

Up until that point, Liverpool's full-backs had been instrumental in setting the tone of the game, whipping cross after cross into the box and conjuring up nostalgic memories of when they had been untouchable in their respective widths of the pitch. This was yet another reminder of Slot's remarkable success as a new manager in the Premier League with Liverpool.

On the other hand, Spurs' full-backs looked to push forward every time they received the ball, allowing Liverpool's rapid attackers to counter into wide regions time after time.

Eventually, and thanks to a contentious decision in which Mac Allister claimed to have been fouled by Kulusevski, the ball popped up on the edge of the area, and Maddison reacted first to claim the ball as his own. This forced Liverpool's defenders to back off, culminating in him steering the ball into the corner beyond Alisson. Spurs were only a goal behind, and the final Premier League fixture before Christmas continued to entertain.

Just as Spurs thought they were back in it, Liverpool restored their two-goal advantage in first-half stoppage time, carving through a spacious sector of the pitch, with Salah setting up Szoboszlai for Liverpool's third goal. With Spurs' two favored center-backs out, the defensive woes continued, but on this occasion, it seemed like they would not score more goals than their opponents.

As the teams went into the halftime break, Slot would have been thrilled with his side's domination. Liverpool appeared on course to extend their lead in the Premier League and maintain their remarkable unbeaten away record.

Another Liverpool counter within the first ten minutes of the second half resulted in Salah getting his goal. Along with Kulusevski missing Porro's run into the box, the Spaniard's lackadaisical approach to retreating, and the mess that was Spurs' defense on the night, the Egyptian king bundled home Liverpool's fourth to take him above Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. Incredibly, Djed Spence, as a makeshift left-back, had a relatively good game, preventing Salah from scoring even more. However, even with a high line, Salah's penetrative runs in behind never seemed to worry the linesman.

Fed up, Postecoglou made two attacking changes before the hour mark, when young forwards Johnson and Bergvall entered the fray. Surely, there was no chance of even a point for Spurs.

On 60 minutes, Liverpool cemented the notion that they could win the league. Salah tapped in for a seven-minute brace, increasing his team's lead to four goals. Memories of Chelsea's 4-1 victory over Spurs the previous season sprang to the forefront of my mind, yet on this occasion, it was even worse for Spurs, and Liverpool showed no signs of letting up. On that occasion, though, two red cards had allowed Chelsea to eventually run riot; here, Liverpool's man-to-man superiority was clear.

Through Kulusevski, Spurs seemed to understand their purpose when on the attack, but where they stumbled was in the extremely common scenario where Liverpool got in behind. A lovely one-two between that man Kulusevski and Solanke restored some pride for Tottenham, with the Swede firing a volley past Alisson for a fifth goal in as many games. With 20 minutes to go, could Spurs produce something remarkable? Would their fans be gifted with one of the greatest comebacks of all time as a Christmas present?

This Christmas cracker of a tie was certainly not over yet.

When Salah overcame the Spurs high line with a brilliant ball, Forster looked to have sold himself as he ended up in no-man's land, but Díaz's looping effort landed on the roof of the net.

Brennan Johnson rose above Robertson to return Bergvall's looping cross back to Solanke at the near post, who guided his effort past Alisson. Only two goals behind, Spurs could still dream.

Any glimmer of hope was instantly erased when Díaz claimed a second goal, Mo Salah's fourth involvement of the evening. At that moment, with the score at 6-3, Slot withdrew his two aforementioned star men, seemingly claiming victory for his team.

At some point, Tottenham's leaky rear end had to be questioned—if not by Postecoglou, then by owner Daniel Levy. A trip to Nottingham on Boxing Day would be difficult for Tottenham; they knew they wouldn't enter the match as favorites. Spurs had been in the Top Four of the league for the last two Christmases, but this time Forest had replaced them, and Spurs languish in the league's bottom half.

For Liverpool though conceding three needn't worry them, they extend their lead at the summit, and with a game in hand over title rivals, it may only be slightly too early to put the champagne on ice.