Firmino 9/10 and Salah 8/10 star as Liverpool late show sees off Tottenham

Liverpool scored late on to grab a vital 2-1 win over Tottenham on Wednesday evening.

The Premier League champions took the lead after 26 minutes, when Mohamed Salah’s shot was deflected past a helpless Hugo Lloris. However, the home side’s lead didn’t last very long as, just moments later, Son Heung-Min broke away to equalise against the run of play.

Both teams had opportunities to snatch the win in the closing stages, with Sadio Mane and Steven Bergwijn hitting the woodwork. In the end, Liverpool’s domination paid dividends as Roberto Firmino’s bullet header in the final minute took Jurgen Klopp’s men to the summit of the table.

– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)- ESPN+ viewer’s guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more

Positives

Liverpool showed serious intent from the first whistle; the tempo was ferocious as they looked to make a statement against their title rivals. More than anything, the hunger to get the ball back will surely please Klopp most of all.

In addition, the Reds were also very creative in the final third, with full-backs Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold both playing a key role in building up play. Credit must also go to captain Jordan Henderson, who was itching to get involved at every opportunity in midfield.

Negatives

In front of goal, Liverpool were wasteful. Son’s breakaway goal wouldn’t have been anywhere near as crushing if Salah, Mane and Firmino were more clinical in the final third. Even Salah’s opener came via a fortunate deflection, which is worrying when you consider how creative Liverpool were at times.

In addition, their vulnerability to counterattacks — in the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez — was evident again.

Manager rating out of 10

9 — Klopp appeared to get his team selection spot on, as the side looked sharp and up for the fight from the outset. The first half was a perfect representation of what Liverpool can do when they are at their fluid best, as some of the football on show was simply masterful. In the second half, the game was more evenly balanced, but he showed faith in the players on the pitch by not making any substitutions. His faith was massively rewarded.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK: Alisson, 6 — Arguably should have covered the near post better for Son’s goal. That aside, he was barely forced into a save.

DF: Trent Alexander-Arnold, 7 — Inventive on the ball, contributing with a number of excellent cross-field balls and crosses. Defensively he was also much improved compared to some of his recent outings.

DF: Rhys Williams, 7 –In a defensive capacity, very little got past him. Only seemed to struggle in transition when dragged out of position.

DF: Fabinho, 7 –Looks to be a natural defender, despite it very much being a secondary position. The former Monaco man read the game excellently, dealing well with the few attacks Tottenham threw at him.

DF: Andrew Robertson, 8 — Dynamic when venturing forward on the left. Should have grabbed a few assists, but his pinpoint crosses were largely wasted by Liverpool’s attacking trio.

MF: Jordan Henderson, 8 — Patrolled the midfield magnificently from the No. 6 position. Seldom game the ball away, adding vital energy and inventiveness in the middle.

Liverpool needed two of their stars on top form to seal the win. Peter Powell/PA Images via Getty Images

MF: Georginio Wijnaldum, 7 — Good direct running and defensive discipline. A true two-way footballer.

MF: Curtis Jones, 7 — The slightly more advanced of the midfield trio. Played a vital role in Salah’s deflected opener in what was an impressive all-round display for someone so young.

FW: Sadio Mane, 7 — Continues to underwhelm slightly in front of goal. The Senegal forward managed to work a few good shooting opportunities, but his wayward efforts appear to demonstrate just how low on confidence he is.

FW: Mohamed Salah, 8 — Scorer of Liverpool’s opening goal, which came as a result of a fortuitous deflection. Nonetheless, overall the 28-year-old looked very dangerous and lively when in and around the Spurs penalty area.

FW: Roberto Firmino, 9 — His pressing and industrious running at the tip of the attack very much set the tempo for Liverpool. Rounded off a sensational performance with a bullet header to win the game.

Substitutes

N/A — Incredibly, Klopp didn’t make a single substitution all game.