Mo Salah’s Penalty Seals Win for Liverpool over Spurs
Liverpool needed two secondhalf goals to come from behind to beat Tottenham at Anfield and restore their six-point lead at the top of the table.
Harry Kane scored within 48 seconds of kick-off and keeper Paulo Gazzaniga pulled off a number of impressive saves to give Spurs a 1-0 lead at half-time.
Jordan Henderson equalised six minutes after the break before Mo Salah thumped the winner from the penalty spot.
The feat extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run at home extends to 45 league game. In a repeat of June’s Champions League final, Liverpool came out victorious and have dropped just two points in the Premier League this season.
They were made to work for it - needing several big chances to score before Henderson eventually slotted his halfvolley into the far corner early in the second half.
That came moments after
Son Heung-min had smacked the crossbar for the second time in the match - his first effort was nodded in by Kane from seven yards out for the opener.
But Liverpool’s pressure eventually took its toll when Serge Aurier caught the back of Sadio Mane’s leg and gave away a penalty, which Salah smashed past a stationary Gazzaniga with 15 minutes left.
Liverpool finished the first half a goal down despite having had 10 shots on target and 76% of possession.
That was largely down to Gazzaniga’s excellent display for Spurs - the keeper making 12 saves.
His first big save came after 20 minutes when Salah’s half-volley was hit straight at him before the Egyptian struck another shot which he palmed away.
Gazzaniga got back to his feet to block the rebound from Roberto Firmino and then tipped Virgil van Dijk’s header over the crossbar - all in the first 30 minutes.
Trent Alexander-Arnold joined in on the action, again being denied by Gazzaniga, before Mane missed the biggest chance of the half - skewing a header wide from just a few yards. But the Spurs keeper, filling in for the injured Hugo
Lloris, could do nothing about Henderson’s equaliser or Salah’s penalty which flew past his outstretched left leg.
It’s a huge victory for Liverpool, having dropped their first points of the season at Old Trafford against rivals Manchester United last weekend. They went into this game having not lost at home in the Premier League since April 2017 and with only one defeat in their last 48 Premier League matches.
Second-placed Manchester City had cut their lead at the top of the table to three points following their 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.
The two teams go head-tohead next month at Anfield, when Liverpool will hope to make it 46 matches undefeated at home.
As for Spurs, they drop out of the top 10 with just three wins in their opening 10 games and sit 16 points behind the league leaders.