Liverpool brushed aside a laboured Spurs side to make it five wins from five as they top the Premier League table
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool made it five wins from five as they sit pretty at the top of the Premier League table despite a late scare from Spurs at Wembley.
Goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino either side of half-time looked to have secured a comfortable afternoon’s work for the Reds only for substitute Erik Lamela to hit back for Spurs late on to cause a few last minute jitters.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men were unable to match Liverpool’s intensity early on and struggled to break down a defence which has only conceded two goals this season.
The warning signs were there for Spurs as early as the opening minute when a cross was whipped in devilishly by James Milner from the right. Roberto Firmino poked the ball goalwards but an offside Sadio Mane got the final touch and the goal was ruled out.
Liverpool were constantly on the lookout to attack the channel marshalled by Danny Rose and yet again Milner and Firmino combined down the right but the Brazilian’s shot was charged down at the near post by Jan Vertonghen.
Despite a Liverpool fast start, Spurs began to expertly slow the game down with Mousa Dembele and the surprise inclusion of Harry Winks nullifying the threat on the break. Their game management was nearly undone after a wayward backpass by a laboured looking Eric Dier which saw Mo Salah race clean through on goal but the Egyptian’s shot was blocked by Michel Vorm who did well to stay on his feet for so long.
Salah struggled in the opening half and it would be fair to say has not hit the heights he reached last season. Many statisticians will cite the similar numbers produced in the first five games last season but the Egyptian's struggles look to be more than just a lack of goals and assists. He looks to be overthinking his time on the ball, not acting on the same instincts which served him so well in his record-breaking debut campaign.
On 39 minutes the breakthrough came. Milner’s corner from the left was flapped at by Vorm, deputising for the injured and ultimately humbled Hugo Lloris. The ball spun into the air and Georginio WIjnaldum mustered all the neck strength he could to loop a header into the net after goal-line technology ruled it to have crossed the line.
After the break Liverpool begun to press home their advantage. A whipped Robertson cross did not find its intended target, instead, coming back off the crossbar.
Salah pinched the ball on the right two minutes later, feeding Mane in the centre of the box but his turn and left-footed strike was palmed away by Vorm.
Spurs had a chance to get back on level terms when the lively Lucas Moura ghosted past the in-form Joe Gomez but his disguised effort came off the base on the post.
On 54 minutes Liverpool doubled their lead. A neat chip into the channel from Robertson set Mane on his way. He breezed past Kieran Trippier and slid a ball across the six-yard box. Vertonghen’s desperate attempt to clear the danger resulted in the ball coming off the post with Firmino onhand to tap in on the line.
A late rally from Spurs saw Erik Lamela pull one back deep into injury time with a well taken left-footed strike after confusion in the Liverpool box from a corner, but ultimately this was Klopp and his team’s afternoon as they put the nightmare of last season’s trip to Wembley to bed and now sit pretty at the top of the Premier League with five wins from five.