Liverpool stormed four points clear at the top of the Premier League heading into Christmas with a thrilling 6-3 win over Tottenham.
Liverpool were buoyed by Chelsea's earlier draw with Everton and took full advantage of the Blues' misstep with a dominant display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Spurs briefly offered hope of a bounce-back.
Luis Diaz gave Liverpool a deserved lead in the 23rd minute, turning in Trent Alexander-Arnold's superb cross before Alexis Mac Allister made it 2-0.
James Maddison took advantage of a Mac Allister error to drag Spurs back into the match, before Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool's two-goal lead just before half-time.
Mohamed Salah helped himself to a deserved double early in the second half, although Dejan Kulusevski's volley and Dominic Solanke's close-range jab made things interesting.
Yet Liverpool's attacking prowess proved too much for Spurs, and Diaz secured the points in the 85th minute.
Liverpool will top the tree at Christmas for the first time since the 2020/21 season, while 11th-placed Spurs will have to lick their wounds ahead of a tough trip to in-form Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
1 – Mohamed Salah has become the first player in the competition's history to reach double figures for both goals and assists in a Premier League season before Christmas. Class. pic.twitter.com/Lg9GNOg2tg
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 22, 2024
Data Debrief: Super Salah
Salah's double made him Liverpool's outright fourth goalscorer of all time, and it was another sensational all-round performance from the Premier League standout.
The 32-year-old has also become the first player to reach double figures for both goals and assists in a Premier League season in the competition's history before Christmas, while this is the sixth Premier League season in which Mohamed Salah has scored both. and assisted on more than 10 goals; the most of any player in the history of the competition (overtaking Wayne Rooney's five).
Liverpool have ensured that on Christmas Day they will top the English top flight for the 21st time in their history, which is the most of any side. They have won the title in 11 of the 20 previous seasons.
Spurs gave their all in attack and scored an impressive five of their nine shots on target, good for 1.25 expected goals. But Liverpool were a worthy victor. They finished with 24 attempts, 12 on target and a whopping 4.54 xG.
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