Spurs sunk by Salah efficiency as Liverpool edge through

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Liverpool 2

Liverpool exuded the sort of clinical efficiency to claim all three points in a testy clash in north London.

A first half brace courtesy of the ever-impish Mo Salah in particular proved to be enough – just about – to grab the points despite a late Spurs surge, albeit one peppered with unfocused desperation.

This was a game based on the theme of chances, and the relative scarcity of them: one team’s ability to seize slivers of opportunity, and another – the rather perforated hosts - who were left wondering. Harry Kane may have despatched a fine goal in 70 minutes to send the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium alight with hope and fervour, but the fundamental lack of conviction, control and pace from the capital side was exposed for all their hoarding of the ball.

In mitigation, Tottenham did have odd moments when they were denied by the woodwork. Nevertheless, there must be a feeling of real frustration from head coach Antonio Conte in that this was an especially key clash which yielded nothing but tantalising promise and profligacy.

Spurs, at least, retain a top four Premier League spot, despite this loss. Liverpool, meanwhile, are still languishing, by their own high standards, in eighth place.

Tottenham coach Conte was forced to readjust his side, with the absence of injured Heung-Min Son which caused concern among the home faithful in terms of a creative outlet for a game against visitors of Liverpool’s quality.

For all the Reds individual and collective gifts, their own form had been rather staccato of late, with two defeats and three wins in their last five games, including a shock home defeat to Leeds United which saw them criticised for a somewhat intangible, collective, lacklustre.

If there were any worries from boss Jurgen Klopp about how his men were going to approach business in N17, they were shortly dispelled when Tottenham were sunk as early as the 11th minute.

Ruthless

Andy Robertson had, surprisingly, far too much room to raid and construct a perfect cross from the left hand side, which was controlled and touched into the path of Salah by Darwin Nunez. And the Egyptian was afforded sufficient room by Ryan Sessegnon to swivel and fire into the corner of the net. A perfect, ruthlessly despatched, piercing of the late north London afternoon.

Tottenham, hitherto lethargic, were propelled into response, at least. Ivan Persiic clipped the post with a header via a save from Liverpool keeper Alisson, before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg went close seconds later. Moreover, the hosts had decent claim for a penalty when Sessegnon, possibly attempting to atone for his earlier slackness, appeared to be shoved off the ball inside the Liverpool penalty area by Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Spurs were enjoying occasional bouts of havoc down Liverpool’s left with both Sessegnon and Alexander-Arnold engrossed in their own private duel. However, for all the occasional signs, the pressing from Conte’s outfit wasn’t quite relentless enough to unduly trouble the Reds, who were always dangerous going forward.

That threat was vindicated six minutes from the end of the first half, albeit with assistance from a mistake by Eric Dier.

The Spurs defender somehow failed to head a simple long ball back to his keeper, Hugo Lloris, and Salah fastened on to the opportunity – and, drawing the keeper, Liverpool’s talisman kept his cool to clip high into the net.

The start of the second half brought another burst from Tottenham, eager to somehow drag themselves back into a game in which they had been exposed.

Perisic struck the bar from inside the Liverpool penalty area with a neat left foot effort, and in 50 minutes, Sessegnon curled a yard wide of Alisson’s post. Yet, was all this industry ever going to translate into halving the deficit?

Desperation

On the counter-attack, moments later, Salah for once, was denied by Lloris with the Merseysider's aiming to comprehensively take the sting out of the contest once and for all. The Reds were content to soak up the pressure, and Tottenham’s passing and crossing became increasingly studded with desperation, while Liverpool at least had more calm going forward.

Conte sent on the fit-again Dejan Kukusevski in the 68th minute to much acclaim from the home fans, desperate to see some characteristic bite from their much-missed, all-action, midfielder. The decision on its own seemed to properly embolden Tottenham, as they finally gave themselves a lifeline of sorts. With a rare slice of space at a right hand angle, Kane swept home with ferocity to leave Alisson with no chance.

Tottenham had plenty of possession as the contest ticked by. Ripples of threat, minus incision was, though, to be their downfall.

Indeed, Liverpool’s lumbering Uruguayan striker, Nunez, struck the bar, with eight minutes to go in an attempt to kill the game. For the Reds, attempting to soak things up in the latter stages, it was a chance, with Tottenham clearly showing the greater quest. All their efforts proved futile.

Spurs: Lloris, Hojbjerg, Royal (Doherty 68), Sessignon (Kulusevski 68), Dier, Bentancur, Davies, Lenglet, Perisic, Kane, Bissouma (Moura 88)