Tottenham and Liverpool drew 1-1 at Anfield on Saturday in a result that has huge implications for the top of the Premier League table. A Heung-Min Son goal was disallowed by a deflected shot from Liverpool’s Luis Diaz that found the back of the net.
With one point, Liverpool are level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, but City can open a three-point lead if they beat Newcastle on Sunday. Meanwhile, Spurs moved within a point of fourth-placed Arsenal ahead of the Gunners’ game with Leeds on Sunday.
The first half saw Liverpool control things, taking 11 shots. But the Spurs’ Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal did a great job holding off Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz.
The second half would see Liverpool start on the front foot, but Tottenham opened the scoring with a great collective goal. Harry Kane played in Ryan Sessegnon, who was disciplined enough to send the ball to Son instead of shooting it himself. Have a look:
Jurgen Klopp would push the pace after the first match, bringing in Diogo Jota and Konstatinos Tsimikas for Andrew Robertson and Jordan Henderson. Diaz got a goal soon after when Liverpool advanced and his shot deflected past Rodrigo Bentancur and past a stunned Hugo Lloris.
What does this mean for the league?
For Liverpool, while Manchester City have one game to go and a game against Newcastle on Sunday, the Reds have completed the toughest game left on their schedule and still earn a point. Liverpool also hold an advantage when it comes to goal difference, but it remains to be seen how City will respond to their Champions League disappointment against Real Madrid. On paper, the advantage will now go to City, but with so much pressure on them, they could lose a match in future.
In the race for the top four, things are a bit more murky. Arsenal can open a four-point gap over Spurs when they take on Leeds on Sunday, but this game will give Spurs a psychological boost ahead of the North London Derby on Thursday. Depending on how things go in that match, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Arsenal fall apart if they lose.
side power
Emerson Royal and Ryan Sessegnon have had difficult seasons for the Spurs, losing their starting roles and picking up injuries. But they came back into the lineup in such an important game and showed up when it mattered. The duo earned seven tackles, had an interception and blocked a shot. Sessegnon also had the assist on Son’s goal. On a day when Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson were expected to take home all the plaudits, the Spurs’ backup defenders shone. Antonio Conte makes sure that each player is as prepared as possible and he made the difference as those two players were instrumental in keeping the match level.
With his future uncertain as Conte has a long list of players he would like to bring performances like this will make the difference in them staying in London for another year and possibly earning a starting spot next year.
The Golden Boot race is on
No player has scored more than Son’s 12 goals since the calendar changed to 2022. It has put him in a place where he is just two goals behind Salah (22) for the Premier League lead with three games remaining. Salah has scored five penalties during the season, while all of Son’s goals have come from open play.
Reference-www.cbssports.com