Liverpool reclaimed the top spot on the Premier League table on Wednesday night after a 2-1 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
The game was definitely the most anticipated clash of Matchday 13 with the teams separated only on goal difference at the top.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 26th minute after a fortuitous deflection which goalkeeper Hugo Lloris could do nothing about.
Heung-min Son, however, levelled the scores for the visitors on the counter-attack in the 33rd minute.
The Reds dominated the possession after the break, but Spurs had great chances through Steven Bergwijn and Harry Kane to go ahead.
Ultimately, they paid the price as the Reds took the lead in stoppage time after a bullet header from Roberto Firmino from a corner.
With the win, Jurgen Klopp’s side have continued their recent dominance over Spurs with a sixth straight win in all competitions.
They have returned to the top of the summit for the first time since October 31 when they came from behind to beat West Ham United.
Premier League title prediction – 3-way race: Last night’s result is a great example of how quickly fortunes can change in the Premier League and why it’s important to do your research and look at more than just the league table. Just like it pays to use sites like Online Casino Snoop to review online casinos before you start putting your money on one, it pays to read our title predictions below before you go and back one of the teams at your favourite bookmaker.
Liverpool:
The Reds have experienced a mixed season by their high standards and that has been partly due to the fact that they are missing a number of regulars due to injuries.
Despite this, they have continued to impress in the Premier League and their late triumph over Spurs at Anfield sees them with a three-point advantage at the top of the standings.
They were without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Xherdan Shaqiri, Thiago Alcantara, Diogo Jota, Kostas Tsimikas and Joel Matip for last night’s clash, but still managed to prevail.
With the presence of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah upfront, they have match winners, who can turn the game in their favour at any point of time.
The only concern remains whether they can sustain their title defence with the injury-hit squad. Klopp made no changes over the course of 90 minutes against Spurs. There is the risk of burn-out for some of them.
Tottenham Hotspur:
The north London giants were not considered as potential title challengers at the start of the campaign, but they have made themselves one with the terrific run of form over the past few months.
They have beaten the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United along the way while also picking up a point against Chelsea to boost their title credentials.
Their unbeaten league run since Matchday 2 was ended by the Reds’ late winner at Anfield, but they could have quite easily won the game with the clear-cut chances which were on offer.
The form of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in the attack has been hugely influential and both players are currently going through the best phases of their respective careers.
The link-up play between Kane and Son has been sublime to watch and most often, it has been one of the duo assisting the other to find the back of the net.
They have registered a combined tally of 20 goals and 14 assists in the league this term. Should they sustain the form, Spurs could be in the mix for their first top-flight title in nearly six decades.
Kane has suffered lengthy injury setbacks during the backend of the previous two seasons and Spurs will need to take better care to avoid a similar repeat, which would scupper their title prospects.
Chelsea:
The Blues started the season in a slow fashion with just two wins from the opening six matches, but they managed to quickly climb up the table with four victories from the next five encounters (one draw).
However, just when they were picking up steam, they have suffered back-to-back defeats to Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively with disappointing attacking displays.
Despite this, we are fancying them to stay in the title race, but manager Frank Lampard needs to get the best out of summer signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.
Werner has been a good purchase for the Blues with four goals and four assists this term. However, he has been unimpressive with his distribution of late while squandering multiple clear-cut scoring chances.
Havertz has yet to make his mark in the Premier League with just one goal and two assists to date. He has found it tough after the switch from the Bundesliga, but the Blues need him firing sooner rather than later.
Elsewhere, the club’s record against the big six needs to improve. They are currently on 22 points, but just two of those have come from the meetings against Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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