Two goals for Salah as Reds extend lead by thrashing Spurs


Mohamed Salah struck twice in eight minutes and set up another two goals as Liverpool thrashed Tottenham to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League and leave Spurs in the bottom half.

Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister scored first-half headers before Dominik Szoboszlai fired in from Salah’s pass on the stroke of half-time, restoring the visitors’ two-goal cushion after James Maddison had replied from just outside the box.

Salah, who had shot against the crossbar with the score goalless, then slotted in twice from close range before Dejan Kulusevski volleyed in for a Spurs side who have taken one point from their last four home league games.

Dominic Solanke’s finish gave the home forward a third goal in three games, only for Diaz to tap in from Salah’s ball to cap an extravagantly entertaining contest.

Liverpool will top the table at Christmas for the first time since 2020/21, although the 2019/20 season is the only occasion of the last seven when they have been in that position and proceeded to win the title.

Tottenham vs Liverpool

One of Liverpool’s 24 attempts at goal would have sounded the alarm for Tottenham fans after 18 minutes, when Salah hit the woodwork as part of a dominant start for Arne Slot’s players.

Diaz then bagged his sixth goal of the season from an exquisite Trent Alexander-Arnold pass, setting in motion another menacing display that consigned Spurs to an embarrassment of the kind they have only suffered once previously.

Tottenham last conceded six at home in the Premier League in a 6-1 defeat to Chelsea in December 1997, but porous performances have become a familiarity for them under Postecoglou.

Tottenham concede more goals

Manchester United scored three times while threatening a comeback in their Carabao Cup defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday, 11 days after Chelsea won 4-3 there in the league.

Spurs’ defensive frailties look unsustainable and their tally of two more goals than Liverpool and second-placed Chelsea is little consolation after results like this.

They are eight points behind fourth-placed Nottingham Forest and nine above the relegation zone before their trip to the City Ground on Thursday (3pm GMT).

Liverpool are in action at 8pm on the same day, hosting fourth-bottom Leicester City, who lost 3-0 at home to third-bottom Wolves on Sunday.




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