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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Firmino header puts Liverpool on top

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Liverpool, Dec 17 - Having begun the day at the top of the table, Tottenham were displaced from their position by the Premier League champions Liverpool as they went down 2-1 after a last-gasp winner from Roberto Firmino.


Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, was exuberant during the fiercely fought contest and that riled the Tottenham manager, Jose Mourinho, who said: “If I behaved the same, I’ve no chance to stay there. I’m out one minute after that. I told him the best team lost. He disagreed. That’s his opinion.”


He added: “We missed the chances and had the game under control. A draw would be a bad result, so you can imagine how we feel with a defeat, we didn’t even take a point so it’s very disappointing. A very unfair result.”


It was a tight contest which Spurs should have won given the quality of chances they created. That would have been tough on Liverpool who had the better of the possession particularly in the first half. Klopp said: “The win was absolutely deserved. They are a top side — a counter-attacking monster — so you have to be really focused. Because they didn’t want the ball too much, you have to play around them and keep them busy. We did that really, really well. What a wonderful goal to win it, a nice corner and a sensational header from Bobby.”


He added: “I really felt we deserved the three points. Of course, Tottenham had chances, they scored a goal with an unbelievably tight off side decision. We are a good football team and we are in a difficult situation (with injuries). We don’t have to make a story of it, for all of us it is difficult, but throwing in a performance like this is pretty special so it gives us confidence.”


Liverpool took the lead in the 26th minute but not without luck. Curtis Jones won the tackle and found Mo Salah whose shot was deflected off two defenders, Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld who attempted to block but the looping ball went over the keeper Hugo Lloris and into the far corner.


It didn’t take Spurs long to draw level. Seven minutes later Giovani Lo Celso broke unchallenged from the deep and released Son Heung-Min. The south Korean outpaced Alexander-Arnold and slotted the ball low inside the near post. It was a brilliant counter-attacking goal and Son’s 99th for the club. Steven Bergwijn missed a fine chance in the second half after receiving a header for Son. He tried to find the far corner with a firm shot but watched in disbelief as the ball rebounded off the post.


Soon after that, Liverpool could have scored but Sadio Mane crashed his shot against the corner of the bar and post and the game seemed to be heading for a draw. Finally, bang on 90 minutes, Firmino moved in, past Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, to meet a corner taken by Andrew Robertson and placed a powerful header into the net to seal Liverpool’s win.


English Premier League results on Wednesday:


Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 52) Southampton 1 (Walcott 18)


Fulham 0 Brighton 0


Leeds 5 (Bamford 35, Rodrigo 61, Dallas 77, Alioski 85, Harrison 88) Newcastle 2 (Hendrick 26, Clark 65)


Leicester 0 Everton 2 (Richarlison 21, Holgate 72)


Liverpool 2 (Salah 26, Firmino 90) Tottenham 1 (Son 33)


West Ham 1 (Haller 55) Crystal Palace 1 (Benteke 35)


On Tuesday


Wolves 2 (Podence 66, Neto 90+5) Chelsea 1 (Giroud 49)


Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 30) West Brom 1 (Dias 43-og)


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