Every player rated as Liverpool continue perfect start with 2-1 win over Spurs

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After a lively affair at Wembley, Liverpool thwart a toothless Tottenham by two goals to one.

Despite the attacking prowess on display, the opening goal came from a scrappy corner after Michel Vorm failed to deal with James Milner’s set-piece delivery, parrying it only as far as Georginio Wijnaldum, who broke the deadlock with a lofted header.

In the second half Liverpool picked up where they left off and scored within just 10 minutes of the restart after Roberto Firmino doubled the Reds advantage with a fortuitous open goal finish.

Spurs did manage to score a consolation goal in stoppage time, but Liverpool held out for three vital points. So with all that considered, how did the players rate?

Tottenham Hotspur

Michel Vorm – 4 – Came in for Hugo Lloris having played second fiddle to the Frenchman, but failed to mirror the performances of the Spurs No.1, flapping at the ball for the first goal after a routine corner was delivered, and the Reds duly capitalised on the mistake.   

Kieran Trippier – 5 – Often found himself out of position in trying to get forward and help in the Spurs attack, leaving Mane free on the left, and the Senegalese took full advantage.      

Toby Alderweireld – 5 – Made more passes than any other player on the pitch, acting as the first line of attack for Pochettino’s men, but in the face of Klopp’s attack, the Belgian struggled to contain Firmino and Co. 

Jan Vertonghen – 5 – Alongside his compatriot, the defensive duo often found themselves isolated as the Spurs midfield deserted them at times; they could simply do nothing when the tripartite of Liverpool ran at them at will.   

Danny Rose – 5 – Much like Trippier, the two full-backs had a busy afternoon in trying to keep Liverpool’s attacking trident quiet, though they proved too hot to handle.

Eric Dier – 4 – Made an early mistake after his loose pass sold the Spurs defence short, though his blushes were spared after Salah squandered a glorious chance. It did not get much better from there as the Englishman struggled to deal with the pace and power of Liverpool. 

Harry Winks – 5 – Played on the left of a midfield three and looked out of place at times, though for a man who has been ravaged by injury in recent times as well as making his first start since December 2017 that was perhaps understandable. However, he failed to really set the tempo for Spurs’ play in his typical fashion.

Mousa Dembele – 5 – Usually an authoritative figure in the middle of the park, Dembele produced a mixed performance having found himself constantly submerged under a swarm of Red shirts.

Christian Eriksen – 6 – For all his quality, Eriksen found little room to flourish in the final third, often finding himself thwarted by the industrious midfield of Liverpool, though alongside Lucas, he was Tottenham’s biggest threat.  

Lucas Moura – 7 – Spurs’ best player, Lucas was vibrant and nearly brought the north London club back level after his effort rattled the post just after the restart.

Harry Kane – 4 – All the talk in the build-up had been on the fitness of Kane and whether his packed schedule had perhaps burned him out. On evidence of today’s performance he needs a rest. The Englishman posed an isolated figure up top and he failed to stamp his authority on the match.

Substitutes:

Erik Lamela (for Dembele 59) – 6 – The Argentine managed to get on the scoresheet in stoppage time, but only as a consolation goal.

Son Heung-min (for Winks 73) – 5 – Another who had plenty of time to make a difference, but Liverpool were too dominant in the end.

Victor Wanyama (for Dier 83) – N/A – Came on in the dying embers to bring more assurance to the Spurs midfield. 

Liverpool

Alisson – 6 – Had little to do but failed to prevent Lamela scoring in the closing stages. Other than that he looked assured between the sticks; an assurance that was diametrically at odds with that of Vorm at the other end.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7 – A constant threat down the right, Alexander-Arnold never shied away from bombing forward, while he was also equally as impressive defensively.   

Joe Gomez – 7 – A mature performance against one of the best strikers in world football. With the threat of Eriksen and Lucas running either side of Kane, the England defender kept composure and formed an effective partnership with Van Dijk.  

Virgil van Dijk – 8 – The chief policeman in an almost watertight defence were it not for a late goal, the Dutchman was imperious in the air and strong in the tackle.  

Andrew Robertson – 7 – Hard-working and tireless down the left, Robertson, like Alexander-Arnold, stood up to the challenge of dealing with Trippier surging forward, and was always willing to get forward himself.   

James Milner – 8 – A seasoned professional, the Englishman produced a very Milner-esque performance: a typically high work rate and a diligent tactical awareness.

Georginio Wijnaldum – 7 – Scored his first Premier League goal away from home and formed a focal component of Liverpool’s high-octane central midfield.  

Naby Keita – 7 – The engine in an industrious midfield; alongside Milner and Wijnaldum, the trio formed an industrious midfield that thwarted Spurs in the centre of park.    

Mohamed Salah – 7 – Not a typically dominant performance from the Egyptian, but even when he is not firing on all cylinders he is a constant threat, and you cannot take your eye off him for one minute or the pint-sized magician will pounce.   

Roberto Firmino – 8 – The Brazilian’s link-up play was exceptional, picking the ball up from deep and always keeping it close to his feet before releasing either Salah or Mane at just the right time – an exceptionally selfless striker.

Sadio Mane – 8 – A perennial threat down the left, Mane constantly found himself in dangerous positions, but at times failed to capitalise fully on the opportunities in front of him, but his ability to get into the right positions at the right time is second to none.

Substitutes:

Jordan Henderson (for Firmino 74) – 6 – Came on to keep the energy levels high, and did just that.

Daniel Sturridge (for Keita 83) – N/A – Had little time to really make an impact on a match that was all but decided before his introduction.

Joel Matip (for Alexander-Arnold 90) – N/A – Came on and Liverpool conceded, though there was not much he could do as Lamela fired home.

The post Every player rated as Liverpool continue perfect start with 2-1 win over Spurs appeared first on Squawka News.



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