Liverpool overcame their first real test of the season as they beat Tottenham at Wembley by 2 goals to one.
A goal either side of the half from Wijnaldum and Firmino gave Liverpool a 2 goal lead. Spurs started to pile on the pressure after the 80th minute mark as Lamela and Son were introduced. Spurs scored a consolation goal deep into stoppage time but to no avail as the Reds came away with all 3 points. Here are the player ratings :
Alisson : 7/10
Alisson was once again a very composed figure between the posts. He perhaps could have done a bit better for the goal as he let Lamela’s shot get past him from a very narrow angle. But, the goal cannot really be blamed on him as Lamela took his chance with aplomb.
Robertson : 6/10
Robertson was great going forward once again but we say him getting caught out. He often ventured forward leaving plenty of space behind. Spurs looked to take advantage as most of their build came from the left hand side but to no avail thanks for Virgil Van Dijk.
Virgil Van Dijk : 8/10
Liverpool have certainly found a gem as Van Dijk again gave a very solid display. He covered for both Gomez and Robertson who had certain moments of lapses. Liverpool have bought a true leader at the back for 75 million.
Joe Gomez : 6/10
Joe Gomez has been one of the most consistent players for Liverpool this season. He however, was not a very solid presence as he had certain moments where he looked out of sorts. Lucas Moura and Harry Kane got the better of him a couple of times and could have scored.
Trent Alexander Arnold : 7/10
TAA was pretty good as he had a more defensive mindset than Robertson and barely allowed his marker to escape. He only ventured forward when he knew he had space and time. He certainly has all the credentials to become the future captain.
Milner : 8/10 (MOTM)
Milner has aged like wine as he shows no signs of stopping. He does nothing special but makes so much of an impact. He ran the farthest in the match and popped up everywhere sweeping up anything that Tottenham tried to produce.
Wijnaldum : 7/10
Wijnaldum’s position in the squad was become more and more insecure as Fabinho and Henderson are raring to go. His goals and assists had completely dried up and his defensive output was pretty limited. He opened the scoring today by being in the right place at the right time and he needs to do that often if he wants to continue in the starting line up.
Keita : 6/10
Naby Keita had a very poor outing as made wayward passes and gave away cheap fouls throughout. He needs to get back to his usual self if he wants to lock down a starting spot or as we have seen, Klopp isn’t afraid to drop him.
Salah : 6/10
It was another no-show for Salah as he failed to make an impact in a rather open match. He made several sloppy passes and gave away the possession quite cheaply. Klopp was visibly frustrated with him when he tried to dribble through the entire defence instead of passing to an open man.
Firmino : 8/10
Firmino was a live-wire throughout the game. He often dropped back and won possession several times. He was also ever-present as an option when Liverpool attacked. The Brazilian got his reward when he poked home from a yard out to continue his goal scoring run.
Mane : 7/10
Mane had a decent game and certainly could have done a lot more against a lethargic Tottenham side. The Senegalese himself looked off the pace but was ever present in attack. He made some poor decisions and passed to the wrong person when he had a man wide open on the other side.
All in all Liverpool will take the win. It was pretty scrappy but an away win against a big 6 side is always a positive.
