Record-Breaking Liverpool Beat Spurs To Extend Lead
Liverpool made it 38 Premier League games without defeat as Roberto Firmino’s first half goal secured a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspurs on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s men, in search of their first ever Premier League title, are now 16 points clear of nearest challengers Leicester City, who lost 2-1 at home to Southampton earlier in the day.
With 61 points from their opening 21 games, Liverpool have made the best ever start by any side to a Premier League season.
Jose Mourinho sprung a surprise with the selection of 20-year-old Japhet Tanganga ahead of the experienced Jan Vertonghen, and it was the youngster who came to Tottenham’s rescue by blocking Roberto Firmino’s goal-bound effort on the line. Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain’s follow up smacked the post and Spurs were able to clear.
Paulo Gazzaniga in the Tottenham goal showed great reflexes in the 23rd minute to deny Virgil van Dijk from point-blank range following a header from Jordan Henderson’s cross.
Roberto Firmino handed the unbeaten league leaders the initiative when he allowed Mohamed Salah’s pass to run across his body, outwitting Tanganga in the process, before rifling in a powerful strike past Gazzaniga in the 36th minute.
The home side made a positive start to the second half as Lucas Moura smashed a shot at the wrong side of the post in the 47th minute.
Mourinho’s men found some new energy with the introduction of Giovanni Lo Celso, and the hosts forced Liverpool into an error when Georginio Wijnaldum lost possession in a dangerous area of the pitch but Son Heung Min shot well over from a good position in the 74th minute.
