Liverpool stormed four points clear at the top of the Premier League heading into Christmas with a thrilling 6-3 win over Tottenham.
Having been buoyed by Chelsea's earlier draw at Everton, Liverpool took full advantage of the Blues’ slip-up with a dominant display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Spurs did briefly offer hope of a fightback.
Luis Diaz headed Liverpool deservedly ahead in the 23rd minute, turning home Trent Alexander-Arnold's exquisite cross - before Alexis Mac Allister made it 2-0.
James Maddison pounced on a Mac Allister mistake to drag Spurs back into the contest, only for Dominik Szoboszlai to restore Liverpool's two-goal cushion on the stroke of half-time.
Mohamed Salah helped himself to a deserved double early in the second half, though Dejan Kulusevski's volley and Dominic Solanke's close-range prod made matters interesting.
Yet Liverpool's attacking prowess proved too much for Spurs to handle, and Diaz made sure of the points in the 85th minute, meaning
Liverpool will top the tree at Christmas for the first time since the 2020-21 season, while 11th-placed Spurs must lick their wounds ahead of a tough trip to in-form Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
1 - Mohamed Salah is the first player to reach double figures for both goals and assists before Christmas in a Premier League season in the history of the competition. Class. pic.twitter.com/Lg9GNOg2tg
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 22, 2024
Data Debrief: Super Salah
Salah's double made him Liverpool's outright fourth-highest goalscorer of all time, and it was another sensational all-round display from the Premier League's standout performer.
The 32-year-old has also become the first player to reach double figures for both goals and assists before Christmas in a Premier League season in the history of the competition, while this is the sixth Premier League season in which Mohamed Salah has both scored and assisted 10+ goals; the most of any player in the competition's history (overtaking Wayne Rooney's five).
Liverpool have ensured they will top the English top tier on Christmas Day for the 21st time in their history, which is the most of any side. They have gone on to win the title in 11 of those 20 previous seasons.
Spurs gave it their all in attack, and got an impressive five of their nine shots on target, registering 1.25 expected goals. But Liverpool were worthy victors. They finished with 24 attempts, 12 on target and a whopping 4.54 xG.