The Reds are “clear favorites” to win the Premier League title, according to Gary Neville, who also advised Liverpool on which team to “watch” out for.
The Reds ripped right through Tottenham and will now sit at the top of the Premier League table on Christmas Day.
Liverpool will go into Christmas four points clear at the top of the Premier League table and with a game in hand after they thrashed Tottenham 6-3 on Sunday.
The Reds’ opener came halfway through the first half. Luis Diaz was in acres of space after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant cross from the right channel, and the Colombian headed past Fraser Forster to put his team ahead.
Liverpool had a second ten minutes prior to the interval. Dominik Szoboszlai was going up for the floated cross when Archie Gray and Djed Spence collided with Andy Robertson’s throw, and Alexis Mac Allister beat Forster to the loose ball to push home.
Tottenham did, however, retaliate before halftime. James Maddison took possession and fired one past Alisson from just beyond the box after Mac Allister lost possession to Dejan Kulusevski halfway inside his own half.
Goalkeeper & Defence
Alisson (6/10):
Couldn’t do much about Tottenham’s goals, though he did concede three of them. Brought some cheers from the away end by turning Brennan Johnson and made an excellent save to keep out Johnson late in the day.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (9/10):
What a player, whew. Every ball he struck was with such precision and intent, totally deserving of his assist. Liverpool need to sort his contract saga out as soon as possible – it would be a disaster if he started next season at Real Madrid instead.
Joe Gomez (7/10):
Silently solid once again in the absence of Ibrahima Konate. Never too troubled when having to cover Alexander-Arnold up against Son, while was hardly of blame for Spurs’ strikes.
Virgil van Dijk (6/10):
Harsh critics would accuse the Liverpool captain of toning down the intensity when Liverpool were way out in front but threatening to cave in. To be truthful, he was largely fine and unable to realistically do a lot about Spurs’ goals.
Andy Robertson (6/10):
The Scot was in dire need of a steady showing after a torrid season by his own standards to this point. To Robertson’s credit, he nullified the tandem of Kulusevski and Porro, then came up with a delicious ball for Liverpool’s second goal. However, allowing Johnson to win the header for Solanke’s goal goes down as a blemish.
Midfield
Ryan Gravenberch (9/10):
Pretty much unstoppable in the midfield battle. Tottenham players bounced right off the Dutchman with a whimper and he breezed past them with such ease.
Alexis Mac Allister (8/10):
Gave Liverpool some breathing space with their second goal of the evening, before putting them in trouble when robbed of possession leading to Maddison’s strike before the break. Nonetheless a fine performance. Subbed off for Jones with Liverpool 5-1 up.
Dominik Szoboszlai (9/10):
One of the Hungarian’s best-ever performances for the Reds, crashing the box with force and giving the rugged Dragusin quite the physical battle too. Cautioned for tugging Bissouma.
Attack
Mohamed Salah (10/10):
You think you’ve seen it all from Salah, and then he goes and delivers a masterclass like this. The scary layer to his performance is it felt he hardly got out of second gear, and now the first player in Premier League history to register double figures of goals and assists in a season before Christmas. An utterly ludicrous player and a modern-day legend. Given a rest when taken off for Elliott.
Luis Diaz (9/10):
Took up the invitation to run at Tottenham’s extremely high line, and without a quick defender like Micky van de Ven to pin him back, Diaz had the freedom of Tottenham High Road. A fine striker’s goal got Liverpool off the mark. Came off for Nunez towards the end.
Cody Gakpo (6/10):
Liverpool were feasting all day long, though Gakpo seldom got in on that act despite being afforded space to gallop into by Porro. That’s the beauty of the Reds though, even if one player has a so-so performance they will still be fine. Booked for a cynical foul on Sarr and replaced by Jota.
At Christmas, Slot’s side is four points ahead.
Chelsea and Arsenal are part of the pursuit group.
Neville anticipates that the crown will end up at Anfield.
WHAT OCCURRED?
Arne Slot’s squad secured a stunning 6-3 victory at Tottenham on the road, guaranteeing them a four-point lead at the top on Christmas Day. Although Chelsea is their closest opponent, they lost a 0-0 draw at Everton and have played more games than other Merseyside domestic rivals.
THE LARGER IMAGE
After an astonishing 5-1 victory against Crystal Palace, Arsenal is also in the running, but defending champions Manchester City have lost 12 points and are currently in seventh place after a record of just one victory in 12 games across all competitions.
NEVILLE’S COMMENTS
Neville, a former Manchester United player who won eight championships during his playing career, stated on his Sky Sports podcast about the struggle for dominance in the English top flight: “Liverpool is unquestionably the best team in the Premier League right now.”
They are the obvious favorites to win the championship. Man City’s decline has been amazing, and I doubt anyone truly understands how everything went so horribly wrong. Despite having a difficult game [against Everton], Chelsea is performing well and enjoying their season.
“If Liverpool can get their act together and close that gap in March and April, I believe that’s the one team they should keep an eye on.” However, Liverpool is currently the overwhelming favorite. Their greatest risk, in my opinion, is injury; it would be detrimental to them if they lost [Mohamed] Salah and [Virgil] van Dijk. Van Dijk keeps everything together, much like Rodri does for Liverpool. Maintaining his fitness is vitally important.
“There are some significant obstacles ahead, so we’re not even close to giving Liverpool the championship, but they’re in a strong position and the table indicates that they are currently the league’s best team.”
UP NEXT?
Liverpool will return to action on Boxing Day when they host struggling Leicester. Liverpool is also through to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, making good progress in the Champions League, and will start their FA Cup campaign in January.
