We break down the key talking points from the high-scoring Premier League clash at Anfield between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool survived a late fightback from Tottenham to earn a 4-2 win in the Premier League at Anfield, having taken a deserved 4-0 lead before the hour.

Liverpool 4-2 Tottenham

Premier League (36), Anfield
May 5, 2024

Goals

Salah 16′ (assist – Gakpo)
Robertson 45′ (assist – Salah)
Gakpo 50′ (assist – Elliott)
Elliott 59′ (assist – Salah)
Richarlison 72′
Son 77′

Set to an upbeat atmosphere on an Anfield flag day, Liverpool started well as they controlled the tempo against Spurs, with a burst of early chances seeing them go close to an opener.

Harvey Elliott sent Mohamed Salah through for an effort saved by Guglielmo Vicario, with Cristian Romero then blocking on the line for the young midfielder’s follow-up.

Salah soon broke the deadlock, drifting into space to meet Cody Gakpo‘s perfect lofted ball and head through Vicario for 1-0 – his first goal in five league games.

There were penalty appeals as Gakpo was tripped and Romero appeared to handle in the box, while chance after chance after chance showed Liverpool’s dominance – though there was the familiar sense that another goal was needed.

It eventually came from a usually unlikely source in Andy Robertson, who tapped into an empty net after a one-two of sorts with Salah that saw Vicario push it into the left-back’s path for a second goal in as many games!

HT: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham

If Tottenham weren’t aware in the first half that Aston Villa had given up their advantage in the top-four race, they really should have been after half-time.

But they were throttled again throughout the second half, with the outstanding Elliott teeing Gakpo up for Liverpool’s third by pressing the pathetic Emerson Royal and then crossing for the Dutchman to head in.

Elliott then got the goal his afternoon deserved, with Royal standing off Salah to allow a simple lay-off before the No. 19 did the rest, finding space and hammering a strike into the top corner.

The extent of the lead allowed Jurgen Klopp to introduce Stefan Bajcetic for his first senior outing since September, replacing Wataru Endo to rapturous applause.

Spurs grabbed one back through a well-worked move finished by substitute Richarlison, denying a clean sheet Liverpool’s defence – and particularly Jarell Quansah – had deserved.

And then another through Heung-min Son, left in acres of space by the half-arsed Ryan Gravenberch to fire into the bottom corner for 4-2.

Salah should have poked in from three yards out and Trent Alexander-Arnold almost saw his 60-yard shot dip under the crossbar, before a crucial clearance from Joe Gomez kept out a third for Spurs.

Liverpool were able to hold onto their two-goal lead and see the game out, with an eye-catching win worthy of the occasion on Klopp’s penultimate Anfield clash.

TIA Man of the Match: Harvey Elliott

Referee: Paul Tierney

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson (Gomez 64′); Endo (Bajcetic 64′), Elliott (Szoboszlai 83′), Mac Allister (Gravenberch 74′); Salah, Diaz (Nunez 74′), Gakpo

Subs not used: Kelleher, Konate, Bradley, Jones

Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Royal (Skipp 61′); Bissouma, Bentancur (Richarlison 61′); Johnson, Sarr (Lo Celso 75′), Kulusevski (Maddison 61′); Son

Subs not used: Austin, Dragusin, Hojbjerg, Bryan, Moore

Next match: Aston Villa (A) – Premier League – Monday, May 13, 8pm (BST)

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Liverpool beat Tottenham 4-2 at Anfield to condemn the visitors to a fourth consecutive loss which leaves their hopes of Champions League qualification hanging by a thread.

The Reds were rampant for the opening hour, with Mohamed Salah, back in the side following his touchline spat with Jurgen Klopp against West Ham, heading them in front early on before Andrew Robertson added a second on the stroke of half-time.

Cody Gakpo then nodded Liverpool's third after the break before Harvey Elliott punished more poor Tottenham defending with a stunning fourth from long range soon afterwards.

Ange Postecoglou's side rallied to halve the deficit thanks to goals from substitute Richarlison and Heung-Min Son.

But in the end it was another painful afternoon for Spurs, who have lost four Premier League games in a row for the first time in 20 years and remain seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with only three games left to play.

For Liverpool, out of the title-race picture in third place, the result at least raised hopes of a positive finish to Klopp's final campaign in charge.

How Liverpool overpowered poor Spurs

Salah's return to the Liverpool team was the dominant talking point ahead of kick-off and the Egyptian was in the thick of the action from the start, hitting the bar with a cross-shot and seeing a low effort repelled by Guglielmo Vicario before he scored the opener.

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Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool's opening goal

His header, from Cody Gakpo's cross, was well-taken at the far post but it was poor from Tottenham's perspective, with makeshift left-back Emerson Royal leaving him unmarked.

Team news: Salah return

• Mohamed Salah started for Liverpool following his touchline spat with Jurgen Klopp in the draw with West Ham.
• Richarlison was dropped by Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, with Rodrigo Bentancur starting.

Liverpool continued to target the Brazilian, with Salah receiving plenty of support from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Elliott. Their second goal, after Spurs had survived a succession of other Liverpool chances, came from another attack down that side.

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Andrew Robertson followed up on Salah's parried shot for the second

Robertson cleverly directed Alexander-Arnold's cross into the path of Salah initially, and when the winger's low, first-time effort was parried by Vicario, the left-back was on hand to convert the rebound, with the hapless Emerson playing him onside.

Tottenham defenders Emerson and Cristian Romero had to be separated by Vicario as tensions threatened to boil over as they walked off at the interval, and Spurs continued to collapse in the second half.

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Cody Gakpo got on the end of Harvey Elliott's probing cross for the third

Emerson was partly at fault again as the excellent Elliot curled a stunning long-range effort into the top corner from 25 yards out soon after crossing for Gakpo to head the third.

It looked like a miserable afternoon could get even worse for Tottenham at that point as Liverpool continued to enjoy Klopp's penultimate home game as manager, but the visitors made the scoreline respectable with two goals in the space of five minutes.

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Harvey Elliott struck a brilliant fourth goal

Richarlison scored the first, converting from Brennan Johnson's low cross, before teeing up Heung-in Son to mark his 300th Premier League appearance with a goal in a fifth consecutive Premier League game against Liverpool.

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Richarlison converted from close range to score Tottenham's first

Those strikes added intrigue to the closing stages. Liverpool were indebted to substitute Joe Gomez for making a crucial, goal-line clearance to prevent Johnson from adding a Spurs third, but, that incident aside, the hosts looked the more likely scorers.

Salah had a goal chalked off for offside, substitutes Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai spurned good chances, and Alexander-Arnold saw an audacious long-range effort drop just over the bar, but four goals were more than enough in the end.

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Heung-Min Son scored Spurs' second

Liverpool move to 78 points in third, four behind second-placed Manchester City, while Tottenham are now looking over their shoulders, only four points ahead of sixth-placed Newcastle with three games still to play.

What's next?

Liverpool feature on Monday Night Football at Aston Villa on May 13, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 8pm. Jurgen Klopp's final match in charge comes at Anfield against Wolves on Sunday May 19, kick-off 4pm.

Tottenham have three matches left to confirm European football for next season. They host Burnley on Saturday May 11 at 3pm before title-chasing Manchester City visit on Tuesday May 14, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 8pm. Spurs finish the season at Sheffield United on May 19, kick-off 4pm.

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Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal clashed at half-time with Spurs 2-0 down, as Guglielmo Vicario wedged himself between the pair to avoid the spat spilling over.

Liverpool U21s produced a remarkable comeback to win their Premier League 2 play-off at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon

Liverpool U21s produced a remarkable comeback to win their Premier League 2 play-off at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon

Jurgen Klopp has named his XI for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday

Jurgen Klopp has named his XI for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday

Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Jurgen Klopp's penultimate match at Anfield as manager

Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Jurgen Klopp's penultimate match at Anfield as manager

Our writers pick their teams for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in the Premier League

Our writers pick their teams for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in the Premier League

The Jürgen Klopp era is almost over at Liverpool. In just two weeks’ time, Anfield will be preparing to bid farewell to one of the most influential managers in its history.

Klopp takes in his penultimate home game later today as Tottenham arrives on Merseyside. With just three matches remaining this season, the German will be determined to end his time at the club on a high, especially after recent disappointing results.

Arne Slot looks set to be the man to take the reins after Klopp. The current Feyenoord boss insisted on Friday that a deal had not yet been finalized, although he remains confident he will become the next Liverpool boss.

READ MORE: Liverpool team vs Tottenham predicted as Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez decisions made

READ MORE: The five players Liverpool could be without vs Tottenham amid major Virgil van Dijk doubt

And it won’t just be the Reds undergoing big changes this summer. Across Europe, there could be some monumental shifts to the footballing landscape.

Bayern Munich is among the clubs looking for a new manager. If the latest reports are to be believed, their search could lead Manchester United to start looking for a new boss as well.

Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the Premier League and across the continent to see what's going on at Liverpool's rivals.

Erik ten Hag on Bayern Munich shortlist

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is one of the candidates being considered to succeed Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich, according to Bild’s Christian Falk. The German club is still on the lookout for a new manager, having also been eyeing up Xabi Alonso along with Liverpool earlier this year.

Now, Bayern’s head of sport Max Eberl is said to be ‘checking’ three or four candidates for the job. Julen Lopetegui and Benfica’s Roger Schmidt join Ten Hag on the shortlist, while Roberto De Zerbi has told Brighton he wants to stay at the club.

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Liverpool.com says: Eberl might want to take a look at some of United’s recent games if he’s seriously considering Ten Hag for the Bayern job. The amount of shots they’ve given up recently would probably have him reconsidering the choice.

The fact Bayern still hasn’t identified its next manager perhaps tells you all you need to know about the options available at the moment. The sooner Liverpool can get Slot over the line and begin preparing for next season, the better.

Chelsea makes contact for Victor Osimhen signing

Chelsea has made initial contact with Napoli about signing Victor Osimhen this summer, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Italian journalist suggests that Romelu Lukaku and another player could be used as part of an offer.

The report comes after Corriere dello Sport claimed earlier this week that Liverpool was eyeing up Osimhen as a potential replacement for Darwin Núñez. The Nigeria international is said to have a $139m (£111m/€130m) clause in his contract.

Liverpool.com says: If Chelsea has to part with Lukaku and another player as part of an offer for Osimhen, that tells you just how much he could end up costing. Would Liverpool really be willing to splash that much cash on a single player when other areas of the squad need addressing? We doubt it.

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Jurgen Klopp will be hoping Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott can lead Liverpool to victory against Tottenham Hotspur

Jurgen Klopp will be hoping Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott can lead Liverpool to victory against Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool will hope to put a difficult April behind it later today. Tottenham make the trip to Anfield in what will be Jürgen Klopp’s penultimate home game in charge.

With just three games remaining, there is little more than pride for the Reds to play for now. Arsenal and Manchester City have pulled ahead in the title race, while next season’s Champions League spot is already wrapped up.

Third place could even be certain before kick-off if Aston Villa drop points at Brighton. Regardless though, Liverpool will want to return to better form before the end of the season, having won just one of its last five league games.

READ MORE: The five players Liverpool could be without vs Tottenham amid major Virgil van Dijk doubt

READ MORE: Jürgen Klopp makes Arne Slot background check as coach lifts lid on secret Liverpool visit

If the Reds are to get back to winning ways, it looks as though they’ll have to do it without Virgil van Dijk. The Liverpool captain missed training during the week, and was only expected to be involved in ‘parts’ of Friday’s session.

Diogo Jota remains out, although Conor Bradley could make a return to the squad after recovering from his recent knock. Meanwhile, there will be plenty of people waiting to see whether Mohamed Salah gets the nod after his outburst at West Ham.

With his team not in the best form at the moment, Klopp will face some big decisions with his side this afternoon. These are the teams that some of our Liverpool.com writers would select.

Matt Addison - Mohamed Salah comes back in

There is little riding on this game for Liverpool but I'm still expecting a strong line-up. The back five should pick itself with enough time between games for Ibrahima Konaté to start. The only question is over Virgil van Dijk; if he is missing, I'd go with Joe Gomez in his place as the left-sided center-back.

In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister is a certainty. I'm going with Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones. Normally, I'm a big advocate for Dominik Szoboszlai, but it makes more sense to give Elliott a go here given the pair's recent form. The Hungarian can make do with a place on the bench here, with Elliott deserving of a start.

In the attack, Mohamed Salah's antics last weekend were unacceptable but I'd be surprised if he didn't start here. Luis Díaz is an absolute certainty and then it's a choice between Cody Gakpo and Darwin Núñez given that Diogo Jota is still out. Like with Elliott and Szoboszlai, I'd normally go for Núñez but Gakpo is in the better form at the moment. The Uruguayan can come off the bench.

My starting XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk (Gomez), Robertson; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Díaz

Predicted scoreline: 2-1 to Liverpool.

One thing to watch:Mohamed Salah to score.

James Findlater - Darwin Núñez returns

All eyes will be on Mohamed Salah. Will he start after last week’s bust-up with Jürgen Klopp?

It certainly wasn’t a great look for the Egyptian to be arguing with his manager on the sideline. For me though, I’d be bringing him back into the side. The rest of the forwards don’t really look like scoring at the moment, so it’s a bit of a no-brainer to bring your top scorer back into the side.

I’d also be bringing Darwin Núñez back in. Again, he hasn’t been in the best of form recently, but if you’re selecting the strongest Liverpool side, then he makes it.

Then again, Virgil van Dijk looks as though he’ll be missing, so this won’t be Klopp’s strongest team. I’d be going with Ibrahima Konaté and Jarell Quansah at the heart of the defense in the captain’s absence.

In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister is a certainty, but who do you put with him? The rest of the engine room hasn’t been in great form, which makes things much more difficult.

Since he had to make do with a place on the bench at West Ham, I’d recall Dominik Szoboszlai and give him a chance to rediscover some form before the end of the season. Ryan Gravenberch hasn’t done too badly when called upon recently, so he can retain his place.

My starting XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Quansah, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Núñez, Díaz

Predicted scoreline: 2-1 to Liverpool.

One thing to watch: Mohamed Salah to get back to scoring ways.

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With just three games remaining, there is little more than pride for Liverpool to play for now. With Tottenham visiting Anfield this afternoon though, some revenge might be in order as well.

The Reds’ title hopes are all but over now. Just one win in the last five league games has seen Liverpool fall behind Manchester City and Arsenal, with Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta set to battle it out over the last couple of weeks.

With their Champions League place for next season already secured as well, it looks as though a third-place finish is the last thing to wrap up. A win today, or even Aston Villa dropping points at Brighton beforehand, could make that a reality.

READ MORE: Jürgen Klopp makes Arne Slot background check as coach lifts lid on secret Liverpool visit

READ MORE: Liverpool 'wants Pep Lijnders return' as Jürgen Klopp assistant's next step after exit clear

But as Jürgen Klopp prepares for his penultimate game at Anfield, he’ll no doubt be eager to go out on a high. Not only that, but he’ll want to claim a win over today’s opponent after the injustice in north London earlier in the season.

Klopp hasn’t forgotten what occurred at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in September. Who knows what effect Luis Díaz’s goal could have had on the season had it been rightfully awarded.

The Reds therefore will be eager to exact some revenge for that 2-1 defeat. They look like they’ll have to do it without their captain though.

Virgil van Dijk is a major doubt for today’s game, having missed training during the week. Klopp suggested on Friday that the defender could have been involved in ‘parts’ of that day’s session, but it seems unlikely he’ll be in action today.

Diogo Jota also remains out, although he will hopefully make a return before the end of the season. Conor Bradley though could make a return to the squad, having been back in training following a short lay-off. Joël Matip, Thiago Alcântara and Ben Doak remain on the sidelines.

All eyes will be on whether Mohamed Salah starts after his heated exchange with Klopp at West Ham last weekend. The Liverpool boss has insisted that the matter has been resolved, so it’s likely we could see the Egyptian return to the starting line-up.

With Jota out, it will probably be a straight battle between Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo to start up front. Luis Díaz should start as usual on the left.

Alexis Mac Allister is an almost certainty in midfield, but the rest of the engine room is a bit of a guess. It certainly hasn’t been performing too well recently, although having been named on the bench at West Ham, Dominik Szoboszlai could be in line for a return.

With Van Dijk likely to be missing, it will be between Ibrahima Konaté, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah to start at the heart of the defense. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Alisson Becker will take their usual spots in the side.

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Jurgen Klopp opens up about his nine years in charge at Liverpool as he speaks to Sky Sports' Vicky Gomersall ahead of his penultimate home game in charge at the club.

Latest Liverpool news and gossip as Chris Sutton and Paul Merson have handed out their predictions for the Reds' Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur

Latest Liverpool news and gossip as Chris Sutton and Paul Merson have handed out their predictions for the Reds' Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur