Chronicle Editor
LONDON — Liverpool’s spluttering attack burst back to life to help the champions return to winning ways with a commanding 3-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Thursday.
Goals from Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane capped a dominant display by Jurgen Klopp’s side whose first league win since December 19 sent them back into the top four.
Firmino’s effort in first-half stoppage time ended Liverpool’s barren run of 482 minutes without a league goal.
Alexander-Arnold doubled their lead in the 47th minute before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg lashed in his first goal for Tottenham a minute later to give the hosts hope.
With Tottenham’s defence unravelling, Mane struck again for Liverpool in the 65th minute and there was no coming back for Jose Mourinho’s side who lost talisman Harry Kane to injury.
Liverpool’s seventh successive win over Spurs in all competitions moved into fourth spot with 37 points from 20 games, four points behind leaders Manchester City who have played a game less. Tottenham, who could have gone above Liverpool with a win, stay sixth with 33 points.
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hopes that centre back Joel Matip’s injury is not as serious as initially feared, but said the club will look for solutions to their defensive injury crisis before the transfer window deadline on Monday.
With senior centre backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez already ruled out with long-term injuries, Klopp was dealt another setback after Matip was forced off in Thursday’s 3-1.
Klopp said he was still waiting for the scan results on Matip’s ankle ligament injury but ruled out defensive stand-in Fabinho for Sunday’s trip to West Ham United.
Thursday’s win was Liverpool’s first in six Premier League games and left them fourth in the table on 37 points from 20 games.
Klopp has maintained champions Liverpool will be financially responsible in the transfer market, due to the economic situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but said the club is working tirelessly to find a defensive solution in the coming days.
“I’m not sure there’s an £80 million ($110 million) centre back available at the moment,” Klopp said. “A player of this calibre, I’m not sure teams would sell them now.
“It’s the same situation as before, we work on this. If we don’t sleep, we work.
“Everything is long-term, usually. It’s about solutions and that’s what we are working on.”
Reuters “There are still glimmers of hope that it’s (Matip’s injury) not that serious, so no we don’t have the final result. We will know more in three or four hours hopefully,” Klopp told a news conference on Friday.
“Fabinho no chance for the weekend.”
Brazil midfielder Fabinho, who has filled in at the back with several defenders out injured, was ruled out with a muscle injury against Spurs.
Midfielder Jordan Henderson took charge of the defensive line, with Nat Phillips coming on for Matip at halftime. – Reuters
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