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Liverpool were coming off from a 100 percent record in the campaign whereas Spurs threw their perfect start to the league when they lost to Watford last time out. Mauricio Pochettino's side needed three points to keep up the pace at the top of the table whereas Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool wanted to make it five out of five.
Spurs completely outplayed Liverpool last time around in this fixture, but since then the Reds have had the meanest defense in the league keeping the most number of clean sheets. Everything was in place for a mouthwatering Saturday lunchtime clash at Wembley as it had been in the past.
Spurs were without their two key players - club captain Hugo Lloris and midfielder Dele Ali while Liverpool were in their full team with no such injury concerns. The game started in lighting speed, and Liverpool immediate came out of the blocks with Firmino putting the ball into the net only to be ruled out for offside.
It was an end to end start in the first quarter of the match. Both the teams were so inclined to press that they were losing the ball far too quickly. A horrible back pass by Dier handed Mo Salah an opportunity to score, but Vorm saved his shot in goal.
After an initial threat by Liverpool, Spurs slowly got into the match and kept better of the ball creating few half chances of their own which raised the volume around Wembley.
Liverpool drew first blood when Vorm made a mess from a corner and Wijnaldum headed in via the goal line technology. Both the teams went into the halftime with Liverpool having their noses slightly ahead, and little could be argued about their deserved lead based on how the game panned out for the visitors in the opening half.
Tottenham kept digging themselves into holes, and they looked unsure on the ball time and again. Dembele's poor touch provided Salah with another opportunity to run at Spurs goal, and he found Mane whose shot was saved by Vorm. Lucas Moura was the only player who looked sharp on the pitch for Tottenham, and he was unlucky when his shot hit the side of the post.
Liverpool doubled their lead through Firmino when Vorm again made a mess to hold on the ball. The Reds had a chance to increase their lead further when Keita's shot parried over the bar by the Spurs goalkeeper. Though Liverpool had numerous opportunities to put the game beyond Tottenham's reach, they failed to increase their lead nevertheless.
Spurs made a late surge to come back into the match and their efforts made off when Eric Lamela pulled one back for the London side, but it was too late to salvage a point from the game. Liverpool deservedly won the match and maintained their position at the top of the pile.
Here are the three talking points from the game at Wembley:
#3 Klopp's Wembley curse broken
Jurgen Klopp's previous three visits to Wembley have all ended in defeats - One Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund, The League Cup final with Liverpool and the last season thrashing against Spurs. But Jurgen Klopp's side came into this game with their confidence sky high, and they passed their biggest test of the season so far with flying colors.
It was just the start Jurgen Klopp wanted from the first game of the grueling round of fixtures that follows which will be a confidence booster going into their next match against PSG in the Champions League.
#2 Problems for Pochettino
The 0-3 victory at Old Trafford is looking like a long time ago for Spurs at the moment. Pochettino heavily criticized the players after their laid-back second-half performance against Watford which saw them throw a one-goal lead and eventually the game.
But against Liverpool, they looked disjointed and confused. There were miss passes, poor touches and hardly any control on the game. Liverpool dominated from the proceedings, and despite few moments of brilliance by Lucas Moura, there was hardly any notable contribution from any of the Spurs players. Hugo Lloris's absence was felt with Vorm partially responsible for both of Liverpool goals.
Tottenham Hotspur is mired with controversies outside the football pitch with poor transfer market and stadium issues. They have a pretty decent game of fixtures coming up which they are expected to win as any hiccups could further dent their title-winning hopes.
#1 A five-star for Liverpool
If any Liverpool fan wanted a reason to get excited, they should be now. Not only the team is winning, but the way they are managing things on the pitch is highly professional. This Liverpool team is different than any that we have seen for years. There is a composure about them both in attack and defense.
Last season, they could have thrown away a two-goal lead, but the situation is different now. After going 0-2 up, the Reds showed mental strength and belief to hold onto that lead. Though things got a bit scary in the end, they managed to carve out a win. It's a message to the entire Premier League, they aren't looking to mess around this campaign and want to keep hold of that top position till the end.
