There was very little not to love about Liverpool’s 6-3 thrashing of Tottenham, but was the performance one of champions?
The Reds thumped Spurs in the Premier League on Sunday, on what felt like a significant afternoon in the title race.
There were standouts in every position, not least the record-breaking Mohamed Salah, as Liverpool took advantage of Chelsea‘s 0-0 draw at Everton to stretch their lead at the top to four points with a game in hand.
Here, Henry Jackson (@HenryJackson87) and The Redmen TV’s Dan Clubbe (@dan_clubbe) discuss a stunning win and whether Arne Slot side’s look like champions in waiting.
The good…
DAN: How long have we got?
There were moments where it seemed as though we had reached peak Liverpool this season – the movement, the pressing, the fluidity.
It was the Reds in full flow, poetry in motion.
Szoboszlai, only really praised for his work ethic and engine this season, produced a magnificent performance in every sense of the word.
His took his goal wonderfully and was a constant threat dovetailing with the front line and arriving in the box. Top class.
There was an inevitability about Salah, too, but that doesn’t mean I take for granted yet another match-defining performance. He is the best in the world right now.
For Gomez to step up in the absence of perhaps the most in-form defender in Europe in the manner that he has is remarkable, too.
Given how often he’s been written off, this was another display that further proves his worth to the squad.
As for Trent, it’s baffled me for a while how some people would willingly allow him to leave.
Whatever you think about his situation, how he’s handled it or your love for Conor Bradley, this is a generational footballer who does things not many others on this planet can do time and time again.
TOP AT CHRISTMAS AND WITH BREATHING ROOM!
HENRY: Well, that was some statement!
I’ll admit I was nervous before the game after two league draws in a row, but the performance was sublime.
Before the sloppy Maddison goal, it was Liverpool’s most imperious display of the season, with almost every player catching the eye.
The level of firepower in attack, control and energy in midfield and class at the back were all a joy to watch, barring the odd lapse.
Salah has to be focused on after overtaking Billy Liddell. It’s hard to downplay what a significant achievement that is!
What Mo is doing this season is beyond ridiculous and he should be thought of now as one of the best-ever Premier League players, alongside the likes of Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry.
I thought Diaz was great, too, both on and off the ball, while the travelling fans were in fantastic festive voice throughout.
The bad…
HENRY: I suppose we have to focus on conceding three goals!
It really didn’t feel like that, though, and my main hope is that Virg and the other perfectionists in the group don’t let his happen again for the rest of the season.
Other than that, it was near-perfect.
DAN: Not much. Maybe it should’ve been more comfortable?
We could easily have been out of sight before Spurs mustered a noteworthy effort.
Then, once we were, we inexplicably allowed them to think they had a sniff of a comeback.
As Henry says, perhaps the concession of those goals will serve as a positive in the long run acting as a bit of a reality check.
Stopping short of the complete performance gives us room for improvement.
It is proof that we are still that work in progress and it is certainly something for Slot to analyse and work on to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Are Liverpool the champions-elect?
DAN: Certain elements of this felt a bit like Leicester away in 2019 on Boxing Day – an imperious against a side with loads of threats and the potential to cause a bloody nose.
So, based on that logic, this was a huge statement, especially with further Man City woes and Everton doing us another unlikely favour.
I wouldn’t go as far as singing anything aloud just yet, but in terms of confidence levels, they’re rising, as they should be.
We are some football team.
HENRY: I’m a natural pessimist as a football fan, so I’m wary of being too bullish about Liverpool and then looking stupid in May.
That said, I did feel like I was watching the champions in that first half, in particular.
With injuries easing and the likes of Ali, Trent, Virg, Robbo and Mo having so much experience of title races, it’s hard not to feel very excited.
I do think some are being far too quick to write off Arsenal, though, and they worry me far more than Chelsea.
They are steely and capable of a long winning run, but Saka’s injury could be a huge blow.
But Liverpool are the comfortable favourites and the best team in the country, possessing more attacking firepower than anyone else by a mile.
The fact that we’ve never been able to celebrate a Premier League title win in front of us is cruel, but this lot are really making us dream that that will change in May!
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