Tottenham 3-6 Liverpool | Premier League | Five Things We Learned - Diaz, Szoboszlai, Gomez & More
Liverpool were in scintillating form as they destroyed Tottenham Hotspur 6-3 in North London on Sunday.
The Reds dominated from start to finish and ran out comfortable winners thanks to goals from Luis Diaz x2, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah x2.
It was a statement performance that leaves them four points clear of Chelsea and six clear of Arsenal, with a game in hand on both after the Merseyside derby was postponed.
Five Things We Learned
1 - Luis Diaz Adds A Different Dimension As A Number Nine
Eyebrows were raised when Lucho was moved into a central striking role by Arne Slot a few weeks back.
The Colombian has been a nightmare for opposition defences, however, with his physicality, dribbling skills and ability to drop deep and disrupt defensive lines.
On top of that, he has added goals from that position, with the hattrick against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League and the brace against Tottenham on Sunday.
The attack looked as fluid as it has done all season against Ange Postecoglou's team, with the starting trio of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Diaz now seemingly the first choice.
It will be interesting in the coming weeks to see whether Diogo Jota or Darwin Nunez can do anything to disrupt the manager's thinking on that.
2 - Joe Gomez Remains A Key Player For Liverpool
When Ibrahima Konate picked up a knee injury at the end of the 2-0 victory over Real Madrid, there was concern that the Frenchman would be missed.
A series of dominant performances alongside Virgil van Dijk had supporters once again talking up the Frenchman as one of the best in Europe.
In his place, Gomez has leapfrogged Jarell Quansah to be third-choice centre-back and looks back to something near his best form.
Of course, the 27-year-old and Van Dijk formed a formidable partnership during Liverpool's title-winning season of 2019/20, so it should not really be a surprise that he has looked more like his old self.
The England international was strong in his defensive duels against the Lilywhites and dominated the right side, providing Trent Alexander-Arnold with the license to move forward and express himself to great effect.
Gomez's value remains high at Anfield and should not be understated, with him able to offer excellent cover for Konate and in both full-back positions.
3 - Dominik Szoboszlai's Influence Is Growing
The Hungarian captain had received criticism for some lacklustre matches earlier in the season. Whilst his work rate has never been questioned, his quality on the ball and decision-making had not been at the level required.
Over recent weeks, however, he has upped his game, and the match on Sunday was by far his best in a red shirt.
The Spurs' rearguard were unable to cope with his penetrating forward runs where he found himself in behind them time and time again.
A goal and an assist was the least he deserved, and the signs are positive that he will become a hugely influential player for Arne Slot's team.
4 - Defensive Standards Have Dropped Of Late
Whilst the attacking performance of the Reds was something to behold, there did appear to be some complacency at the other end, particularly when the scoreline went to 5-1.
Some lax play led to two quick goals in succession for Spurs, which, whilst didn't impact the three points, was further evidence that defensive levels have dropped a bit over recent weeks.
Liverpool have conceded seven goals in their last three Premier League away matches, something that Slot will be keen to address going forward.
5 - The Reds Are The Real Deal
The performance at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium signalled Liverpool's intent that they are ready to go deep in this title race.
The Reds followed up on last week's gritty 10-man draw with Fulham with a scintillating display of attacking football, sending a huge message to their rivals that they will not be easy to topple this season.
Mature Liverpool Enthusiast. LFC Transfer Room contributor & writer since 2021.