An occasionally careless 4-2 victory at Anfield saw Mohamed Salah finally find his form, but sadly too late for Liverpool’s Premier League title chances. Tottenham was trounced.
A week prior, the focus was entirely on the Egyptian player off the pitch. His heated remarks in the mixed zone, which did little to diffuse the tension, stemmed from his touchline argument with Jurgen Klopp.
Salah, however, was back to his previous level after suffering a hamstring injury in January. He played well right away, scoring the first goal to tie the club record for goals scored versus Spurs.
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As they left the pitch at halftime, he gave makeshift left-back Emerson Royal such a rough time that teammate Cristian Romero singled him out. Goalie Guglielmo Vicario kept the two goalies apart. He also set up goals for Andy Robertson and Harvey Elliott.
Romero was not without fault, either, as Cody Gakpo easily outjumped him for Liverpool’s third goal, even though he seemed to be the only Tottenham defender prepared to put his body in the way.
The wild celebration at Anfield on the eve of Klopp’s second-to-last game as manager only surpassed the chaos within the Spurs ranks.
Though confidence was back on track, it was all for naught because Aston Villa’s loss earlier in the day had already guaranteed third place, and the celebrations were tinged with sadness over a chance lost in the title fight.
When the run-in was crucial, where was Salah’s and the team’s form against Crystal Palace, Everton, and West Ham?
Liverpool, five points behind leaders Arsenal, suffered irreversible damage in the final two weeks of April.
Naturally, things are simpler when there is less pressure, but how those supporters would prefer to enjoy a final push to the finish line rather than attempting to savour every last second with their cherished boss.
In the same two weeks, Tottenham’s season collapsed as well. They have now lost four straight games, giving up 13 goals while scoring only four, and have not been able to capitalise on Villa’s mistakes.
SEE: Mohammed Kudus’ West Ham suffered a 5-0 defeat against Chelsea
With three games remaining and seven points behind fourth place, their chances of qualifying for the Champions League currently appear slim. They run a higher risk of falling behind Newcastle.
Although their record at Anfield—two victories in the Premier League era and none since 2011—did not give them much cause for optimism, their mission was rendered impossible by the disarray and seeming indifference inside their ranks.
