Liverpool responded to Jurgen Klopp’s call to end his stay on a high as a 4-2 victory over Tottenham further dented Spurs’ hopes of a top-four finish on Sunday.
Mohamed Salah was restored to the Reds’ starting line-up after his public spat with Klopp last weekend and opened the floodgates. Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott were also on target as Liverpool kept its Premier League title hopes mathematically alive.
Richarlison and Son Heung-min replied late on for Tottenham, but the damage to its chances of Champions League football next season was already done.
Klopp’s men are guaranteed to finish no lower than third and closed the gap on leader Arsenal to five points with two games remaining.
Tottenham has now lost four consecutive games to leave Ange Postecoglou’s men still seven points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa with just nine left to play for.
Tottenham realistically needs to win all of its three remaining games, including at home to title-chasing Manchester City, to have any hope of reeling in Villa.
But on this form, it may even struggle to see off Burnley and Sheffield United as Spurs have collapsed after a highly promising start to Postecoglou’s reign.
The Australian admitted after a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Thursday that his message was not getting through to his players and there was no reaction from the visitors until it was too late.`
Salah had a war of words with Klopp on the touchline as he prepared to enter as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 draw at West Ham last weekend that sounded the death knell for Liverpool’s title ambitions.
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It had won just two of its last seven games in all competitions, including just one in its previous five in the league. Salah’s drop-off in form since being injured at the Africa Cup of Nations has been a major factor.
But he scored his first goal from open play in nine games to inspire a Liverpool display far more in keeping with the quality showing that had got them into the title race in the first place.
Gakpo’s cross to the back post picked out Salah completely unmarked and Guglielmo Vicario’s weak hand failed to keep out his header on 16 minutes.
Klopp will take charge at Anfield just one more time when Wolves visit on the final day of the season.
The Liverpool support was keen to savour the occasion as Klopp’s name reverberated around the stadium and his players responded by finding their form after a difficult few weeks.
Robertson got the second goal Liverpool’s dominance deserved before the break when he tapped in the rebound after Salah’s initial effort was parried by Vicario.
Tottenham was just as poor at the start of the second period to take its tally of goals conceded in the last four games to 13.
Gakpo’s precise header from Elliott’s cross found the bottom corner on 50 minutes. Elliott then scored the goal of the game when he blasted into the top corner from outside the box.
Postecoglou introduced Richarlison and James Maddison as part of a triple change on the hour mark and the visitor was transformed in the final stages.
Richarlison swept home Brennan Johnson’s cross and then teed up Son to score for the fifth consecutive game against Liverpool. Alisson Becker needed to produce a vital stop from Richarlison to prevent a grandstand finish in seven minutes of added time.
Liverpool’s defensive lapses showed why it still needs a miracle collapse by Arsenal and Manchester City in the final fortnight of the season to have any chance of ending Klopp’s nine-year stay as Premier League champions.
But Tottenham’s response was too little, too late to help its ambitions of joining the Reds in the Champions League next season.
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