Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes were already over, but Harvey Elliott breathed new life into his hopes of making the England squad for Euro 2024 by playing a starring role in Sunday’s entertaining 4-2 win over Tottenham.
Much of the build-up to this Premier League clash understandably focused on Mohamed Salah, after the Egyptian’s row with Jurgen Klopp in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with West Ham, and the Egyptian opened the scoring at Anfield to great acclaim.
However, it was Elliott who stole the show after Andy Robertson had given Liverpool a deserved 2-0 lead, with the Englishman creating the third goal for Cody Gakpo with a sublime cross before putting the outcome beyond all doubt with a stunning strike into the top corner of the Tottenham goal.
The woeful visitors did manage to pull a couple of goals back late on through Richarlison and Son Heung-min, as Jurgen Klopp began to make changes in his penultimate game at Anfield as Liverpool manager, but the Merseysiders held on easily enough to claim a morale-boosting victory.
GOAL rates all of the Liverpool players on show as Tottenham’s faint hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League went up in smoke…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Alisson Becker (6/10):
Pretty much nothing to do during the first half other than pick out a couple of passes, but got down quickly to deal with Johnson’s header shortly after the restart. Nothing he could have done about either goal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10):
As ever, a great outlet down the right flank but also deserves credit for completely nullifying Johnson before the Welshman was moved to the opposite wing.
Jarell Quansah (5/10):
Strong in the air and in the tackle, while the youngster also made a splendidly timed tackle on Son early in the second half. However, he completely lost Richarlison for the Brazilian’s goal.
Virgil van Dijk (6/10):
Stopped Son in his tracks when called upon during the first half, but is struggling to command a defence that hasn’t kept a clean sheet since March and was fortunate not to be punished after playing an unmarked Richarlison onside late on.
Andy Robertson (8/10):
Just like Alexander-Arnold, always willing to bomb forward, so it came as no surprise to see him get on the scoresheet, after following up a rebound from a Salah shot that he had teed up. Also played a fantastic cross-field ball in the build-up to the fourth goal.
Source Goal.com