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Dramatic late win over Spurs puts Liverpool back on top

Liverpool kept their title hopes alive as a 90th-minute Toby Alderweireld own goal gave them a 2-1 home win over Spurs and took them back to the top of the Premier League.

The game looked to have been heading for a draw that would have handed a big advantage to Manchester City but, when Mohamed Salah‘s header across was fumbled by Hugo Lloris, the ball rolled in off the unfortunate Alderweireld.

Roberto Firmino had given Liverpool a perfect start, heading home early on, but Lucas Moura levelled from close range after the break and Spurs missed a glorious opening to win it before the dramatic finale.

Spurs started brightly and Harry Kane fed Lucas Moura, who was crowded out as he attempted to engineer the space to shoot.

But Liverpool eased any nerves with the breakthrough after 16 minutes, striking in style when Andy Robertson curled in a wonderful cross that was headed home by Firmino.

They could have doubled that lead soon afterwards, Trent Alexander-Arnold lashing just off target and Sadio Mane curling wide after slick build-up.

The momentum was now firmly with Liverpool, who threatened again when Firmino played the ball through to Mohamed Salah, who was thwarted by a Davinson Sanchez challenge.

Danny Rose came forward for Spurs and crossed dangerously, and at the other end Sanchez made another good intervention as Firmino threatened to wriggle clear.

Dele Alli and Eriksen worked a neat one-two, the former firing over, before Mane was within a whisker of adding to the Liverpool lead with a curling effort that was fractionally wide.

Virgil van Dijk made a key interception as Erikson looked to pick out Alli, Liverpool going in at the break with a narrow advantage as they looked to return to the top of the table.

Eriksen shot over and Van Dijk sent a header too high in a lively start to the second half, with Spurs beginning to enjoy plenty of possession inside the Liverpool half.

James Milner crossed for Firmino who could not keep his header down, but Spurs were close to of levelling when Kane’s shot was parried by Allison and Robertson’s superb block denied Eriksen.

Salah raced onto a Firmino through ball but saw his strike blocked by Alderweireld, and soon afterwards the Egypt international tried his luck from the edge of the box only to send his fizzing effort too high.

Spurs replaced Sanchez with Son Heung-Min, and within seconds they had a 70th-minute leveller, Moura firing in after Kane, Kieran Tripper and Eriksen had combined to steer the ball across the Liverpool box.

As the hosts looked to regain the lead they needed to return to the top, Hugo Lloris tipped over a curling Alexander-Arnold effort and Jurgen Klopp brought Fabinho on for James Milner while Divock Origi replaced Jordan Henderson in a double change.

That saw Liverpool adopt a 4-2-4 formation for the closing stages, and they almost regained the lead but Lloris grabbed the ball after a frantic scramble from a corner.

Moura was booked for fouling Salah 30 yards out as the home side tried to counter, the free kick hit by Origi and deflected wide, and Spurs then replaced Moura with Ben Davies.

But Spurs should have won it when, in a two-on-one break, Moussa Sissoko ran into the area but fired wildly over with Son waiting in support to his left.

Rose got an attempted cross wrong in another break — but the final word went to Liverpool as Alderweireld’s own goal proved the crucial moment at the Kop end.

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