EPL 2016-17: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur, Player ratings
Liverpool got their first Premier League win of 2017 as a brilliant first half performance saw them beat Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. The Reds had fallen out of the race for the title after a poor January but Sadio Mane showed why the Merseyside club wanted him back from the African Cup of Nations early.
A brace from the former Southampton man was coupled with a really poor performance by the away side which would have worried Mauricio Pochettino. The win certainly took the pressure off the Reds as they look to mount a challenge for the top four while Spurs will be now looking behind their shoulders as they let go of a chance to close the gap on Chelsea.
We look back at the game and share the player ratings for both sides.
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet – 7.5/10
There was speculation that the Belgian would be dropped for Loris Karius but Mignolet did well in the game and kept a low drive from Son Heung-Min out in the first half. Mignolet wasn’t really troubled all that much in the second half either as he recorded a rare clean sheet.
Nathaniel Clyne – 7.5/10
Clyne was his usual self in defence and attack for Liverpool. The former Saint joined in the attack in the first half but retreated back when needed to keep Tottenham out of the game.
Joel Matip – 7/10
Matip still looks a little rusty after coming back to the Liverpool team. While he did do well in keeping Harry Kane on a leash, there were a couple of mistakes which didn’t prove to be too costly for him and the team.
Lucas Leiva – 8/10
Liverpool fans might have broken a sweat seeing the Brazilian starting as a centre-back but Lucas was excellent in the game and dealt with everything that was thrown at him. Dejan Lovren wasn’t really all that missed but there is some concern as Lucas was substituted due to injury.
James Milner – 7.5/10
The Englishman was his energetic self as the left-back and joined Philippe Coutinho in the attack down the left flank for the Reds. He didn’t really have a lot of trouble dealing with Christian Eriksen either in the second half and had a pretty comfortable night.
Jordan Henderson – 7/10
The Liverpool captain was like a metronome in the first half as he kept on pinging the passes around and didn’t give the visitors a minute to rest. His second half performance was a little more restraint, though, and he was involved in a few squabbles with the likes of Victor Wanyama and Dele Alli, but he had a decent night.
Georginio Wijnaldum – 7/10
The Dutch midfielder provided a brilliant ball to Sadio Mane for the first goal of the game and he certainly gave Liverpool more in the midfield that the more defensive minded Emre Can.
Adam Lallana – 8/10
Adam Lallana might not have gotten a goal but the Englishman was everywhere and certainly up for the battle. Passing, running and tackling any player that wore white, Lallana epitomised what a player in Klopp’s team does and boy did he do it well.
Sadio Mane – 9/10
Mane was a beast in the first half and should have had a hat-trick before the 30-minute mark. He had two brilliant goals and was a thorn in the Spurs defence. Liverpool will expect the Senegalese to keep playing at this level for the remainder of the season as they look for a top four finish.
Philippe Coutinho – 7/10
The Brazilian looked a little rusty at the start but had a good chance to score in the first half but his effort was well blocked by Toby Alderweireld. He was wide again in the second half but the damage was already done by the Reds in the first forty-five.
Roberto Firmino – 7/10
Roberto Firmino was another player that worked his socks off for Liverpool at the tip of the attack. The Brazilian might not have scored but he too, like Lallana, made it difficult for the Tottenham players to build something from the back.
Substitutes
Emre Can – 6/10
The German provided Liverpool with a battling presence in the second half as they looked to close out Tottenham.
Ragnar Klavan – 7/10
Klavan got a few minutes under his belt as Liverpool ensured they kept a clean sheet.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – NA
The young right-back was brought on during injury time and didn’t have any time to do much in the game.