“Champions” (volume 3)
“Liverpool are tearing it up in London town”
Chapter 25 (of 56) within my latest book on the Mighty Reds of Liverpool sees the Reds “tearing it up in London town” according to Sky TV commentator Peter Drury as they tear apart a truly woeful Tottenham in their own London home with a 3–1 half-time advantage, a 5–1 lead early in the second half, before running out 6–3 winners when quite frankly they could and should have scored double figures in another statement win on their way to a colossal lead at the top of the Premier League by Christmas.
Without further ado, here’s the original article in full, a link to my recently self-published book, a fuller and larger version of the cover that adorns this book and a proud promotion for all three books I’ve published on the football team of my (Mighty) Red heart.
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"Chasing the Impossible and a Sword of Damocles" - link to Amazon
"A final word from The Boss" - link to Amazon
TOTTENHAM 3 (Maddison 41, Kulusevski 72, Solanke 83)
LIVERPOOL 6 (Díaz 23 & 85, Mac Allister 36, Szoboszlai 45+1, Salah 54 & 61)
The calendar year of 2024 has been a remarkable one in the storied history of Liverpool Football Club and providing they continue Arne Slot’s dream 6 months in charge with a win (and hopefully two) from their Christmas fixtures at home to Leicester City and in East London at West Ham, the Mighty Reds will have begun and indeed ended the year at the very pinnacle of English football and top of the Premier League. In the footballing year in between we said an emotional auf wiedersehen to Jürgen Klopp who left a parting gift of memories aplenty as well as the Carabao League Cup trophy and in his stead we granted a cautious welcome to his successor Arne Slot who has smashed expectations to smithereens by winning a remarkable 21 games, drawing 3 and only tasting defeat once in his opening 25 games in all competitions as the latest custodian of the good ship Liverpool and after last evening’s demolition of Tottenham, and in their own London stamping ground too, the Mighty Reds of Liverpool will be top of the tree this Christmas. In the words of Sky TV’s resident commentator Peter Drury they were “tearing it up in London Town” and their fourth goal last evening, yes, their fourth goal, away from home, epitomised the old and the new of this magnificent football team.
Already leading 3–1 and thoroughly dominating a woeful and wide open Tottenham and threatening to score every time they broke at speed through the centre of midfield or particularly via the dancing feet of the Colombian magician Luis Díaz on the left hand side, Andy Robertson starts the move for the fourth goal with a crucial tackle on the edge of the Reds penalty area before releasing Cody Gakpo to maraud through a vacant Tottenham midfield. Robertson, like Gakpo with the ball and Díaz, Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai either side of him, all sprint forward in an overwhelming pincer movement of 5 Liverpool attackers versus only 3 retreating Tottenham defenders and whilst the goal itself was a scruffy tap-in from Salah when he couldn’t miss, it was the initial tackle, the initial forward pass and the determination of so many Liverpool players in red to swarm forward, at breathtaking speed, and the desire to score yet another breakaway and brilliant team goal. One might argue it was the ancient and modern of Liverpool in action, the heavy metal thrill ride of Jürgen Klopp’s glorious reign and Arne Slot’s obvious ethos of organisation, defensive shape and running, running, running. He joked, or was at pains post-match, to point out that at 5–1 he saw players who “think they don’t have to run anymore” and “don’t block crosses anymore” and we can wax lyrical on Liverpool scoring 6 goals away from home and being top of the Premier League and we will, but that’s a Liverpool manager right there, my Liverpool manager, not settling for a dominant victory, not resting on his laurels, and wanting more, wanting perfection, desiring of the absolute best from his team for the city and fans they represent.
Where were we?
Oh yes, a 6–3 demolition of Tottenham!
The first 40 minutes last evening was as dominant and comprehensive a performance from Arne Slot’s Reds as I’ve seen in a season already overflowing with such performances and to be only 2–0 up at this stage was a kind reflection on a rather inept and outclassed Tottenham. Mo Salah hit the crossbar and could have conceivably had an early game hat-trick to his name even before Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered an otherworldly cross for Luis Díaz to expertly and brilliantly head home a 23rd minute opening goal, before the Colombian magician took the time to thank the Liverpudlian for his assist by “shining” his quite perfect right boot in the style of a street urchin and shoe-shine boy from the days of a distant past! Dominik Szoboszlai was central to the second goal on 36 minutes and, continuing a theme for the evening, continued his run into the penalty area from a midfield position to challenge for a loose ball eventually headed home by Alexis Mac Allister and after 40 minutes, the Reds could easily have been 4 or 5 goals to the good and no right minded person would have disputed their dreamlike lead. Alexander-Arnold and Mac Allister then conspired to gift an early Christmas present the way of James Maddison for an undeserved Tottenham goal and with the boss no doubt spitting feathers that his team would only be leading 2–1 at half-time rather than a more fitting 4 or 5 goal advantage, Alexander-Arnold’s clearance from defence was headed on by Szoboszlai in the centre circle to Mo Salah, the Reds had yet another breakaway situation, Szoboszlai didn’t stand and admire his flick on but continued his run into the penalty area, and squeezed a deserved third goal between the legs of Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
3–1 became a more realistic 4–1 with Salah’s tap-in goal on 54 minutes as described above before the Egyptian King became Liverpool’s 4th all-time record goal scorer with another simple enough goal on 61 minutes, but do not discount the supreme and overwhelming dominance this fifth goal showcased or the pass from Cody Gakpo, the first touch and perfect square pass from Dominik Szoboszlai (yes, that man again, bursting into the penalty area) and Salah’s cool finish. Yet another simple looking but sublime team goal. We’ll skip over the two late game consolation Tottenham goals and leave these in the capable hands of the boss as we already know he wasn’t best pleased, and instead revel in the Reds sixth and final goal from Luis Díaz. Once more it looked so simple, from Diogo Jota to an instant control and pass from Dominik Szoboszlai (yes, that man again) to Mo Salah. But here comes yet another runner into the penalty area, this time Luis Díaz, and from an acute angle, he fizzed a perfect first time right footed drive into the far corner of the Tottenham net.
“It’s crazy. It’s fun. It’s six for Liverpool” so exclaimed Sky TV’s Peter Drury, and I make him right on every pun intended score.
So the Reds of Liverpool are top of the Premier League at Christmas with a remarkable 39 points from a possible 48 and only an early season blemish against Nottingham Forest spoiling an otherwise almost perfect 6 months in charge for Arne Slot. 4 points clear of nearest challengers Chelsea, 6 clear of Arsenal and a staggering 12 points distant of a faltering Manchester City, and with a game in hand on all these challengers too. From the very earliest days in his tenure, the new boss has always reiterated he wanted to be judged after 19 games, mid-way through the season and as 2024 turned into a new year. Barring unexpected defeats or dropped points against Leicester City and West Ham, his Reds will reach 18 games played as the chimes of a new year ring out and they should still be atop the highest perch in English football when Manchester United come calling in the first week of January.
Regardless, it’s been one hell of a year to be lucky enough to be bathed in the Mighty Red of Liverpool and against all conceivable wisdom, Arne Slot is driving the club forward at a rapid pace, and making dreamers of us all once again.
Arne’s Afterword
“Until 60, 65 minutes, I really, really, really enjoyed what I saw. Of course, we were caught one time in bringing the ball out from the back and that immediately led to a goal for Tottenham. You think if we would have gone into the dressing room with a 2–1, that would not have done justice to all the chances we had — that’s why I was quite happy with the fact that we scored the 3–1. Then 4–1, 5–1, incredible display. But then you also saw that no matter how much quality players have, if they think they don’t have to run anymore then in this league, especially against Tottenham because they are so good with the ball as well, they immediately start to create, and that’s what they did and they scored two goals. I was happy that the sixth one went in, to be fair”.
“You always prefer to be where we are at the moment than to be in another position in the league table. You know, just as well as I know because I’ve won the league once, how hard it is to win it. You have to keep on going, keep on going. Every three days you have to be on top of your game, every minute of the game. That’s why it is so hard to win it because it’s not always easy to show up every three or four days. We saw last week, in a moment you can get a red card — which was quite a debate afterwards, not by me but by other people — and these things can happen in a season. At Newcastle, at 3–2 up you expect to win it and there was a situation and we drop two points. That’s the Premier League. I didn’t expect Chelsea to drop points today as well, so it can happen in every game and that’s what makes this league so special. That’s why so many people want to see it and that’s why we play at Christmas time”.
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Peace and blessings to you all.