Liverpool served up a Christmas cracker as Arne Slot’s team overpowered Tottenham in a wild 6-3 Premier League win in the capital.
Victory on the road moved the Reds four points clear at the top of the EPL rankings after a chaotic afternoon for Slot and his opposite number Ange Postecoglou.
The Reds were in scintillating form from the start, Luis Diaz heading home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s perfect cross to get the ball rolling after 23 minutes.
The one-way traffic continued before the break, as Alexis Mac Allister’s header doubled the visitors’ advantage and Dominik Szoboszlai made it 3-1 with a cool finish either side of James Maddison’s bolt from the blue.
21 – This will be the 21st time Liverpool have been top of the English top-flight on Christmas Day; the most of any side. They’ve gone on to win the title in 11 of those previous 20 seasons (55%). Checkpoint. pic.twitter.com/7BvkZnmAD1
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 22, 2024
The expected Tottenham rally never materialised after the restart. Liverpool simply stepped up a gear, as Spurs’ defence wilted under the pressure.
Mohamed Salah took centre-stage from there on, scoring a close-range quickfire double to bring his EPL tally to 15 goals for the campaign and leave the hosts on the canvas.
Postecoglou’s charges did eventually show a response, as Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke produced a smart finish each to raise hopes of an incredible comeback. That was until Diaz completed the rout in the closing minutes.
While Liverpool can bask in the ecstasy of firing a title message to their rivals, pressure is only mounting on Postecoglou after his team slumped to another heavy defeat.
Tottenham vs. Liverpool final score
| Fulltime | Goal scorers | |
| Tottenham | 3 | Maddison 40′, Kulusevski 72′, Solanke 83′ |
| Liverpool | 6 | Diaz 23′, 85′, Mac Allister 35′, Szoboszlai 45′, Salah 54′, 61′ |
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Referee: Sam Barrott
Keep track of every game and every goal via SN’s live Premier League scoreboard
Starting lineups:
Tottenham (4-3-3, right to left): Forster (GK) — Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence — Sarr (Johnson, 58), Bissouma, Maddison (Bergvall, 58′) —Kulusevski, Solanke, Son (Werner, 82′).
Liverpool (4-3-3, right to left): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson — Mac Allister (Jones, 67′), Gravenberch, Szoboszlai — Salah (Nunez, 87′), Gakpo (Jota, 67′), Diaz (Elliott, 87′).
MORE: All the latest EPL club news | Team-by-team Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings
What a game 😆 pic.twitter.com/PvHAZglgIV
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 22, 2024
Tottenham vs Liverpool stats
| Tottenham | Stat | Liverpool |
| 9 | Shots | 24 |
| 5 | Shots on target | 12 |
| 1.25 | Expected goals | 4.60 |
| 52% | Possession | 48% |
| 525 | Passes | 492 |
| 7 | Corners | 5 |
| 7 | Fouls | 9 |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 4 | Offsides | 4 |
Tottenham vs. Liverpool live updates, highlights, and commentary
FT: TOTTENHAM 3-6 LIVERPOOL
And breathe! Nine goals and an unbelievable show of attacking dominance from Liverpool in North London. Salah sensational and Diaz deadly as Slot’s charges move four points clear at Christmas!
What a game 😆 pic.twitter.com/PvHAZglgIV
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 22, 2024
90+1 mins: Despite the chance of MORE goals, the contest has dipped a little in added time… looks like staying at 6-3!
86 mins: OK… that’s game over: Liverpool make it 6-3!
Jota leads the charge down Liverpool’s left, rolls in Szoboszlai who feeds Salah, and the rampaging Diaz smashes past Forster! Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott are now on for Salah and Diaz — a well-earned break for those two.
VIDEO: Watch Liverpool goal in USA | Watch in Canada
83 mins: Hold on: it’s 5-3!
Could they? Bergvall’s deep cross is nodded back into the six-yard box by Johnson and Solanke pokes past Alisson.
VIDEO: Watch Tottenham goal in USA | Watch in Canada
82 mins: Really sharp goalkeeping from Forster as Alexander-Arnold’s cross deflects past him but the veteran stopper claws it out at the near post.
Forster comes to the hosts’ rescue again to deny Jota. Timo Werner is on for Son.
76 mins: Diaz breaks in behind and tries to lift a bouncing ball over Forster but it lands just over the bar! Spurs fans are already heading for the exit in their thousands.
72 mins: 5-2! Spurs hit back!
It won’t change the final result, but that is a superb finish, Kulusevski volleying Dominic Solanke’s chip past Alisson!
VIDEO: Watch Tottenham goal in USA | Watch in Canada
67 mins: Forster gets down low to keep out a drive from Alexander-Arnold and Sot makes a double substitution. Mac Allister and Gakpo are off and Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones are on.
61 mins: SALAH AGAIN!!!!
Spurs are run ragged and Salah has his second! Gakpo squares across the box to Szoboszlai, who helps it on to Liverpool’s talisman to tuck home his 15th EPL goal of the campaign!
VIDEO: Watch Liverpool goal in USA | Watch in Canada
58 mins: Double change for Spurs: Sarr and Maddison are off, and Lucas Bergvall and Brennan Johnson are on.
54 mins: SALAH MAKES IT 4-1!
All that has been missing from this Liverpool performance has been a Salah goal and the Egyptian duly obliges as Gray cannot cut out Gakpo’s low ball into the box and the Reds’ main man fires home!
Szoboszlai almost makes it five, but he loses his footing inside the box and fires wide.
VIDEO: Watch Liverpool goal in USA | Watch in Canada
50 mins: Same old Spurs struggles, as Liverpool press the hosts back into their own half from the restart, and Djed Spence does well to recover and block off Salah. Szoboszlai is then booked for a foul on Yves Bissouma.
46 mins: Back underway — no changes at the break. Another 45 minutes of that, please!
Halftime: Tottenham 1-3 Liverpool
Time for both sides to catch their breath! Liverpool have been simply sensational in the capital. The brief respite brought about by Maddison was almost immediately ruined, with Arne Slot’s team looking to lay down a festive marker in the Premier League title race!
Ahead at the break 👊🔴 #TOTLIV pic.twitter.com/zHQSdSJj3F
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 22, 2024
45 mins: Liverpool tear through and it’s 3-1!!!
Alexander-Arnold’s long ball forward is not dealt with by the Tottenham defence, Salah races on, and his reverse ball frees Szoboszlai to slide under the onrushing Forster!
VIDEO: Watch Liverpool goal in USA | Watch in Canada
40 mins: INSTANT REPLY FROM SPURS. 2-1!
Liverpool are appealing for a free-kick as Kulusevski crunches into Mac Allister from Alexander-Arnold’s risky pass on the edge of the Reds penalty area, but the rebound is curled home brilliantly by James Maddison! Game on…
VIDEO: Watch Tottenham goal in USA | Watch in Canada
35 mins: 2-0 LIVERPOOL!
Liverpool are rampant. Andy Robertson hangs in a cross from the left, Szoboszlai challenges at the far post, and his knockdown drops perfectly for Alexis Mac Allister to nod past Forster!
VIDEO: Watch Liverpool goal in USA | Watch in Canada
30 mins: First booking of the game as Gakpo deliberately brings down Sarr as Spurs try to break away.
26 mins: A positive response from Spurs as Dejan Kulusevski flashes wide of the target before another Diaz effort is gathered in by Forster.
23 mins: 1-0 LIVERPOOL!
A deserved breakthrough for the dominant visitors as Alexander-Arnold floats in an inch-perfect cross from the right and Diaz times his run to head past Forster!
VIDEO: Watch Liverpool goal in USA | Watch in Canada
20 mins: Liverpool fly forward again. Diaz slips in Gakpo inside the box, but his cut-back is superbly cut out by Archie Gray.
17 mins: SALAH OFF THE BAR!
Seconds after Cody Gakpo fires off target, Salah jinks away from Destiny Udogie on the edge of Spurs’ box, but his effort clatters back off the crossbar!
11 mins: BIG CHANCE FOR LIVERPOOL!
Trent Alexander-Arnold lifts a superb ball into Salah’s path, but Forster sprawls to block at his near post, and Dominik Szoboszlai’s follow-up is blocked by Pape Sarr.
5 mins: Two early chances for Liverpool as Fraser Forster’s pass out from the back is intercepted and fired wide by Mo Salah before Luis Diaz smashes wide from the edge of the box.
Kickoff: First half
We’re underway in N17…
COME ON YOU SPURS! 🙌
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 22, 2024
35 mins before kickoff: Away from the on-pitch action, Spurs fans are also voicing their frustration over Daniel Levy, with a pre-game protest planned in North London.
There’s a protest against the Tottenham ownership ahead of the upcoming game against Liverpool. Black balloons are expected to be released before kick off with ‘Levy out’. pic.twitter.com/6gf5vGTpua
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) December 22, 2024
1 hour before kickoff: TEAM NEWS IS IN!
Tottenham line up as expected and Cody Gakpo starts for Liverpool.
Your Spurs XI to face Liverpool! ✊
🔢 @krakenfx pic.twitter.com/2J1ulJu9kS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 22, 2024
The Reds to take on Spurs 👊🔴 #TOTLIV
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 22, 2024
1 hour and 15 mins before kickoff: Another Trent rocket incoming?
Trent’s strike on our way to a 3-1 win at Tottenham 😮💨#TOTLIV ’20/21 ✨ pic.twitter.com/o7Uas8vGwe
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 21, 2024
1 hour and 30 mins before kickoff: Sunny Spurs all set!
🏟️☀️ pic.twitter.com/tyDeIjTt2V
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 22, 2024
2 hours before kickoff: After Arsenal’s thrashing of Crystal Palace on Saturday, the pressure is on Liverpool in north London today…
Arsenal close the gap on Liverpool and Chelsea 🤏
🔜 Everton v Chelsea, Sunday 14:00 GMT
🔜 Spurs v Liverpool, Sunday 16:30 GMT pic.twitter.com/1C4245TfXj— Premier League (@premierleague) December 21, 2024
Tottenham vs. Liverpool kick off time
This Premier League match kicks off in London, UK at 4:30 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sun, Dec. 22 | 11:30 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Sun, Dec. 22 | 11:30 a.m. ET |
| UK | Sun, Dec. 22 | 4:30 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Mon, Dec. 23 | 3:30 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Sun, Dec. 22 | 10:00 p.m. IST |
Tottenham vs. Liverpool lineups, team news
Injuries continue to play a considerable role in Spurs’ struggles to juggle a very busy calendar with their strong expectations. Ruled out for certain are goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, defenders Ben Davies, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, and attackers Richarlison and Wilson Odobert.
In addition, Timo Werner and Mikey Moore are both ill and miss out, as Rodrigo Bentancur continues to serve his lengthy domestic suspension for a racial slur about teammate Son Heung-min.
Tottenham XI (4-3-3, right to left): Forster (GK) — Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence — Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison —Kulusevski, Solanke, Son.
MORE: Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | All the latest Tottenham news
Conor Bradley (hamstring) and Ibrahima Konate (knee) are likely to be out until the festive fixtures have concluded, but Kostas Tsimikas is on the bench.
Andy Robertson was able to serve his one-game suspension for a sending-off against Fulham during the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Southampton and he starts.
Liverpool XI (4-3-3, right to left): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson — Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai — Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Tottenham vs. Liverpool live stream, TV channel
Here is how to watch the match in some of the world’s major regions:
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | NBC, Telemundo | Peacock, Fubo, NBC Sports App, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
| Canada | — | Fubo Canada |
| UK | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League | Sky Go, Sky Sports website |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | — | Hotstar VIP, JioTV, Disney+ |
