Liverpool vs. Tottenham result: Advantage Man City in title race despite Diaz equaliser

Will Savage

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Liverpool vs. Tottenham result: Advantage Man City in title race despite Diaz equaliser image

Liverpool and Tottenham were both looking for a win at Anfield in a crucial game for their Premier League aspirations, but it ended a point apiece after a thrilling game.

The Reds were hoping to open up a gap at the top of the table, with title contenders Man City not playing until Sunday. Tottenham were looking to do the same in fourth place, with fierce rivals Arsenal also not involved on Saturday.

In the end, it finished 1-1 — a result that doesn't help either side in any significant way. The draw sent Liverpool top on goal difference but handed City and advantage, while Arsenal will now look to pull away from their local rivals before next week's north London derby.

The match quickly fell into an expected rhythm. Liverpool had a lot of the ball, and looked to unsettle Tottenham's shape with possession. Spurs sat deep, and defended bravely, blocking shots and heading away crosses, as they looked to play on the counter through Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski.

The first half was a pulsating affair, with both teams looking dangerous at times. Virgil van Dijk hit the bar from a corner towards the end of the half, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg striking against the post from distance moment later, but the teams went into the half-time interval all square.

MORE: Who will win Champions League? Liverpool vs. Real Madrid early final preview

Liverpool started the second half strongly, putting on a lot of pressure in the opening minutes, but the Tottenham backline put up a formidable resistance, and they survived the opening waves of pressure and once again began to threaten on the counter. They went ahead after Ryan Sessegnon, who was taking up advanced positions all game to run into the space behind Trent Alexander-Arnold, found Son with a simple square pass for the South Korea star to tap home.

Spurs continued their resolute rearguard action, and it began to feel like a potential smash-and-grab for Antonio Conte's side, as Liverpool's continued pressure failed to tell. However, it was a deflected strike that made the difference, Luis Diaz's shot deflecting off Rodrigo Bentancur to wrongfoot Hugo Lloris and draw Liverpool level.

Both teams looked for winners, with Spurs finding Kane and Hojbjerg in dangerous positions late on, but neither side was able to find a third goal of the evening, and the match ended with honours even. Liverpool go top on goal difference, but Man City have a game in hand. Tottenham are now a point behind Arsenal, who can go four points clear if they win their game against Leeds United on Sunday.

Liverpool vs. Tottenham final score

  1H 2H Final
Liverpool 0 1 1
Tottenham 0 1 1

Goals:

LIV — Diaz (Thiago) — 74th min.

TOT — Son (sessegnon) — 57th min.

Liverpool vs. Tottenham live updates, highlights from Premier League

Final: Liverpool 1, Tottenham Hotspur 1

Full-time: Neither side can find a winner, and a pulsating match ends all square at Anfield.

96th min: It's Spurs who look closest to scoring the winner, but they can't take advantage. Emerson finds Kane on the penalty spot, but he can't control the cross, and by the time he's in position to shoot, the Liverpool defenders are around him to force him back. The ball comes in again, moments later from Emerson, and he finds Hojbjerg attacking the far post. The midfielder looks to head back across goal for Kane, rather than heading towards goal, but he heads behind the striker, and it comes to nothing. Liverpool have a corner at the other end. It's all or nothing now.

93rd min: More Liverpool pressure comes to nothing, with an Alexander-Arnold cross lifted over everyone, and bouncing out of play at the back post. If anyone is going to be a hero, they don't have long left.

91st min: The ball is rolled back to the edge of the area. Keita leaves it for Salah, who looks to curl it towards goal, but Sanchez gets in the way, and deflects it away for a corner. The set piece comes to nothing. Five minutes added on.

88th min: A Spurs counter ends with Son finding Davies on the overlap, but the Welsh defender fires the ball way over from a tight angle. Keita is on, while Bergwijn is stripped off on the touchline.

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85th min: Winks is on for Kulusevski, with Spurs likely adopting a more conservative shape. A period of Liverpool pressure comes to nothing before that change. Fives minutes plus to go.

83rd min: Son takes a couple of corners from the left, but Liverpool get both of them clear, eventually.

81st min: Son is back on his feet, although he looks to be holding his shoulder a little awkwardly as he moves. Winks is getting ready to come on.

80th min: Fabinho is booked after stopping Son as he tries to counter. The Korean stays down, and looks to be in some pain.

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78th min: Davinson Sanchez has come on for Sessegnon, with Davies presumably shifting out wide. The mood has changed. The question is not longer whether Liverpool can get something from the game, but whether Tottenham can hold on.

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74th min: GOAL!

Liverpool have their equaliser! Diaz cuts onto his right and fires from distance. It takes a wicked deflection that wrongfoots Lloris, and the goalkeeper can only watch is it passed low to his right. Liverpool won't care how it came about, they're level.

Ben Davies has to throw himself in front of Mo Salah, who cut inside onto his left, edge of the area, and unleashes a shot towards goal. You expected to see the net ripple, but Davies wasn't going to let that happen.

71st min: Tsimikas picks up a booking for bringing down Kulusevski on the counter. A couple of minutes later, the reverse happens, Sessegnon picking up a booking for fouling Salah as he looked to get past his man.

67th min: Liverpool's pressure continues, this time Diaz heading a Tsimikas cross over. For all the pressure, Lloris hasn't been overly worked so far, and Liverpool have 25 minutes to change that.

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65th min: It's more brave defending from Spurs, this time a Diaz shot is blocked from close range, following a corner for the visiting side.

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62nd min: Spurs almost hit Liverpool on the counter immediately after that goal. Emerson Royal found Sessegnon, and his pass inside bounced off Son as much as anything, before ending up wide of the near post. It looks like Tsimikas and Jota are getting ready to come on.

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57th min: GOAL!

Son puts Spurs ahead! A long ball from Lloris bypasses the Liverpool press, and Spurs find Kane in front of the Liverpool defence. He holds onto the ball, and has the time and space to find Sessegnon in space on the left. The wing back has been pushing high up all game, and he can carry the ball into the area. Liverpool's defence is out of shape, and Son is in space to slot Sessegnon's square ball home.

55th min: Son carries the ball well through the centre of the pitch, as Spurs look to counter. He gets away from the Liverpool bodies, breaking to the left, before looking to come back into the centre on the edge of the area. His shot is snuffed out, but Spurs come again a moment later with Sessegnon. Alexander-Arnold blocks his cross for another corner.

53rd min: Spurs have released a little bit of the pressure, with Emerson Royal winning a corner after his cross from the right was blocked behind. It comes to nothing.

51st min: Tottenham have had to do a lot of defending in the first few minutes of this half, and they're defending closer to their goal than Conte would probably like. Liverpool win a corner after Thiago picks out Henderson's run from deep, the midfielder's cut back unable to find a teammate. It feels like constant pressure at the moment.

48th min: The second half has started in much the same fashion as the first half, with Liverpool looking to make things happen. Romero has given the ball away a few times, and he does it again, but Liverpool fail to make the move stick in the penalty area.

Second half: The teams are heading back out onto the pitch, with Liverpool to kick off. No changes from either manager.

Halftime: That's the first 45 finished. Both teams hit the woodwork, but neither can take the advantage into halftime. Antonio Conte won't be unhappy with what he's seen so far.

45th min: It's more of the same from Liverpool, who are looking to score before half time, but Spurs are hanging on for now. The hosts have slowed things down a little.

43rd min: The pressure continues. The corner is followed up by a free kick outside the area, Salah and Alexander-Arnold hit the wall, but Liverpool keep coming, Thiago dancing into space on the edge of the area, before his guided shot is blocked. More blocked shots are followed by a corner, which is cleared. Kulsevski tries to carry away, but he has nowhere to go and possession is turned over. Diaz drives forward with the ball and shoots from distance, Lloris saves low. The crowd are roaring, they want a goal before halftime. A Spurs counter ends with a Hojbjerg shot from distance, across goal towards the bottom corner, that glances off the outside of the post.

39th min: Ironic cheers from the home fans, as a decision goes their way. A poor touch from Bentancur left Hojbjerg short, and the Danish midfielder had to dive in towards the loose ball, catching Thiago and giving away a free kick. That's followed by a corner, as Liverpool continue to apply pressure. Van Dijk, who should have done better from his chance earlier, hits the bar this time.

33rd min: Thiago lifts the ball into the area, after an Alexander-Arnold free kick is headed out to him. Diaz knocks the ball down, across goal, but Lloris dives on top of it. Liverpool are sustaining pressure well, and Fabinho is on top of every loose ball in midfield.

29th min: Lloris is forced to intervene on his own goal line. Liverpool lift the ball towards the far post, deep from the left. Sessegnon looks to head the ball clear under pressure, but he just lifts the ball back across goal, towards the other post. Lloris has to be alive to the dropping ball, pushing it away before Salah arrives on the scene to poke it home.

27th min: The Kane to Son supply line almost comes off for Spurs, after Kane dropped deep to get on the ball. He lifted the ball into the path of Son's run, but Alexander-Arnold did well to intercept the ball under pressure.

22nd min: Liverpool have taken the sting out of Spurs in the last couple of minutes, slowing things down and keeping the ball, moving the visitors from side to side.

18th min: Liverpool may be the favourites for this one, but Spurs haven't started badly at all. They've not had too many scares, and they've had a few promising attacks of their own.

15th min: There's a break in play, as Kulusevski is down injured. He's being assessed by the physio. He looks in some pain. It seemed to come from pressure from Thiago, but there didn't seem to be much in it. He's back up now.

12th min: Spurs apply some pressure of their own. Emerson's cross from the right is too high for Kane, and too passes later, Liverpool are on the counter. The ball is out to Mane in the centre, who carries forward before playing the ball into the path of Salah on the right. He looks to cut inside and shoot, but Dier blocks it for a corner. Henderson is forced to slide in and block Kane's shot from the left of Liverpool's penalty area,

8th min: That's the game plan for Spurs. They win the ball, and counter quickly through Son. The ball is crossed in from the right, and Alisson pushes it out to the edge of the area. It falls to Bentancur, which the Liverpool 'keeper out of his area, but the midfielder's shot is too tame to beat him, and the flag is raised afterwards.

5th min: That early attack is followed up by a Mane shot from distance, which is comfortably for Lloris. As the teams line up, it looks like Liverpool might dominate the centre of the park, and in these opening minutes, Spurs are sitting in, while Liverpool keep the ball and look to find a way through them.

2nd min: Spurs get things underway, with the away side attacking the Kop end in the first half. Liverpool start better, with an Alexander-Arnold cross finding Robertson, but his touch back across goal doesn't find a teammate.

Kickoff!

2 mins from kickoff: Kickoff is only minutes away at Anfield!

30 mins from kickoff: Liverpool fans will certainly be in a good mood before this one starts given Manchester United's utter demolition at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion. Jurgen Klopp's side are guaranteed to finish at least 21 points ahead of their fierce rivals — and they still have four games left to play.

They finished five points behind United last season, in case you'd forgotten!

60 mins from kickoff: The team news is in! Liverpool make two changes from the win at Villarreal, with Jordan Henderson and Luis Diaz in for Naby Keita and Diogo Jota. Roberto Firmino is not in the squad, despite having returned to full training. For Spurs, Dejan Kulusevski returns.

90 mins from kickoff: It's looking calm now, but we're expecting fireworks later when these two clash. The Sporting News will be bringing team news, live updates, and highlights from Anfield.

Liverpool vs. Tottenham lineups

Luis Diaz starts up front, while Jordan Henderson starts in midfield, ahead of Naby Keita. Ibrahima Konate keeps his place alongside Van Dijk. Firmino, recovering from a foot injury, doesn't make the squad.

Liverpool lineup (4-3-3): Alisson (GK) – Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson – Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago – Salah, Mane, Diaz

Liverpool subs (9): Kelleher, Milner, Keita, Gomez, Jones, Jota, Tsimikas, Origi, Matip

Reguilon misses out with a calf issue, and may be out for the remainder of the season. Doherty, Skill, and Tanganga are all injured.

Tottenham lineup (3-4-3): Lloris (GK) – Romero, Dier, Davies – Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon – Kulusevski, Son, Kane

Tottenham subs (9): Gollini, Sanchez, Rodon, White, Winks, Craig, Lucas, Bergwijn, Scarlett

MORE: Why Liverpool's Mohamed Salah wanted Real Madrid in the Champions League final

How to watch Liverpool vs. Tottenham

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date May 7 May 7 May 7 May 8
Time 19:45 BST 14:45 ET 14:45 ET 04:45 AEST
TV channel BT Sport 1/Ultimate USA Network, UNIVERSO NOW, SiriusXM FC, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO DAZN Optus Sport
Streaming NOW TV/BT Sport NBC Sports/Peacock Premium DAZN Optus Sport

In the US, televised Premier League games are also available on fuboTV, which also offers a free trial to new subscribers.

In Canada, every Premier League game streams live on DAZN. 

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Will Savage