What Was That?! Liverpool and Tottenham Set a Premier League Record for Goals This Season!

And Salah broke several Premier League records, too.

The Tottenham vs. Liverpool match might be the ultimate spectacle for a neutral football fan. The league’s craziest team faced its strongest. As expected, there were more than plenty of goals.

Salah averages 3.22 shots on target per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season. But today, the Egyptian had already taken five shots in the opening 18 minutes, all from inside the penalty box. One even hit the crossbar. It was Luis Díaz, however, opened the scoring with a header after a brilliant cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold. After scoring, the Colombian thanked his teammate by pretending to clean his boots.

Despite leading, Liverpool didn’t ease off or waste time. Soon, they scored again — another header — this time by Alexis Mac Allister, who capitalized on a deflection after defenders Spence and Gray battled unsuccessfully to clear the ball.

The Argentine was also involved in the third goal, though this one went to the hosts. Mac Allister lost the ball near Liverpool's box, allowing James Maddison to score from mid-range. Mac Allister protested to the referee, claiming a foul, but the official disagreed.

For a moment, it seemed like Tottenham was back in the game. However, Liverpool quickly scored a third before halftime. Salah set up Dominik Szoboszlai, who closed in on the goalkeeper and slotted the ball through Fraser Forster’s legs.

The second half was even wilder than the first. Salah scored twice more, finishing from close range into virtually empty nets. Let’s dive into some stats:

• With 15 goals, Salah became the Premier League’s top scorer this season, surpassing Haaland (13 goals).
• Salah is the first player in Premier League history with 10+ goals and 10+ assists in six consecutive seasons.
• He is also the first player to achieve 10+ goals and 10+ assists before Christmas. In fact, he has 15 goals and 10 assists already.
• Salah climbed to fourth in Liverpool’s all-time scoring charts with his 228th and 229th goals. Only Gordon Hodgson (241), Roger Hunt (285), and Ian Rush (346) have more.

With the score at 1–5, Liverpool had several more chances. Díaz should have scored but missed a few sitters. However, he pulled off a (failed) rabona on his own half. Meanwhile, Tottenham wasn’t done either. Dejan Kulusevski scored with a stunning first-touch volley. Then Dominic Solanke added another with a diving finish after a pass from Brennan Johnson, bringing the score to 3–5.

When it seemed like there couldn’t be more goals, Liverpool struck again. Luis Díaz decided that a three-goal cushion was necessary, sealing the game. The final score resembled something from hockey — or even tennis.

Nine goals in total — a Premier League record this season. The sponsor of this goal fest? Tottenham’s injury crisis. (Manager Ange Postecoglou recently lamented losing 10 first-team players.) Of their leading defensive quartet, only Pedro Porro started, along with a backup goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, Arne Slot’s team has a four-point lead at the top of the table with a game in hand.

Published by Patrick Jane
23.12.2024