Liverpool 4-3 Tottenham: Last-gasp Jota strike denies Spurs after dramatic Anfield fightback

Diogo Jota struck a stoppage-time winner as Liverpool clinched a dramatic 4-3 win over Tottenham, who had fought back from three goals down in a remarkable contest at Anfield.

A week on from their 6-1 defeat to Newcastle United, Spurs looked set for more of the same when Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah scored within the first 15 minutes.

Unlike on Tyneside, Spurs showed plenty of fight as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min teed up a grandstand finish, before Richarlison’s first league goal for the club levelled things up at 3-3 in stoppage time.

However, as Tottenham prepared to celebrate clinching the unlikeliest of draws, Jota latched onto Lucas Moura’s error to fire home, sending Anfield into raptures and moving the Reds above their visitors in the Premier League table.

99 – There were just 99 seconds between Richarlison equalising for Spurs and Diogo Jota scoring the winning goal to make it 4-3 to Liverpool. Brief. pic.twitter.com/CSVQj3TfYv

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 30, 2023

Liverpool needed less than three minutes to go ahead, Trent Alexander-Arnold continuing his fine form with a first-time delivery for Jones, who side-footed in at the far post.

As was the case a week earlier, Spurs soon found themselves 2-0 down. Making his first start since October, Diaz steered in Cody Gakpo’s cut-back with just five minutes on the clock.

Gakpo was also involved when the third arrived 10 minutes later, as Cristian Romero’s clumsy foul on the Dutch forward allowed Salah to hammer home from the spot.

Complacency appeared to afflict Liverpool as half-time approached, with Son and Dejan Kulusevski squandering chances either side of Kane making it 3-1 with a close-range volley.

Spurs hit both posts within the space of a minute as they looked to replicate Thursday’s comeback against Manchester United, and they had hope when Son broke clear to slot beneath Alisson.

With Liverpool on the ropes as the game entered a third minute of stoppage time, Spurs looked to have salvaged a point when Richarlison glanced Son’s free-kick in.

There was one final twist to come, however, Moura’s misplaced pass teeing up Jota to drill home a winner to send Anfield into raptures.

What does it mean? Spurs suffer last-gasp blow

Tottenham have been adept at giving themselves mountains to climb of late, entering half-time at least two goals down in three successive Premier League games for the first time in their history.

Ryan Mason’s team showed plenty of fight this time around, however, and they looked to have clinched another comeback draw when Richarlison finally ended his wait for a league goal.

However, that parity lasted just 99 seconds as Moura’s error allowed Jota in to break Spurs’ hearts at the last.

Salah surpasses Fowler

Salah matched Robbie Fowler’s 183-goal haul to go joint-sixth in Liverpool’s all-time scoring charts against Nottingham Forest last week, and he seized that spot for himself by reaching 184 on Sunday.

His goal was the 13th Tottenham have conceded in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League games this season – a total only previously beaten by Wolves in 2011-12 (16), Ipswich Town in 1994-95 (15) and Sheffield United in 1993-94 (14).

Trent resurgence continues

Much has been made of Alexander-Arnold’s role in Liverpool’s recent improvement, with the full-back earning praise for a series of creative displays when drifting infield from the right.

Having teed up Jones’ opener, he has assisted a goal in five consecutive Premier League appearances for the second time in his career (previously doing in August 2019), becoming the first player in the competition’s history to do so on two occasions.

Key Opta facts

– Liverpool have scored 41 90th-minute winning goals in the Premier League, at least 11 more than any other side, while Tottenham have conceded 26 such goals, also a competition-high.
– The Reds have won four consecutive games in all competitions, their longest such run of the season, having last won four in a row in May 2022 (six).
– Spurs are winless in six away Premier League games (D2 L4), conceding 19 goals in the process (3.2 per game).
– Spurs have conceded a league-high 13 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League matches this season, while only three teams have ever conceded more in this period in a single campaign in the competition – Wolves in 2011-12 (16), Ipswich in 1994-95 (15) and Sheffield United in 1993-94 (14).
– Kane scored his 208th Premier League goal, moving level with Wayne Rooney and behind only Alan Shearer (260) in the competition. Eight of those goals have come against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, the joint-most by a player (Jamie Vardy also 8).
– Son became only the third player to score in three consecutive away Premier League appearances against Liverpool, after Andrew Cole in December 2002 and Christian Benteke in April 2017.

What’s next?

Liverpool play the second of three successive home games on Wednesday, hosting Fulham in the Premier League. Tottenham, meanwhile, are next in action at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday.