Tottenham vs Liverpool Player Ratings: 8/10 for Salah, Nunez; Emerson Royal, Dier sub-par

Tottenham Hotspur crashed to a 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool in the Premier League earlier today. 

Antonio Conte’s side were undone by a first-half brace from Mohamed Salah. The Londoners got back into the contest in the second through Harry Kane’s strike but the Reds held on to secure all three points in the end.

The home fans will be thoroughly disappointed with the performance of some of the players in a game they should have won. Liverpool have not been at their best for a while now and Spurs had the quality to grind out a win here.

Meanwhile, the Reds will be delighted to have bounced back after two successive Premier League defeats against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest. They are now 8th in the league table, seven points adrift of a top-four place.

Here at the Hard Tackle, we look at how both sets of players performed on the night.

Tottenham

Hugo Lloris – 7/10

The Spurs captain is not to blame for any of the goals he conceded. Pulled off a couple of important saves to deny Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez. Did not have a lot to do in the second half.

Eric Dier – 4/10

The Spurs defender looked a handful going forward but his lack of concentration proved to be costly at the back. His header back towards Lloris was intercepted by Salah who scored the match-winning goal.

Clement Lenglet – 6.5/10

A solid display from the on-loan Barcelona defender. Worked hard to keep the likes of Salah and Nunez in check. Was impressive with his distribution as well.

Ben Davies – 5/10

The Spurs full-back should have done better to prevent the first goal. His poor positioning allowed Salah the space and time to control Nunez’s pass and slot it into the bottom corner.

Emerson Royal – 4/10

The Brazilian full-back continues to disappoint with his performances and Spurs must look to sign a right-back as soon as possible. He seemed bereft of ideas going forward and his lack of bravery allowed the likes of Andrew Robertson to bomb up and down the pitch.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 6.5/10

Worked hard on and off the ball. Helped Tottenham control the game in the second half and had the opportunity to score a goal himself.

Yves Bissouma – 7.5/10

The former Brighton ace put on a splendid display for the home side. Did well to break up the ball and recycle possession. Spurs were dominant in the second half and his ability to win the ball back was crucial to that.

Rodrigo Bentancur – 8/10

Probably the pick of the midfielders for Tottenham. He was impressive going forward and had a couple of chances to get on the scoresheet. Was impressive with the ball at his feet. His calmness and composure allowed Spurs to dictate the tempo of the game.

Ryan Sessegnon – 5/10

The young defender struggled to contribute to the offensive phase of play. His decision-making needs to improve in the final third if he wants to hold down a regular starting berth for a club like Spurs.

Harry Kane – 6.5/10

The Tottenham striker scored the only goal of the game for his side. Had other chances to get on the scoresheet. Looked lively throughout. Will be disappointed with the lack of services.

Ivan Perisic – 6/10

Had a great opportunity to score in either half and he was denied by the crossbar in the second half. Produced some impressive crosses for his teammates and caused all sorts of problems for Trent Alexander-Arnold early on.

Substitutes

Matt Doherty – 6/10

Certainly offered more than what Emerson did, going forward. Played in part in Tottenham’s goal.

Dejan Kulusevski – 7/10

Created Harry Kane’s goal and added a bit of sharpness in the final third after coming on.

Lucas Moura – NA

Did not play enough to warrant a rating.

Liverpool

Alisson Becker – 7/10

The Liverpool goalkeeper continued his impressive form this season with another vital performance. Produced a number of important saves, and was slightly lucky that Spurs were denied by the crossbar a couple of times.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6/10

His passing was excellent on the night and he managed to find his teammates with accurate long balls over the Tottenham defence. However, his defending leaves a lot to be desired. Luckily, Ibrahima Konate mopped up behind him.

Ibrahima Konate – 8/10

Arguably Liverpool’s best defender on the night. The Frenchman continues to go from strength to strength. Rock solid defensively and dealt well with everything Spurs threw at him.

Virgil van Dijk – 7/10

The Dutch international complemented Konate well at the back and the two formed a quality partnership. Van Dijk was calm and composed on the ball and did well to intercept the Tottenham threat.

Andrew Robertson – 8/10

Prior to his injury, Robertson looked out of steam and was struggling. He has bounced back in style since returning to action. The Scottish international seems fresh and motivated. Has been one of Liverpool’s best players in recent weeks and produced another reliable defensive display at the back. Was excellent going forward as well. Played a part in the opening goal.

Fabinho – 6.5/10

Certainly an improvement on his recent showings. The Brazilian looked more comfortable on the ball and did well to disrupt the Tottenham build-up. Ran out of steam in the second half.

Harvey Elliott – 6/10

Added creativity and composure on the right-hand side of the midfield. Worked hard defensively as well. Had a chance to score. Needs to work on asserting himself more in games. That will come with experience.

Thiago Alcantara – 6/10

Usually Liverpool’s best midfielder, it was an off day for the Spaniard. He was not poor by any means, just did not hit his lofty standards today. His passing seemed off and he was bypassed easily at times. Worked hard defensively.

Mohamed Salah – 8/10

The Egyptian is in impeccable form right now and he proved to be the difference between the two sides. Scored two excellent goals to hand Liverpool their first away win of the season.

Darwin Nunez – 8/10

Another impressive outing from the Uruguayan, but he did not get on the scoresheet. Created the opening goal for Salah. Spurs struggled with his physicality, movement and directness. Was denied by the crossbar. A proper agent of chaos.

Roberto Firmino – 5/10

The Brazilian has faded away after an impressive start to the season. Did not look like a goal threat and could not link up with his teammates consistently either. Not a bad performance, but not a good one either.

Substitutes

Jordan Henderson – 4/10

Barely made an impact after coming on.

Curtis Jones – 4/10

The game passed him by. An ineffective substitution.

Joe Gomez – 6/10

Did well to shore up the defence when he came on. Helped see out the game and preserve the slender lead.

Alex Oxlade Chamberlain – NA

Did not play enough to warrant a rating.