Good afternoon and welcome to live minute-by-minute coverage of what is without doubt the biggest Premier League game of the day.
Liverpool v Tottenham is just about to kick off at Anfield.
TEAM NEWS: Here’s how Liverpool line out with injuries forcing Lucas to start at centre-half.
Mignolet; Clyne, Matip, Lucas, Milner; Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mane, Firmino, Coutinho.
TEAM NEWS: And here’s Spurs…
Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies; Wanyama, Dembele; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane.
Liverpool clear the first danger as Kane wins a corner, Davies swings it in, and Mignolet deals with the danger.
Nice footwork by Coutinho inside the Spurs box. He tries to pick out Milner who is steaming through but it’s just overcooked slightly.
Bright start by Liverpool and both Wanyama and Dier have to step to break up attacks before they get dangerous.
Liverpool try the short corner which eventually ends up in Henderson cross, but it’s easy for Lloris.
Firmino gets to the bye-line and pulls it back but Alderweireld gets there first to poke it away from the danger zone.
Good hustle by Lallana to keep the ball in play but again, his cross is met by a white shirt rather than a red one. Liverpool certainly keeping Spurs honest in the opening 10 minutes here.
CHANCE! Liverpool burst forward on the counter-attack and they have a chance, but Firmino’s first touch is heavy and takes him into traffic. The ball breaks to Lallana who tries to pick his spot but Alderweireld gets his body across to block.
All Liverpool so far. Spurs try to fashion something about 30 yards in front of the Liverpool goal but Wanyama hits it straight to a red jersey.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham (Mane, 16′)
Liverpool lead and it’s no more than they deserve after that sustained pressure in the opening 15 minutes.
Again, it’s a quick counter as Spurs lose possession easily in midfield. Wijnaldum picks out Mane with a brilliant pass, he runs across Ben Davies, sells Lloris a little dummy and lifts the ball over him.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham (Mane, 18′)
They’ve done it again – two goals in as many minutes and Anfield is bouncing!
Again, it’s Sadio Mane who finds space out on the left and cuts back inside. Spurs are scrambling to retreat but not quickly enough, and Mane slips the ball across to Lallana.
His first shot is saved by Lloris, as is Firmino’s follow-up, but it’s third time lucky when the ball breaks to Mane with the Spurs keeper out of position and he drills it into the roof of the net.
What are Spurs made of? We’re about to find out.
SO CLOSE! Mane is through again, and a five-minute hat-trick is very much on the cards, but his shot ripples into the side-netting.
A lot of Anfield thought that one was in.
LLORIS! What a save – Mane drills one towards the keeper’s near post and, not for the first time tonight, the Spurs keeper needs to have his wits about him to tip the ball around the post.
It might have been going wide anyway, but he wasn’t to know that.
Big chance for Spurs – but Mignolet, who hasn’t had much to do so far this evening, is equal to it.
Davies picks out Son but Mignolet stays big and gets his body behind the shot.
Liverpool aren’t exactly looking assured at the back. They leave Alli in acres of space and his free header is looping towards the back post before Lucas intervenes to nod it behind for a corner.
Another hat-trick chance for Mane — who nearly could have four or five at this stage — and this time it’s Eric Dier who slides in just in the nick of time. It was a smashing ball from Coutinho to pick out Mane in the first place.
Spurs are all over the shop and their tactics are leaving them in all sorts of trouble. Matip clears his lines from defence and all of a sudden, Liverpool are in for another great chance. Coutinho doesn’t really trouble Lloris though and if Liverpool end up with anything less than the three points here, they’ll look back on plenty of squandered opportunities in this first half.
Spurs have a free just on the edge of the box, firmly in Christian Eriksen territory, but he can’t quite get the ball up and down and it lands on top of Mignolet’s net.
Ha, check out where Coutinho was positioned as Eriksen hit that free kick.
Chance for Liverpool to grab a third before the break. Coutinho swings in the corner, Lucas gets up above Dier, but he’s under the header and can’t keep it down. It sails harmlessly over Lloris’s bar.
A minute of stoppage time to be played, and we’re into it now..
HALF TIME: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
SECOND HALF: We’re back. Doesn’t like there have been any changes for either side.
Free for Liverpool on the right but Coutinho’s delivery is poor and is cleared easily from the edge of the box.
Alli breaks towards the Liverpool goal and is eventually dispossessed by Jordan Henderson. Referee Anthony Taylor has been playing a very long advantage though, so we’ll come back for that.
GOAL – NO! Spurs have the ball in the net but the linesman’s flag is up before they can even think to celebrate. Harry Kane starts from an offside position and as he touches Eriksen’s free on to the post, he’s flagged.
That’s as close as Spurs have been, really.
Coutinho tries to flip the ball over the top to Firmino but he’s mistimed his run slightly and the flag is up before he can get on the ball.
Alli is starting to get a little bit narky and concede some silly frees. He needlessly bundles over Mane but walks away without a booking. Last chance?
Mauricio Pochettino looks like he’s lining up his first sub – Harry Winks is going to be on very shortly.
Harry Kane is late and his studs catch Nathaniel Clyne on the top of his foot. Booked.
And now James Milner is in Anthony Taylor’s book.
As far as football goes, this is all gone a little bit ragged.
A quarter-chance for Spurs, not even a half-chance, as Alderweireld’s header drops in front of the Liverpool goal and Mignolet gets there before Alli can make anything of it.
Good delivery from James Milner. Matip has a chance to really test Lloris with a header but he makes more contact with his shoulder than with his head, and the keeper saves.
Better from Liverpool, who haven’t really created a huge amount in this second half. Lallana finds Coutinho, he takes on his shot early and puts it through the legs of Alderweireld. Lloris looks to be a little unsighted but Coutinho’s shot is a yard or two wide.
Spurs sub: Dembele replaced by Sissoko.
Liverpool sub: Can on to replace Coutinho.
Ten to play at Anfield. Liverpool seem happy to hang on to possession near the centre circle and just knock it about.
Bit of trouble at the back though as Lucas is gone down holding his hamstring.
Spurs sub: Vincent Janssen replaces Son.
Liverpool sub: Lucas is done, Klavan comes on in his place.
Clever / cynical by Toby Alderweireld. Firmino skips inside Dier with a little step over and then Alderweireld nicks the heels from under him while he’s still outside the box. Happy to take the yellow card there.
Milner tries his luck with the free but thumps it into the wall.
That could have been embarrassing for Spurs. Bit of confusion between Lloris and Alderweireld as the keeper comes for a ball when he doesn’t need to. Wijnaldum tries to capitalise on the mix-up and lifts the ball back towards goal but Spurs deal with it.
Sadio Mane is named Man of the Match. Honourable mention must be due to Jordan Henderson as well.
Four minutes of added time in Anfield.
Liverpool sub: Jurgen Klopp makes his last change as Saido Mane leaves to a standing ovation and Trent Alexander-Arnold comes on for a quick run out.
FULL TIME: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Three badly-needed points for Liverpool and this is how the top of the Premier League table looks tonight.
That’s all from us for now. Thanks for reading and for commenting.
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