Mohamed Salah netted a brace, but it was not enough to claim victory for Liverpool who played to a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur following a dramatic end to their Premier League clash.
Harry Kane had been denied by Loris Karius from 12 yards shortly after Victor Wanyama’s long-range blockbuster cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s opener, and Liverpool looked to have snuck a win thanks to the Egyptian’s wonderful solo effort in the first minute of stoppage time.
But referee Jon Moss pointed to the spot again when Virgil van Dijk challenged Erik Lamela and Kane stepped up to send Karius the wrong way and give a thrilling contest a fitting climax.
Salah had given Liverpool the lead in the third minute, becoming the quickest Reds player to reach 20 Premier League goals, beating club icons including Michael Owen, Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres to the landmark.
But the drama came at the very end, with three goals and a missed penalty all coming in the final 10 minutes.
The draw leaves Liverpool in third, two points clear of Spurs, with the race for Champions League qualification heating up over the second half of the campaign.
A breathless end followed a suitably fast start as Liverpool took the lead. Sadio Mane pressed Eric Dier into making a dreadful pass and Salah took advantage to race through on goal and calmly beat Hugo Lloris for another landmark goal in a special season.
Van Dijk, on his first Anfield start in the Premier League, made a fine block to deny Son Heung-min, before two delightful Trent Alexander-Arnold passes did not receive the finishes they deserved.
Spurs finally worked Karius five minutes before the break, with a rifled Mousa Dembele 20-yard drive forcing a decent save down to the goalkeeper’s right.
Karius raced off his line to deny Son after 55 minutes, with Dele Alli sending the rebound wide of the post. The England midfielder was soon shown a yellow card for simulation in the Reds’ box, but later penalty decisions would go Spurs’ way.
Mauricio Pochettino introduced Lamela and Wanyama as Spurs hunted an equaliser and the Kenya international immediately came up with a memorable strike.
Karius’ firm punch ran to Wanyama 25 yards from goal and he strode on to the loose ball, thumping a powerful drive out of the goalkeeper’s reach.
Four minutes later, Kane went down under Karius’ challenge, only to hit his penalty straight at the goalkeeper as a frantic finale hit overdrive.
Salah had wasted a number of counter-attacking chances in the second half, but he showed another glimpse of his genius with a sensational solo effort to put Liverpool back in front.
The winger danced inside a series of half-hearted challenges to clip a brilliant finish past Lloris, a goal that deserved to win the game, although it was not to be.
Moss pointed to the spot again – both decisions following a lengthy delay – after Van Dijk’s clumsy tackle sent Lamela crashing to the ground.
Kane this time made no mistake, finding the corner to bring up a century of Premier League goals, but more importantly, keep Spurs in the race for a top-four place.
-This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za
Photo: Premier League website
