Roberto Firmino strike beats Tottenham to send record-setting Liverpool 16 points clear

Updated: May 17, 2023, 12:17 am

Liverpool opened up a 16 point gap at the top of the table after a 1-0 win against Tottenham on Saturday on a record-setting night for the Premier League leaders.

Roberto Firmino scored the winner in the first half as Jurgen Klopp's side remain unbeaten and on course to seal their first league title in 30 years.

Liverpool's total of 61 points is the most after 21 games of a Premier League season, beating Manchester City's 59 from two seasons ago, and has never been surpassed in the Spanish, Italian, German or French leagues at the same stage.

"I'm over the moon about the result, but we have to talk about the performance," a rather subdued Klopp said later.

"One team deserved to win and that was us. To win at Tottenham is pretty special. That the game wasn't decided after 50-60 minutes was our fault. We should have scored more goals.

"We were on the ground towards the end. A couple of our players were slightly exhausted, but we fought through that."

Jose Mourinho's side slipped down to eighth position in the table and find themselves nine points adrift of the top four places.

Spurs handed a league debut to 20-year-old Japhet Tanganga and the defender produced a wonderful clearance off the line from Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain inside two minutes.

Virgil van Dijk almost scored the opener but Paulo Gazzaniga saved his close range header while Spurs could only muster long range efforts from Lucas Moura and Son Heung-Min.

Liverpool took the lead after 37 minutes when Mohamed Salah fed Firmino inside the area to score with his left foot.

Roberto Firmino's goal sealed another important Premier League win for Liverpool.
Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images

Spurs struggled to find any rhythm in the first half but enjoyed a better spell after the break where Serge Aurier produced a good save from Alisson.

Christian Eriksen was substituted for Giovani Lo Celso in the second half and he was booed off from a section of the Spurs support amid reports he wants to move to Inter Milan this month.

Moments later, Lo Celso recovered the ball and started a counterattack but Son failed to finish off the move from close range. Lo Celso also had a great opportunity to equalise in the final 10 minutes but he managed to steer Aurier's cross wide from inside the box.

Liverpool held on and edged closer to their first ever Premier League title.