Tottenham vs. Liverpool 3-6 – „The Slot Machine“ out of Control

Football trips and tickets Tottenham Hotspur not only lead to London's most modern stadium, but also to an arena where the action really heats up. On average, 3.6 goals are scored per game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019. Of course, we knew that – and that's why Tottenham Hotspur against FC Liverpool (3:6) was also our last match of the week in the calendar year 2024.

What a media reaction! "The Reds devastate Tottenham in a thriller," headlined The Sun on December 23, 2024. "Farther Christmas," far away at Christmas, was the headline in the Daily Mirror on the same day. "Diaz and Salah score twice while Liverpool run riot," wrote the Daily Mail.

Well, "The Slot Machine" out of Control! "5:1, that's the result," hissed my football colleague Branimir Lalíc, former youth player of Bröndby IF, after Dominik Szoboszlai's 3:1 (45+1).

Not quite! Tottenham and Liverpool pulled out all the stops in the second half and right before Christmas – and showed us, showed their fans, why football trips to the Premier League are the ultimate experience in Europe. Even Sky reporter Toni Tomic was in a pre-Christmas rhyme mood after Luis Diaz's header-torpedo for the 1:0 (23.): "Buenos Dias, Luis Diaz!"

Goals like this make the Premier League so special, they just get you hooked!

Tottenham vs Liverpool 3:6: This was an advertisement for the Premier League

And at the home games of the "Spurs," there's guaranteed to be no boredom. In the last three matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 23 goals were scored – the last two games were presented to you, 3:4 against Chelsea FC and now 3:6 against FC Liverpool.

Both teams played open football from the 65th minute and despite the scoreline of 5:1 for LFC.

Would you like some stats?

31 shots on goal were taken, 24 by the visitors. Liverpool's XGoals (Expected Goals) value was an astronomical 5.63.

"The Slot Machine," as the table leaders from Merseyside have been called since Arne Slot took over and implemented his clinical style of play, had a successful passing rate of 86%.

"They don't care if the opponent plays their best football against them"

"There's one thing about this Liverpool team and about Arne Slot," explained former LFC goalkeeper David "Calamity" James on Monday morning on BBC Radio 5 Live, "they don't seem to care if the opponent plays their best football and scores goals – and Tottenham scored three goals against them."

A lot of praise, but the Merseysiders don't get distracted by it. "I know how hard it is to win the league," said Arne Slot at the post-match press conference, "you have to stay focused every minute of every game. It's not always easy to show that every three or four days."

"We want to be at the top in May and we've seen how difficult that is," said LFC captain Virgil van Dijk on BBC, "we only had one new signing in the summer, and this group of players has been working together for quite a while, the experience and quality are there."

Just like Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian became the fourth-best scorer of all time at FC Liverpool with his 229th competitive goal (1:5 / 64.). "He’s a special, talented player," said former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given about the 32-year-old, "Liverpool can't afford to let him go."

No, actually not. Only Mo Salah has managed to score at least 10 goals and provide 10 assists in six Premier League seasons. This overtook the previous record holder "Wild Wayne" Rooney (Manchester United, FC Everton).

Moreover, before the "Pharaoh" (cf. "Oh Pharaoh, oh Pharaoh," Schiller), no player has ever managed to accumulate a double-digit number of goals and assists before Christmas in the Premier League.

Let's hope this continues on Boxing Day. Maybe I’ll hear the phrase "5:1, that's the result" again...

Who are Liverpool play against on "Boxing Day"?

"The Reds" will finish England's traditional Christmas matchday on December 26, 2024, at 9:00 PM with a home game against Leicester City and manager Ruud van Nistelrooy ("Van, the Man").

What are Tottenham Hotspur's next home games?

The Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is an experience, and in 2024 there will still be one home appearance for the "Spurs," on December 29 against Wolverhampton Wanderers (4:00 PM). On January 4, 2025, Tottenham will start the new year with a lunchtime (1:30 PM) game at home against Newcastle United.