Tottenham 1 - 2 Liverpool

Tottenham: Lamela 90+2’
Liverpool: Wijnaldum 39’, Firmino 54’

• Pre-Match Thought: The international break is thankfully over, the Premier League is back, and so are the nerves. So much is made out about this match as the first major test of the season and you can’t help but feel it. Not to mention the weight of what happened here last season, a boogeyman that Liverpool are happy to put to bed today.
• WE’RE OFF! And the excitement starts early with Roberto Firmino getting one over the line before a minute in, only to be called offside.
• Great bit of play started by James Milner in the midfield ending up in Sadio Mane winning a free kick just outside the box. Trent Alexander-Arnold sends it gloriously away... right into the keeper’s arms.
• There’s definitely some rust to be kicked off here for both sides as Liverpool haven’t been quite as fluid as we’ve gotten used to.
• And then a whole lot of nothing happened for the next ten minutes. It’s literally been the ball going back and forth between both halves and nothing coming from it on either side. Plenty of buildup play but both defenses coming in at the last gasp to clear any chances the other side had.
• Hollllly Toledo. Mohamed Salah with a clear chance, picking up a pass gone wild from Tottenham, going forward and it’s saved by Tottenham’s keeper but just barely.
• God we’re twenty minutes in and I’m exhausted just watching this. Just put it in already, SOMEBODY.
• (Title of a sex tape).
• Bobby gets forward again for another chance only to be stripped at the last minute. UGH. Excellent ball control by one of our favorite Brazilians to get ahead.
• Oh look, the Tottenham Olympic divers have found the pitch after Christian Eriksen goes down pretty easily just outside the box after a corner. Alisson catches the effort with no hesitation, thank god.
• There hasn’t been a single moment when I’ve thought the game could open up so far and that’s equal parts thrilling and super fucking frustrating.
• Now it’s Mane’s turn to have a chance squandered, going clear to the goal and take one too many touches before his shot is scooped easily by Vorm.
• We need more teeth. We need a honey badger. Or a T-Rex. You know what I mean.
• GOAL! SOMEHOW, MIRACULOUSLY, GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM GETS HIS HEAD ON IT AND MICHEL VORM GETS IT OUT BUT IT’S ALREADY BEHIND THE LINE. INSANE.
• One minute of added time in the first half because things haven’t been wild enough, let’s just stretch it out a bit more.
• Halftime: Gini’s away scoring curse has finally been broken, thank the football gods. If it weren’t for some Tottenham CBs sacrificing themselves it’d be a bit more for Liverpool. That might be tempting the fates, though, and I’m just gonna go knock on all the wood.
• No changes for the second half for either side, which is just as well.
• Right out of the gate we’ve had a couple chances, with Andy Robertson just hitting the corner posts, Naby Keïta seeing a rocket saved, and now Mane with another shot saved. Frustrating.
• GOAL! Ugly as hell and some kind of scramble after a mess and a poor clearance in the box, but BOBBY GETS HIS SECOND OF THE SEASON!
• Things are getting a little messy with Tottenham desperately throwing themselves at anyone they can, I guess. A couple of late tackles win Liverpool a free kick but Vorm smothers it fairly easily.
• Mane with one of those moments where he passes too late after getting as close to the keeper as possible - and he chooses to pass to Keïta as opposed to Salah and it doesn’t work out. At least we get a corner out of it.
• Yes please show me more displeased Spurs fans. PLEASE.
• Harry Kane hasn’t gotten a single touch in and it’s a helluva thing.
• This game is not pretty but we’re winning 2-0 so I’ll take it?
• Bobby goes down after a hand to the face and starts crying blood because even Bobby can’t be injured in a typical way. If there’s anyone that can play in an eye patch, though, it’ll be Bobby. Just not today.
• Liverpool make their first change of the game, finally bringing on Jordan Henderson for Bobby, while Spurs bring on Heung-Min Son for Harry Winks. Can’t say it was the change Klopp wanted to make but... shrug.
• Mo sees a perfect volley saved by Vorm, just adding to our attack’s disappointment.
• Klopp makes a second change, bringing on Daniel Sturridge for Keïta just to make this victory even better.
• It’s wild that a win against Spurs right here will set the tone for the mad month ahead but it is what it is and it feels pretty okay right now.
• This game has been SO ugly, but we’ve been so strong defensively it’s okay?? I don’t understand a Liverpool team that keep clean sheets for 90+ minutes. It’s like watching a prolonged magic trick.
• Oh. I jinxed it. Goal for Tottenham as Eric Lamela scores off a corner. That’s the team I recognize a bit more.
• Things are getting really dicey in these last gasping minutes, Liverpool just need to hold on for literal seconds.
• Finale Whistle: That was NUTS. I don’t even know how else to describe it. Bobby going off for crying blood is basically the only thing that perfectly describes what this match was like.

We’ll be back shortly to take an in-depth look at everything that happened in today’s game with the full recap. Until then, let us know your take on the ups and downs of the match in the comments, and if you haven’t already, join the community on the Liverpool Offside, where we’ll have full coverage and lively in-game discussion for every match this season.