Son's 7/10 shines for Tottenham but defence lets them down in Liverpool loss

Tottenham Hotspur were denied a point at Anfield by a late goal from Roberto Firmino, who secured Liverpool a 2-1 win in a top-of-the-table clash on Wednesday.

The home side dominated the early possession and pressed Spurs, who went a goal behind when Mohamed Salah's first-time effort deflected off Toby Alderweireld's boot and looped over Hugo Lloris. Firmino came close to adding a second before the visitors survived a penalty scare when Eric Dier looked to handled the ball in the area, and then pulled level against the run of play.

Giovani Lo Celso broke from his own half and evaded two challenges before opening Liverpool's defence with an inch-perfect pass to Son Heung-Min, who finished expertly. Spurs then went on to have three opportunities to snatch all three points, with Steven Bergwijn twice coming close before Harry Kane's free header bounced over the bar.

In the end, it was Firmino's 90th-minute header that saw the win go to the hosts.

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Positives

Spurs didn't cave in when a goal down and under intense pressure. Son's equaliser came out of nowhere, but the visitors gave it a real go in the second half and tested Liverpool's infallibility, and 65-game unbeaten home record, with three gilt-edged chances.

Negatives

Spurs were wasteful in possession on too many occasions, which meant they found themselves under more pressure than they needed to be, far from ideal when facing a side who press as diligently as Liverpool do. Too often, their passing from the back invited unnecessary pressure.

Manager rating out of 10

6 -- Jose Mourinho got his midfield shape wrong in the first half but made necessary tweaks at half-time. There might be questions over why Tanguy Ndombele wasn't selected, but at least Mourinho was able to identify what wasn't working -- namely Moussa Sissoko on the right -- and changed it effectively.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Hugo Lloris, 7 -- The France international made a comfortable save from Salah in the opening exchanges, but he could do very little about the goal that followed or the winner. He also made an excellent save low to his right to deny Firmino and pushed the ball away to safety.

DF Serge Aurier, 6 -- The Ivory Coast international endured a tough first half trying to deal with Andy Robertson's overlapping runs, and was also wasteful in possession. He got tighter to his opponents in the second half.

DF Toby Alderweireld, 6 -- Unlucky to see Salah's speculative effort deflect off his leg and loop over Lloris' head for the opening goal. He looked to be playing quite deep alongside Eric Dier, which at times invited pressure, but he was otherwise effective.

DF Eric Dier, 6 -- Dier was at the centre of a handball controversy when the ball struck his arm, but the VAR was never consulted. His passing out from the back often put his teammates under pressure, and there remains a doubt over Spurs' ability to challenge for the title without two recognised central defenders.

DF Ben Davies, 5 -- The left-back was guilty of often giving the ball away and losing his marker in and around the box.

MF Moussa Sissoko, 6 -- Started the game on the right and looked lost and unable to control Robertson's runs. He also contributed very little going forward, and so was switched into the middle for the second half, where he offered more presence and ruffled a few feathers.

MF Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 7 -- Hojbjerg was once again a pivotal player for Spurs, providing cover in front of the back four and linking the play going forward. Picked up a blatant yellow card for pulling back Firmino in transition.

MF Steven Bergwijn, 6 -- Started on the left and was largely ineffective until the second half, when he had two excellent chances to give Spurs the lead. First, he managed to evade Trent Alexander-Arnold's challenge before poking the ball wide of the post, and then broke clear for a one-v-one with Alisson but his effort hit the post.

MF Giovani Lo Celso, 6 -- The Argentine was largely poor but he provided an inch-perfect assist with the outside of his left foot for Son to equalise. He did also track back well and made key tackles, but he was disappointing in possession and was substituted early in the second half.

FW Son Heung-Min, 7 -- Played in the No. 10 role behind Kane and pulled Spurs back into the game against the run of play. He controlled Lo Celso's defence-splitting pass and finished superbly inside Alisson's near post. He was a constant danger, and linked well with Kane in the final third.