Well done guys, good process. Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points after playing a game less than second-placed Chelsea, the latest evidence of their ruthless approach under Arne Slot.

It was an occasion where Tottenham, who played their Ange Postecoglou-style game without compromise, fell apart. They conceded six goals, but it could and should have been double figures. Liverpool kept prevailing and one detail that stood out at the end of a wild game was the glaring nature of some of the missed shots.

In the corresponding game last season, Luis Díaz’s goal in the 34th minute was incorrectly disallowed for offside, even though he was clearly in action. It was a monumental blunder between the officials and the VAR team in a game that Spurs would win 2-1. Here Díaz returned the favor by scoring two goals and running amok. He wasn’t the only star in red. Mohamed Salah scored two goals of his own and seemed to have freedom of the field at times. Liverpool’s other goalscorers were Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

When Salah scored his second goal just after the hour to make it 5-1, Spurs were facing a historic defeat and perhaps they will say they kept fighting. They were able to keep the margin of defeat relatively small given the large gap between the teams. James Maddison scored in the first half to make it 2-1. Dejan Kulusevski, who never stopped, and Dominik Solanke brought them back to 5-3 before Díaz’s late second goal. Don’t be fooled. This was a great humility for Postecoglou.

Slot, who might have moved from Feyenoord to Spurs in May 2023 simply because the clubs failed to agree on a compensation package, was so effusive about Postecoglou and his approach on Friday that people were wondering why. One interpretation: Please continue to attack and leave the large spaces behind.

Liverpool’s dominance was almost complete. Their press was suffocating. Whenever a Spurs player had the ball, which wasn’t very often, he inevitably felt the heat. Slot propelled Díaz into the No. 9 role, in part because of his relentless energy and the tone he sets when in possession.

It was also about what Liverpool did with the ball. They repeatedly threatened to open up Spurs and penetrate the sides with overlaps. Or through more central areas at the transition. Basically from every angle.

Díaz’s breakthrough header was a thing of beauty; It was coiled like a spring, almost sideways, and the force and precision of the trigger was too much for Fraser Forster. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s vicious performance wasn’t bad either. It was far from his only wonderful pass. After what happened last season, Díaz could be forgiven for stealing a glance at the assistant referee. He was there. Then again….

Liverpool could have scored a few goals by then. Salah had a number of chances and saw Djed Spence get in the way of one of them and hit the crossbar with another after some lovely footwork. There was also the moment right at the start when Forster played a pass straight to Salah, who hit it wide of the goal.

The second goal matched everything that had happened before, Liverpool with the men on the left. It was Andy Robertson who delivered the cross and Szoboszlai got a break as he went up with Archie Gray and Spence and kindly turned the ball over for Mac Allister. He stood up and nodded home.

It was a shock when Spurs pulled a goal back. Kulusevski won the ball high up from Mac Allister – Liverpool’s cries for a foul were in vain – and Maddison rolled in from the edge of the box. The restoration of natural order was no surprise as Spurs were so open after Szoboszlai won a header from Alexander-Arnold’s ball forward. He kept running. Salah played the pass. Szoboszlai would never miss.

Postecoglou has not changed his starting XI since Thursday’s Carabao Cup win over Manchester United despite the availability of Destiny Udogie; Spence continued to act as left-back, a huge vote of confidence for him.

In contrast, Slot had cleverly rotated in the Carabao Cup at Southampton on Wednesday, leaving seven key players behind on Merseyside and winning. He called six of them into the starting lineup – Curtis Jones was the exception. Liverpool looked sharper and fresher. He was still missing eight players in Postecoglou’s defense.

The game was framed to some extent by a protest against Spurs chairman Daniel Levy on the High Road during the countdown to kick-off; A few hundred die-hard supporters put up several banners and shouted aggressive chants. In the ground, the Spurs support watched through his fingers.

The Spurs stayed high, wary of the chilly wind. Liverpool just ran through them. It was easy to be fearful for Postecoglou’s team when Salah scored their fourth goal after good work from Cody Gakpo. Salah’s second goal shed further light on Spurs’ ruthlessness. Why was Radu Dragusin drawn so high to Díaz? Liverpool quickly worked their way back and Szoboszlai played the decisive pass.

A few moments earlier, Szoboszlai had run unhindered from half-time through a long ball from goalkeeper Alisson. It was too easy. Szoboszlai screwed up this opening. Just like Díaz, when he came through without making a mistake and made a high lob. By this point, Kulusevki had volleyed in from Solanke’s chipped pass, and Solanke’s goal was also nice to see, a nice volley after the turn. Salah scored Díaz’s second goal and, crazy enough, it would have ended 6-4 had Alisson not cleverly saved from Spurs substitute Brennan Johnson.