James Maddison claim shows truth about Tottenham win as Liverpool move closer to £150m plan

Tottenham Hotspur’s own celebrations after ending Liverpool’s 19-game unbeaten run told its own story.

Needing a 96th minute own goal from Joel Matip to claim all three points against the nine-man Reds, who had seen both Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota sent off, victory sent them up to second in the table. Had Jurgen Klopp’s men, who had top spot in their sights before such dismissals, held on for a share of the spoils, such a position would have instead been theirs.

The loudest of cheers filled the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at full-time from the home fans, as their players, led by James Maddison, danced on the pitch. You’d be forgiven for wondering if they had won a trophy, rather than just three points in the most contentious encounter.

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But such emotions show just how hard they had been made to work by Liverpool, despite boasting two men more. With the Reds’ own fans chanting throughout even in the face of such adversities on the pitch, both clubs are well-aware that Klopp’s are no longer the damaged outfit of last season. They were just seconds away from one of their most hard-fought points.

Liverpool will come again. While unbeaten Tottenham might now be second in the league, a point ahead off the fourth-placed Reds and a point behind Man City following their shock loss to Wolves, they aren’t Pep Guardiola’s treble-winners only challengers.

Maddison would declare how Spurs had done it the hard way against the Reds. But facing nine men in front of your own fans should not be so difficult.

Instead, it was Liverpool doing it the hard way once again. Having