Tottenham hold Liverpool in EPL thriller

Star centre-forward Harry Kane registered his 100th English Premier League (EPL) goal with a late penalty conversion to help Tottenham Hotspur hold Liverpool to a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Anfield Stadium.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring for the hosts, making the most of a mistake from Eric Dier to score in the third minute, taking his tally to 20 league goals for the season on Sunday.

Substitute Victor Wanyama then equalised with a thunderous strike 10 minutes from time before Kane missed from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.

Egyptian Salah marked his second with a brilliant goal in the 90+1 minute before Kane converted a penalty in the 90+5 minutes.

The result meant Tottenham stayed fifth in the table, two points behind third-placed Liverpool.

"It is difficult to get every decision right," Tottenham chief coach Mauricio Pochettino said. "When they are right and show character I needed to congratulate them."

The game was only three minutes old when Dier, in attempting to make an interception, diverted the ball into the path of Salah, who scored with ease.

Tottenham's only shot on target in the first 45 minutes came via the boot of Mousa Dembele, but his half-volley was easily saved by goalkeeper Loris Karius as Liverpool dominated the proceedings.

After the break, the visitors looked better and almost equalised through Son Heung-min in the 58th minute, but Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius saved well.

The visitors pegged back against the run of play when Wanyama sent a screamer of a shot into the net from a distance.

The final few minutes of the match were breathtaking as first Kane's tame penalty was saved by Karius after the England striker had been felled in the box.

Later, Salah danced his way past three defenders at the right post and fired into the net from close range to score what looked likely to be the winner.

But Kane got another chance to make amends when Van Dijk fouled substitute Erik Lamela in the box. Kane netted from the spot saving his side the blushes.

"The softest touch in the whole game decided the game," Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp said. "It is not a penalty."

--IANS

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