Roberto Firmino eye injury casts shadow over Liverpool's defeat of Spurs after Brazilian is taken to Moorfields Eye Hospital
Liverpool completed their best start to a season for 28 years by extending their Premier League winning run to five games, but manager Jurgen Klopp is sweating on an eye injury suffered by goalscorer Roberto Firmino.
Firmino added a second goal to Georginio Wijnaldum’s opener against Tottenham Hotspur, but was then forced off following a clash with Jan Vertonghen and went straight to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London with Liverpool doctor Andy Massey for checks.
Liverpool later confirmed the Brazilian had suffered an abrasion to the eye, and although there is no lasting damage he is considered a big doubt for Tuesday’s game with Paris St-Germain although the club said he “has not yet been ruled out”.
Firmino’s injury was the only dark spot on a fine day for Liverpool, who fully deserved their fifth successive victory despite Erik Lamela pulling a late goal back and Tottenham claiming they should have been awarded a penalty in injury-time when Sadio Mane appeared to catch Heung-min Song.
This is the third time in their history Liverpool have started with five top-flight wins, having last done so in 1990-91 when they finished as runners-up behind Arsenal.
“Now we won a few games, so that’s very good,” said Klopp. “It’s still early, five games. Fantastic we won all of them, fantastic we improved during the season. So far this was our best performance, so I like that development. So now we have to prove that and do it again and again and again, and see if we can do so.
“I don’t wait for problems, but I am old enough to know they will come. Nobody plays a perfect season, not even City last year played a perfect season.”
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted his team were second best, but felt substitute Heung-Min Son should have been awarded a penalty at the death.
“They deserved the victory, but there were some key moments,” said Pochettino. “I think everyone saw very clear that was a penalty against Son from Mane and we should be talking in a different way. If we score the goal and it’s 2-2 then we talk about character and personality. But that is not going to change.”
