Game : Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool, White Hart Lane, London.
Result : Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Liverpool ( Jamie Carragher O.G, Roman Pavlyuchenko/ Dirk Kuyt)
Harry Redknapp should probably change his surname to Potter. How else would you explain bottom of the table Tottenham Hotspur’s stunning 2-1 victory over leaders Liverpool yesterday night ? Roman Pavlyuchenko’s injury time strike lifted Spurs off the bottom of the table as Redknapp masterminded another excellent comeback to hand Liverpool their first league defeat of the 2008-09 season.
Liverpool will head into their midweek clash against Atletico Madrid feeling aggrieved, and Rafa Benitez’s side were definitely the better side. Robbie Keane, marking his return to White Hart Lane, was involved early as he helped Dirk Kuyt to score Liverpool’s opener in the fourth minute.
Liverpool dominated possession in the first half, and Tottenham had little of note apart from a Luka Modric shot that needed Reina to dive full length to save.
At the interval, Redknapp replaced Assou Ekotto, who was losing battles in the air to Dirk Kuyt, with Alan Hutton. Corluka switched to left back as Hutton occupied the right hand side. In another bold move, he took off Jamie O’Hara and replaced him with Pavlyuchenko, thereby allowing Spurs the luxury of another attacking man.
For all the good intentions that Redknapp might have had, it seemed the wrong decision. Liverpool poured forward with greater urgency as the second half began, and kept Heurelho Gomes busy. Steven Gerrard’s volley was diverted by Gomes onto the post, and minutes later, a piece of eccentric goalkeeping from Gomes nearly cost Tottenham as Gerrard’s chipped shot hit the bar. With Luka Modric more intent on wandering forward, Liverpool attacked on the right flank with Arbeloa and Kuyt.
The decisive moment of the game ( although you wouldn’t have thought that it was decisive at that time) was replacing Keane with Ryan Babel. Liverpool rarely managed to get the ball in the final third of the field after that, and the Reds were shocked when Jamie Carragher headed into his own goal from a corner in the 70th minute.
As the clock ticked on, it seemed more like a case of a point won for Tottenham and two points lost for Liverpool. But like they did at the Emirates at the weekend, Spurs still had something up their sleeve. David Bentley fired a wonderful, curving shot that Reina did well to get his fingertips to. The ball bobbled to Zokora, who sent it back into the box for Pavlyuchenko to tap home. The shaking head of Dirk Kuyt said it all for Liverpool fans, but setbacks like these should not allow the Reds to lose focus.