Liverpool 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

FA Premiership
Sunday 7th October 2007 (3pm) @ Anfield

Liverpool fans of a weak disposition may want to look away now because the following match report may not be pretty.

The reds drew their 3rd game in the last 4 Premiership games, and if it hadn’t have been for Fernando Torres injury time equaliser then we may have well considered leaving ‘Fortress’ Anfield and moving to Stanley Park now for our home games.

Spurs are no mugs, they are always capable of scoring goals as demonstrated already this season, but it was the manner of Liverpool’s immobile defence and once again failures up front that will be causing Rafa, and all of us, the most concern.

Benitez made five changes from the mid-week defeat against Marseille. Peter Crouch moving from starting line up to sofa.  Leto and Sissoko may also have been round at Peter Crouch’s house after their nightmares on Wednesday.

The reds however started the game with an early goal.  Steven Gerrard’s free kick was too hot to handle for Paul Robinson and Voronin was on hand to snatch another goal in what has been a quite a prolific start to his Liverpool career.

After that the reds were guilty of wasting some great chances to advance their lead with the post denying Gerrard and Voronin himself guilty of missing a great opportunity to double his tally by passing instead of shooting.

Just as half time was approaching Berbatov was handed the opportunity by Hyypia to head the ball to Keane who promptly equalised.  Rafa’s blood was no doubt boiling.

At the start of the second half the reds were taken by surprise when once again the Berbatov/Keane resulted in the Irishman grabbing his second and putting a Spurs side who had won only once this season in the driving seat.

Liverpool huffed, and puffed, huffed a bit more and in injury time that man Torres showed he isn’t just an attacking threat on the ground when he headed a late late equaliser from a Steve Finnan cross.

The reds salvaged a point, but more importantly salvaged their Premiership unbeaten record.  Whatever the problem is there will not be any saviours arriving until at least January. 

Time to pull your socks up lads.

Reaction:

Benitez:

 “We made two bad mistakes.

“I’m disappointed. We were controlling the game and we didn’t take our chances – you can’t explain that.

“The second goal was especially bad – we need to learn for the future as the small details change games.”

Spurs boss, Martin Jol:

“I feel rotten about the result – we gave them a big fright.

“If you attack the spaces behind them you can cause Liverpool problems.

“We’re in the last 16 of the Carling Cup and in the group stages of the Uefa Cup and now we have to start winning games in the Premier League.

“There is a lot to come from this team, but we must start climbing the table.”

Teams:

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Arbeloa (Babel 63), Pennant (Kuyt 69), Mascherano, Gerrard, Riise, Voronin (Benayoun 77), Torres.
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Lucas.

Goals: Voronin 12, Torres 90.

Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lee, Tainio (Malbranque 75), Jenas, Zokora, Bale, Keane, Berbatov.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Defoe, Huddlestone, Gardner.

Booked: Dawson.

Goals: Keane 45, 47.

Att: 43,986.

Ref: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).