Liverpool this weekend faced Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in what was built up to be the match of the weekend.
Liverpool won their last match against West Ham United at Anfield 3-0, thanks to stunningly incompetent defending by West Ham, and an attack to match their dismal efforts at the back. Of course if you let Maxi Rodriguez, who was easily the smallest player
in the game and probably is in the league, head in from three yards out in the centre of the box then you know you have some serious issues. But take nothing away from Liverpool, they still had a job to do and they did it.
Tottenham on the other hand were still smarting from that amazing 3-2 comeback win at the Emirates Stadium against bitter rivals Arsenal in the North London Derby. They played with belief, spirit and desire in the second half of that game, something that
has not been very synonymous with the Tottenham of old. And that game must've given them a huge boost to propel them on to a good run of form.
Liverpool started without Captain and talisman Steven Gerrard, who they lost to International duty for England. So Lucas, Meireles, Maxi and Dirk Kuyt slotted into midfield, while Roy Hodgson went for two strikers upfront in the shape of Fernando Torres
and David Ngog. Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Glen Johnson and Paul Konchesky provided the cover to Pepe Reina who started in goal as usual.
Liverpool started the game extremely brightly, with chance after chance being created by them. Torres was instrumental in a play making role, setting up passes for Maxi and Kuyt to latch onto and turn them into meaningful attacks.
Tottenham’s only true source of invention seemed to be Luka Modric, who ended up having a magnificent game. Tottenham were extremely lucky, and Liverpool highly unlucky, that the majority of the decent opportunities fell to Maxi, who squandered them all,
and not Torres who would've buried at least two or three of them. Maxi somehow managed to miss everything from easy sitters to one on ones to long range shoots, and certainly a more prolific or potent attack minded player would’ve done much better.
But Liverpool still managed to take the lead through Martin Skrtel after a free kick was floated into the Tottenham area and Gomes put it into the net to give Liverpool nothing more than what they deserved, if anything, they deserved even more from a highly
entertaining first half.
After the break parity was restored when Luka Modric broke past Glen Johnson to the by line and whipped a teasing cross in only for Skrtel to deflect into his own net. It was wonderful individual skill by Modric but it was highly unfortunate for the Liverpool
goal scorer, he had now scored for both sides. The game after that was very open and chance after chance went begging for either side. But in the 91st minute it was Aaron Lennon who gave Tottenham the win, Peter Crouch climbed above his marker to head a ball
into the path of the pacey winger, Lennon then cut inside Konchesky and left him for dead. He was now one on one with the keeper and he finished to Pepe Reina's left sending White Hart Lane into delirium and Roy Hodgson into a state of disbelief.
This game should've been won by Liverpool long before the whistle for the second half was blown, but thanks to Maxi's woeful finishing Liverpool remain with only one away win all season. In a match where they showed so much promise, they succumbed in the
end. Roy Hodgson knew what he was getting himself into when he took the reins at Anfield but now he certainly has his work cut out or him, and he needs to do better if he is to strive and thrive in a new era for Liverpool Football Club under new management
who will not be impressed with the team’s showing thus far.
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