Liverpool 3-0 Tottenham
Two excellent victories in four days have put Liverpool's season firmly back on course.
Second-half goals from Mark Gonzalez, Dirk Kuyt and John Arne Riise secured a comfortable win for Rafael Benitez's side but for Tottenham these are worrying times.
Spurs spent heavily in the summer but have lost four of their first six league games and must wonder just what has gone wrong for a side who so nearly qualified for the Champions League last season.
Liverpool will not be bothered by the Londoners' woe, however. They go into their Champions League clash with Galatasaray in fine form.
They toiled somewhat in the first period as Benitez maintained his rotation policy - no doubt with Wednesday in mind - by leaving out Jamie Carragher, Luis Garcia and Fabio Aurelio from the side that beat Newcastle in midweek.
Riise returned after an ankle injury. Also recalled were Sami Hyypia and Mark Gonzalez. The Liverpool manager has now made 19 changes in six Premiership games this term.
Spurs, with their worst start to a league campaign in 14 years and 13 of those since they last won at Anfield, fielded an unchanged side from the one that drew with Fulham last time out in the league.
They found out that Hyypia does not like being left on the bench much, if his first two tackles were anything to go by. His first took out fellow Finn, Teemu Tainio and earned him a warning from referee Howard Webb, while the second was perfectly legal but pole-axed Jermain Defoe.
Liverpool attempted to take the initiative. Craig Bellamy with a 20-yard shot over the top, and then a bouncing effort from Xabi Alonso - who the crowd begged to shoot from any range after his midweek stunner - also just missing the target.
Spurs were intent on deep defence, at times all 10 outfield players were less than 30 yards from Paul Robinson, while trying to set Defoe free with long balls from the back.
Robbie Keane was almost put through by one pass from Danny Murphy, Hyypia getting a toe in the way, but the onus was on Liverpool to open up the Londoners.
Ledley King got a touch on a Murphy free-kick, the ball bouncing just wide before Liverpool felt they should have had a penalty when the ball hit King on the arm.
Then Pascal Chimbonda forced a Gonzalez corner away before Mohamed Sissoko saw a shot blocked. The tempo was quicker but Spurs were getting more possession as well as extra men forward.
King and Michael Dawson worked to contain Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt, with Steven Gerrard belatedly getting into the game with surges from the right flank.
There was more urgency about Liverpool after the break but anxiety crept in when Bellamy got in the way of Kuyt as the Dutchman sent a header over the bar, with the Welshman also just failing to get on the end of a low cross from his strike partner.
Gonzalez, too, was more involved and the supply of crosses from both flanks increased.
On 55 minutes, a Gonzalez corner found Alonso racing in on the edge of the box but this time his effort sailed high into the Kop.
Spurs sent on Edgar Davids for Tainio on the hour as it seemed the visitors might get something from the game so frequently were Liverpool conceding possession in midfield, Alonso frequently at fault.
The turning point came on 61 minutes. Davids got away on the left and set up Jenas two yards out, the midfielder somehow missing the far post.
And as he lay in the six-yard box in sheer disbelief, Liverpool broke away and took the lead.
Gerrard crossed from the right and Bellamy hit the post from close range, the ball breaking for Gonzalez to fire his first league goal for the club into the bottom corner.
Hyypia was booked for a foul on Didier Zokora, with Luis Garcia coming on for Bellamy.
Then Kuyt struck a classic strikers' goal on 73 minutes. Luis Garcia's pass threaded into the box and Kuyt latched on to it, cracking a fine shot high into the net.
Gerrard was in an offside position to his right, but as Spurs momentarily stopped, the Dutchman had eyes only for the back of the net.
Four minutes later, Liverpool sent on Aurelio for Gonzalez, with Spurs replacing Murphy with Mido on 79 minutes, but surely now the extra striker was too late to save the Londoners.
Liverpool sent on Carragher for Alonso with six minutes left, Benitez not a man to take even the slightest risk with points seemingly in the bag.
But that did not stop Riise from rubbing salt in Spurs' wounds with a stunning drive from 30 yards in the 89th minute.
Liverpool goalscorer Dirk Kuyt admits a glaring miss by Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas was the turning point in the Reds' 3-0 victory at Anfield.
The hosts made it two league victories in four days while Spurs slumped to yet another defeat.
Rafael Benitez's side have clearly got their season back on track with second-half goals from Mark Gonzalez, Kuyt and John Arne Riise, but after spending heavily in the summer, Spurs have now lost four of their first six league games.
They should have been ahead through Jenas - who somehow missed from two yards - before Liverpool punished them with two strikes in 10 minutes and Riise finished the job in the final seconds.
'We had a difficult day, we had to work really hard for the 3-0,' Kuyt told Sky Sports.
'Spurs are a very good team and they played well first half. In the second we did well, created chances and got the goals. That's the main thing.
'The game changed when they missed the open goal and we scored straight after. It was not so funny for them.
'My goal today was a great goal but I still have to play better for the team. I have a lot more confidence now and hope to move on and make more goals.'
Second-half goals from Mark Gonzalez, Dirk Kuyt and John Arne Riise secured a comfortable win for Rafael Benitez's side but for Tottenham these are worrying times.
Spurs spent heavily in the summer but have lost four of their first six league games and must wonder just what has gone wrong for a side who so nearly qualified for the Champions League last season.
Liverpool will not be bothered by the Londoners' woe, however. They go into their Champions League clash with Galatasaray in fine form.
They toiled somewhat in the first period as Benitez maintained his rotation policy - no doubt with Wednesday in mind - by leaving out Jamie Carragher, Luis Garcia and Fabio Aurelio from the side that beat Newcastle in midweek.
Riise returned after an ankle injury. Also recalled were Sami Hyypia and Mark Gonzalez. The Liverpool manager has now made 19 changes in six Premiership games this term.
Spurs, with their worst start to a league campaign in 14 years and 13 of those since they last won at Anfield, fielded an unchanged side from the one that drew with Fulham last time out in the league.
They found out that Hyypia does not like being left on the bench much, if his first two tackles were anything to go by. His first took out fellow Finn, Teemu Tainio and earned him a warning from referee Howard Webb, while the second was perfectly legal but pole-axed Jermain Defoe.
Liverpool attempted to take the initiative. Craig Bellamy with a 20-yard shot over the top, and then a bouncing effort from Xabi Alonso - who the crowd begged to shoot from any range after his midweek stunner - also just missing the target.
Spurs were intent on deep defence, at times all 10 outfield players were less than 30 yards from Paul Robinson, while trying to set Defoe free with long balls from the back.
Robbie Keane was almost put through by one pass from Danny Murphy, Hyypia getting a toe in the way, but the onus was on Liverpool to open up the Londoners.
Ledley King got a touch on a Murphy free-kick, the ball bouncing just wide before Liverpool felt they should have had a penalty when the ball hit King on the arm.
Then Pascal Chimbonda forced a Gonzalez corner away before Mohamed Sissoko saw a shot blocked. The tempo was quicker but Spurs were getting more possession as well as extra men forward.
King and Michael Dawson worked to contain Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt, with Steven Gerrard belatedly getting into the game with surges from the right flank.
There was more urgency about Liverpool after the break but anxiety crept in when Bellamy got in the way of Kuyt as the Dutchman sent a header over the bar, with the Welshman also just failing to get on the end of a low cross from his strike partner.
Gonzalez, too, was more involved and the supply of crosses from both flanks increased.
On 55 minutes, a Gonzalez corner found Alonso racing in on the edge of the box but this time his effort sailed high into the Kop.
Spurs sent on Edgar Davids for Tainio on the hour as it seemed the visitors might get something from the game so frequently were Liverpool conceding possession in midfield, Alonso frequently at fault.
The turning point came on 61 minutes. Davids got away on the left and set up Jenas two yards out, the midfielder somehow missing the far post.
And as he lay in the six-yard box in sheer disbelief, Liverpool broke away and took the lead.
Gerrard crossed from the right and Bellamy hit the post from close range, the ball breaking for Gonzalez to fire his first league goal for the club into the bottom corner.
Hyypia was booked for a foul on Didier Zokora, with Luis Garcia coming on for Bellamy.
Then Kuyt struck a classic strikers' goal on 73 minutes. Luis Garcia's pass threaded into the box and Kuyt latched on to it, cracking a fine shot high into the net.
Gerrard was in an offside position to his right, but as Spurs momentarily stopped, the Dutchman had eyes only for the back of the net.
Four minutes later, Liverpool sent on Aurelio for Gonzalez, with Spurs replacing Murphy with Mido on 79 minutes, but surely now the extra striker was too late to save the Londoners.
Liverpool sent on Carragher for Alonso with six minutes left, Benitez not a man to take even the slightest risk with points seemingly in the bag.
But that did not stop Riise from rubbing salt in Spurs' wounds with a stunning drive from 30 yards in the 89th minute.
Liverpool goalscorer Dirk Kuyt admits a glaring miss by Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas was the turning point in the Reds' 3-0 victory at Anfield.
The hosts made it two league victories in four days while Spurs slumped to yet another defeat.
Rafael Benitez's side have clearly got their season back on track with second-half goals from Mark Gonzalez, Kuyt and John Arne Riise, but after spending heavily in the summer, Spurs have now lost four of their first six league games.
They should have been ahead through Jenas - who somehow missed from two yards - before Liverpool punished them with two strikes in 10 minutes and Riise finished the job in the final seconds.
'We had a difficult day, we had to work really hard for the 3-0,' Kuyt told Sky Sports.
'Spurs are a very good team and they played well first half. In the second we did well, created chances and got the goals. That's the main thing.
'The game changed when they missed the open goal and we scored straight after. It was not so funny for them.
'My goal today was a great goal but I still have to play better for the team. I have a lot more confidence now and hope to move on and make more goals.'
posted by dgarden at 12:33 pm
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