Robbie Keane squandered two glorious chances to score against his former club before Beniot Assou-Ekotto rocketed Spurs into a deserved half-time lead. In contrast to the home sides attacking verve and adventure, Liverpool were insipid, struggling to find there rythym and barely registering a shot from open play all match.
Both sides spent the opening twenty minutes going through the motions, with Liverpool enjoying the majority of the possession but setting the tone for the rest of the game by doing very little with it. It was not until Luka Modric expertly teed up Robbie Keane for what looked like a certain goal, only for the forward to head straight at Pepe Reina, that Spurs really began to assert themselves on the game.
As his side slipped into gear, Redknapp watched as Modric, Palacios and an impressive Tom Huddlestone took control of the match, and held his head in his hands when Reina came to Liverpool’s rescue again. Modric, who had drifted in-field, slipped Keane through on goal only for the Irishman’s chipped effort to be palmed away by the Spaniard when he should have done better.
Yet our midfielders’ growing dominance was built on the foundations of a confident defensive display, with debutant Sebastien Bassong showing early signs of an encouraging understanding with Ledley King. On either flank Vedran Corluka and Beniot Assou-Ekotto were coolness personified.
The lead our first half display deserved came minutes before half-time. Huddlestone, who mistakenly believes he can take set-pieces, fired his second free-kick into the wall only for the ball to fall to Assou-Ekotto, who took one touch to steady himself before firing a half volley through a crowd of players past Reina’s despairing lunge.
As positive as the first half display had been, it was difficult to escape the feeling that Liverpool surely could not be as bad again. Yet brief early pressure quickly gave way to a flurry of Spurs attacks, with Aaron Lennon cutting through the Liverpool midfield only to forget the need for a final ball as he approached the area. Seconds later, Wilson Palacios’ thunderous shot forced Reina into another splendid save.
Yet Liverpool were not done and they found their way back into the match courtesy of a darting run by new £18m full-back Glen Johnson, who was rashly brought down by a desperate Gomes. Steven Gerrard confidently slotted home the penalty to give his side the parity they barely deserved. It wasn’t to last.
Barely five minutes later and Bassong, enjoying a debut to remember, capped an encouraging first appearance with a goal. The Cameroon international met a pinpoint Modric free-kick and arrowed a header past Reina, sending the home crowd into raptures.
If there is to be any criticism of the players today it would be how they reacted to finding themselves back in front. The home faithful at White Hart Lane are not strangers to seeing their side retreat deeper and deeper in their attempts to hold on to a lead and for the last 15 minutes Redknapp’s side struggled to hold on to the ball. Wilson Palacios was particularly guilty of a few unecessary flicks and tricks which wasted possession, but the introduction of O’Hara, for a tiring Modric, was a smart move by Redknapp.
As the minutes ticked on Liverpool came forward and we survived two penalty shouts, first for a push by Assou-Ekotto, then for a handball by the Cameroon full-back, but both would have been soft penalties, giving Rafa Benitez’s side a point they did not merit.
As the final whistle marked one of the most encouraging opening day performances in recent memory, Redknapp punched the air and Sebastien Bassong entertained the crowd with a little jig on the big screen. Who can blame him; some 30,000 people in the stands, and a fair few watching at home, probably wanted to dance a little jig as well.
Man of the Match: Sebastien Bassong. A superb performance from the debutant who, on this evidence, could be a key player this season.