Liverpool away, 23.9.06

Last updated : 25 September 2006 By SpursMAD

The 3-0 scoreline didn't tell the full story. John Prince, NOTW

It was a fairly toothless first-half performance by Liverpool.

Ledley King gave Steve McClaren food for thought as the England boss looked for a holding-role replacement for broken-leg victim Owen Hargreaves. Steve Bates, The People

That the Merseysiders deserved the points against a Tottenham side that still seems paralysed by the final-day disappointment of missing out on the Champions League last season would not be disputed by even the most blinkered Spurs fan.

But if proof was needed that the difference between winning and losing can be that most precious commodity that money can't buy, it was provided at Anfield after 62 minutes of Liverpool pressure and Tottenham break-outs.

The fact that Spurs didn't manage a shot on target or force a single corner emphasised where Jol's problems lay.

There was a jaded look about Benitez's men before they increased the tempo after half-time to brush Spurs aside.

Liverpool served notice that they were starting to go up through the gears as half-time approached.

After the break, the Red trickle turned into a tide. Simon Mullock, The Sunday Mirror

Despite the scoreline, which flattered them, Liverpool hardly played like the Great Contenders they were portrayed as before the season started, but Anfield remained a fortress.

Liverpool were poor in the first half, but familiarity bred cohesion after the interval, producing all three goals.

Tottenham were disturbingly short of penetration.

The first half was utterly unremarkable, producing just one strike on target.

For those first 45 minutes Spurs gave as good as they got.

Martin Jol used Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane in combination and spent most of the game exhorting his troops not to loft high balls towards two of the smallest strikers in the game. Why he waited until 10 minutes from the end to throw on Mido remained a mystery. Murphy, against his alma mater, had a good first half, shepherding possession cleanly and cleverly in midfield, but both defences were largely untroubled.

To the relief of all present, the second half was as entertaining as the first had been grim, with Mark Gonzalez, Steven Gerrard, Mohamed Sissoko and Kuyt all raising their game to seize the initiative for Liverpool.

Steven Gerrard had become increasingly influential and at the root of things when Liverpool took the lead.

Two-nil would have been about right, but Liverpool were not finished.

Jol, increasingly frustrated, shook his head a lot and looked mostly at the floor.

Star Man: Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool) Joe Lovejoy, The Sunday Times

The point Spurs had appeared capable of taking seemed a forlorn hope after Liverpool went in front. Two more goals left them looking chastened.

It was fair to stress that, for the majority of this match, there was little between the teams. But Tottenham's collapse was perturbing, especially in the light of all those pre-season forecasts of a renewed push for the Champions League.

Liverpool, though, started to live up to expectations. Dirk Kuyt was rewarded for a contribution of unselfishly applied energy. Along with Momo Sissoko, who contrived to avoid a yellow card despite his customary display of relish for the second ball, Kuyt would have to have been a candidate for man of the match.

Competition was not exactly hot. Steven Gerrard, though he did much to prompt the breakthrough and finished the match strongly, spent much of it wandering with an oddly detached air. Maybe he was anxious to play in his favourite position as an attacking midfielder. Maybe he was tired of filling in on the right side. Rafa Benitez had to play Gerrard wide in order to use two strikers and two holding midfielders.

Steve McClaren was in the directors' box, with only Gerrard to watch on the home side but a sextet of English visitors to monitor, he saw Ledley King swiftly assume a prominent role in events.

He showed McClaren that a prolonged absence has not affected his capacity for high-class defending.

When the crucial 40 seconds arrived, the substitute Edgar Davids did all he could for Tottenham, but before Spurs could fully recover, the whole side looked tired and fatalistic in backing off. Patrick Barclay, Sunday Telegraph

Spurs must have felt like kicking themselves all the way back to London after a fiasco in front of goal. Being Spurs, though, they would undoubtedly have missed the target.

Despite a flattering scoreline Rafa Benitez's side were still playing a long way below their best. They looked nothing like title aspirants for a good hour of this game, when their visitors outpassed them in midfield and set up a succession of clear scoring chances.

Danny Murphy, excellent on his Anfield return, came within a whisker of playing in first Robbie Keane then Jermain Defoe.

Liverpool supporters spent much of the game fretting that the Spurs malaise might be contagious, though in their case the reason for a blank scoreline was that chances were simply not being created.

There was jus one shot on target in the first half. By the time Steven Gerrard began hoisting crosses towards Craig Bellamy's head one could only wonder what Liverpool had been practising in training.

Liverpool could have had no complaints had they been two goals down, but it is easy to see why Spurs had gone seven hours without scoring. Their finishing was absolutely diabolical. Mark Gonzalez should never have had the chance to put Liverpool in front. His team should have been restarting from the centre spot. Instead they left Spurs empty-handed once again and regretting what might have been.

The opening goal changed everything. Gaps appeared as Spurs began to chase the game and Liverpool duly stepped into them. Dirk Kuyt took advantage of the fact that the Spurs defence had stopped on the assumption that Steven Gerrard would be flagged for offside.

Michael Dawson should have known better than to back off John Arne Riise. Paul Wilson, The Observer

The result flattered Liverpool, but Spurs were architects of their own downfall. They should have taken a 1-0 lead in the second half, 38 seconds later they were behind, and by the end they were buried. If the game had gone on for much longer, the chances are they would have suffered a defeat of morale-destroying proportions. As it was, the heady days of last May when they finished fifth seemed a long time ago.

Spurs turned potential victory into crushing defeat.

After the opening goal Tottenham imploded.

At half-time the public address announcer gave out the latest Ryder Cup score which was the first time Anfield had been able to enjoy itself properly. To use golf terminology, there had been too much use of the driver rather than the wedge, and the ball had been propelled over great distance but to little effect.

This was partly down to Liverpool's tactic of giving Gerrard a free role which frequently left the right flank deserted. Faced with little option but to use the long ball over a congested midfield, the players did and the game frequently disappeared down a Route One cul-de-sac.

Consequently, Liverpool had to wait until the 45th minute for their first proper chance but it was Tottenham who missed the best opportunity.

The first 15 minutes of the second half were not much better but once Liverpool had made the breach they punished their opponents with brutal power.

Dirk Kuyt had been performing indifferently but he shook that off when Luis Garcia slipped a pass through to him after 73 minutes. In most matches that would have been the most thunderous moment yet it was surpassed in the 89th minute. Guy Hodgson, The Independent on Sunday