In a fairly open first half, Liverpool showed the greater care and class with their possession, whilst Tottenham although full of purpose and intent, did lack a certain flair and tempo in their play, resulting in them rarely looking a team that would break the Reds stubborn rear-guard.
Even so neither team threatened to open the scoring early on until the 15th minute when Jermaine Jenas was rather harshly adjudged to have pulled Steven Gerrard back just 25 yards out and slightly right to centre of Paul Robinson’s goal.
Gerrard and John-Arne Riise stood over the ball as Robinson lined up a solid looking wall, yet the keeper’s team-mates let him down badly as they allowed Gerrard’s shot to go straight through them and straight at Robinson.
However if Robinson is to be upset at his rather porous wall, then they have equal reason to be miffed at yet another error on Robinson’s part, for the burly stopper could only manage to rebuff Gerrard’s shot out into the open for Andriy Voronin to tap the ball into the net, rather than divert the ball out to the side and relative safety.
The current England no.1 has been under strained pressure due to a run of calamitous mistakes, and the manner in which he parried Gerrard’s fiercely hit free-kick into the path of Andriy Voronin will add voice to the increasing number of critics demanding his exclusion from not just the England first team, but also of Tottenham.
After what has worryingly become a routine script for Tottenham, the camera’s strained to get every angle of Martin Jol’s discomfort as well as the man perched in the executive box, David Levy, whose antics have created the burden being carried by the Dutchman’s broad shoulders. Nonetheless his side did not wilt, however nor did Liverpool really apply anymore significant pressure.
Only once did they fashion a chance in which Torres set up Voronin, who being 18 yards out elected to pass to Gerrard rather than shoot himself, allowing a prone Michael Dawson to unknowingly block Gerrard’s shot.
The Reds did find space in abundance in-between the Spurs midfield and backline, which once again highlights the lack of a real defensive shield for Tottenham, but they rarely made the most of it.
That being said, Fernando Torres did trouble Younnis Kaboul many a time and flashed a couple of shots just wide of the goal, but the Reds never really tested Robinson again.
Rafael Benitez was looking from a reaction from his players after a disappointing loss in midweek against Marseille, but he would have been scratching his head as to the ineffectiveness of his team to go for the kill, and in particular the lacklustre display of the usual talismanic Steven Gerrard in central midfield.
His midfield partner, Javier Mascherano, in contrast was the star performer in the pitch with his economic passing and stifling tendencies.
The Reds lack of real drive lent itself to a rather mooted Anfield crowd, and 2 minutes before the break their mood blackened as Spurs scored completely out of the blue.
Rather than coming from Tottenham’s usual slick passing, the goal arrived from a simple punt up the field in which an otherwise ineffectual Dimitar Berbatov flicked the ball on for Robbie Keane, who raced in-between Steven Finnan and Jamie Carragher and flicked the ball past the out-rushing Pepe Reina and into the net.
Reina will probably be upset that he didn’t get to the ball before Keane as he seemed to hesitate for a crucial second, but in reality the defence in-front of him should have dealt with the original long-ball.
Mark Halsey blew-up for the end of the first-half against a backdrop of stunned silence from the Kop.
Whatever under-pressure boss Martin Jol said at half-time, it must have had more resonance with his players than Rafael Benitez’s chat had with the Reds, for Spurs raced out of the blocks at the restart and into a shocking lead within 5 minutes.
Once-again Keane got in-between the Reds back-line to score with a sublime chip, and once again it came from a Berbatov flick-on. Before Tottenham’s first goal Liverpool had played 500 league minutes without conceding, and everyone connected with the Reds must be furious that that record has been broken via two goals coming from simple ‘route one’ football.
The Kop barely had time to return to their seats with their pies before they were treated to a raucous wall of noise from the travelling Yid Army.
Instead of catalysing Liverpool into a response, the second-half goal seemed to stun the home team into a stumbling punch-drunk display. Tottenham pressed on with renewed confidence and vigour but an unusual unsteady partnership of Sami Hyypia and Carragher just about held a lively Keane off from grabbing a hat-trick.
As Benitez screamed at his side from the touchlines, and rather notably at his jaded captain Gerrard, Liverpool finally inserted some urgency into their play as Torres and Voronin lead the fight-back.
Firstly Torres flashed a shot wide of Robinson’s goal, and then Torres stretched the Spurs backline before squaring the ball for Voronin, who in-turn back-heeled the ball for Gerrard to shoot, but the under-performing midfielder could only blast the ball well over the bar.
The tempo was raised from both sides as Liverpool pressed on but Spurs continued to rebuff them with workman like performances from the likes of Gareth Bale and Didier Zakora.
Benitez by now had seen enough as he made three substitutions in just fewer than 10 minutes, with Ryan Babel came on for Alvaro Arebola, before Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun replaced Pennant and Voronin respectively.
But the changes made little effect as only a Robinson fumble from a Finnan shot followed by a decent stop from a Benayoun shot marked any chances for an equaliser from Liverpool.
With 8 minutes to go and the expected Liverpool onslaught failing to materialise, it looked a foregone conclusion that Spurs would register a fabulous result. But then, with 91min 30 secs on the clock, Mr. £23million man Fernando Torres rose in classic centre-forward fashion to head a cross into the ground and into the net from the near-post position.
The Anfield crowd and player’s exploded into joyous celebration, and the merriment was carried on as Mark Halsey blew the final whistle only a minute later.
The Tottenham players sank to the ground at the final whistle feeling very much beaten rather than equalled by Liverpool, for such was the graft they put into this game. Jol will be mightily upset his side could not hold-on for a win, but overall the spoils shared was well deserved from this game.
Benitez will have much to ponder on as the wheels seem to be slowly coming off their title challenge. There was a frightening flatness to Liverpool’s backline, with Sami Hyypia in particular clocking in with a poor performance as he allowed Berbatov to beat him to two crucial headers that set-up both of Keane’s goals.
But more worryingly, ‘captain marvel’ Steven Gerrard, looks significantly short of match fitness and sharpness. He was faced with bemusement from his manager as he not only contributed little to the game, but he also rarely drove his team on when needed, nor dominated a midfield area that he usually does week-in week-out. The Kop feel he is wrecked from his duty to the national team, and with England facing Estonia and Russia in a week’s time, it shall be interesting to see how he is used and what condition he returns in.
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