Sunday, October 7, 2007

Liverpool 2-2 Tottenham

Fernando Torres' injury-time header rescued a draw for Liverpool.
Liverpool went ahead after Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson spilt Steven Gerrard's free-kick and Andriy Voronin pounced to snaffle the rebound.
But Keane's goals at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second changed the game's course.
On both occasions Dimitar Berbatov's headers unsettled Liverpool and Keane's eye for goal proved deadly, but Torres' downward header rescued the home side.
Liverpool might have been three goals up before Keane got to work but Gerrard hit the post and Voronin missed a reasonable chance.
Manager Rafael Benitez made five changes for this game, with Peter Crouch deemed not even worthy of a place on the Liverpool bench.
Voronin and Torres might have scored for Liverpool but this was a performance that will raise further question marks about Benitez's rotational policy.
Overall it was a disjointed performance from Liverpool and Spurs were unlucky not to leave with their first away win of the season.
Prior to Sunday's game, Spurs had won just one league match and Jol's side got off to the worst possible start.
Robinson is having a difficult time of it at the moment - he was at fault for three of Aston Villa's goals in the 4-4 draw on Monday - and he will wince if he looks at the video replays of Voronin's goal.
True, Gerrard's free-kick took a deflection, but Robinson should have held his England colleague's effort.
Instead the ball squirmed out of his hands and Voronin had the simplest of tasks to put Liverpool ahead.
Later in the game Robinson spilled a Steve Finnan shot, though this time he was rescued by Michael Dawson.
With 13 minutes remaining Robinson did better in dealing with a Javier Mascherano shot, getting down quickly to make a good save.
Another Mascherano effort - this time from distance - had Robinson worried, but the ball faded away from the goal at the last moment.
Had Liverpool taken their chances in the first half Benitez's side might not have had such a worrying afternoon.
On the half-hour Gerrard was unlucky not to score when his curling free-kick cannoned back off the post.
A sweeping move involving Gerrard, Torres and Voronin dissected the Spurs defence but the Ukraine forward elected to pass rather than shoot and the opportunity to score passed.
In first-half stoppage time Liverpool were made to rue those missed chances when Berbatov's flicked header released Keane, who clipped the ball past Jose Reina.
Sami Hyypia was badly at fault, barely managing a challenge on Berbatov.
The Spurs strikers were quickly back to work at the start of the second half when Berbatov flicked on again and Keane acrobatically volleyed past Reina.
But Torres proved equally adept in the air and when Finnan crossed from the right, the Spaniard headed the ball past Robinson to give Liverpool the draw.
· Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez:"We made two bad mistakes.
"I'm disappointed. We were controlling the game and we didn't take our chances - you can't explain that.
"The second goal was especially bad - we need to learn for the future as the small details change games."
· Tottenham manager Martin Jol:"I feel rotten about the result - we gave them a big fright.
"If you attack the spaces behind them you can cause Liverpool problems.
"We're in the last 16 of the Carling Cup and in the group stages of the Uefa Cup and now we have to start winning games in the Premier League.
"There is a lot to come from this team, but we must start climbing the table."

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Arbeloa (Babel 63), Pennant (Kuyt 69), Mascherano, Gerrard, Riise, Voronin (Benayoun 77), Torres.Subs Not Used: Itandje, Lucas.
Goals: Voronin 12, Torres 90.
Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lee, Tainio (Malbranque 75), Jenas, Zokora, Bale, Keane, Berbatov.Subs Not Used: Cerny, Defoe, Huddlestone, Gardner.
Booked: Dawson.
Goals: Keane 45, 47.
Att: 43,986.
Ref: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).

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