Monday, November 29, 2010

Tottenham 2 - 1 Liverpool

Aaron Lennon struck an injury-time winner as he earned Tottenham a dramatic league win against Liverpool.
Lennon ran through to slot in and move Harry Redknapp's side to within six points of the Premier League's summit.
Spurs had gone behind when Martin Skrtel stabbed in from 10 yards after his header came back off David Ngog.
Jermain Defoe missed a Spurs penalty but the home side levelled when Skrtel turned a Luka Modric cross into his own net before Lennon's late winner.
The victory after a thrilling game of rollercoaster fortunes will only enhance manager Redknapp's claims that his side can win the Premier League title.
Redknapp talked up his side's chances after a 3-2 win at Arsenal last Saturday and, after a midweek victory over Werder Bremen in the Champions League, Spurs proved they have the kind of fighting qualities and consistency they will need to back up their manager's bold prediction.
Liverpool were punished for not taking some gilt-edged chances, although they did show the gap between the two sides might not be as large as the differing recent fortunes of the pair might suggest.
However, it was Tottenham's reaction to adversity which ultimately proved the more decisive and impressive.
Spurs started promisingly as Lennon skinned Reds left-back Paul Konchesky and found Modric, who failed to get enough power and direction on a shot he fired straight at keeper Pepe Reina.
A Maxi Rodriguez angled strike went wide at the other end before Redknapp's risk in playing Rafael van der Vaart after a spell out with an ankle problem backfired with the influential playmaker going off injured after 10 minutes.
Defoe, who has only just returned after a lengthy spell out injured, came on as his replacement and he quickly showed signs of intent by volleying a Modric cross at Reina in what was proving to be an absorbing game as the teams traded blows.
Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch got ahead of Jamie Carragher but steered a shot wide from a corner for the White Hart Lane outfit, while another Maxi effort was smartly palmed round the post by keeper Heurelho Gomes.
Spurs had a great chance to take the lead when Reina palmed a Modric cross to Defoe only for the forward to show his rustiness as his close range shot was blocked on the goal-line by Carragher.
Another Spurs player in Younes Kaboul was forced to go off injured and, after Raul Meireles had a well-struck 25-yard strike palmed wide, the visitors went ahead.
Skrtel headed a free-kick against team-mate Ngog before reacting quickest to send in the loose ball as Liverpool's discipline and controlled aggression reaped dividend.
Spurs were wobbling and should have been further behind when an audacious pass from Torres put Maxi through on goal but, instead of shooting, he tried to be too clever and only ended up fooling himself rather than Gomes.
The usually clinical Torres was twice through on goal either side of half-time but was foiled by crucial Sebastien Bassong tackles on both occasions.
Liverpool's lack of ruthlessness almost came back to haunt them only for Meireles to head a Bale strike off the line.
But the White Hart Lane side had the ideal chance to draw level when they were awarded a penalty for Ngog blocking a Bale free-kick with his arms.
Defoe sent the spot-kick horribly wide, but Modric helped quickly ease Spurs' disappointment as the home side found the kind of attacking rhythm which has made them such an entertaining team to watch.
The diminutive Croatian scythed through the Liverpool defence and had his low cross turned into his own net by Skrtel with Crouch waiting for a tap-in.
The intensity of the game ratcheted up along with the noise from the home faithful as the game turned into a frantic affair.
Both sides were denied penalties - Konchesky appeared to push Crouch, while at the other end Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt went down after a challenge by Spurs left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
Meireles sent a rasping left-foot shot just wide before the decisive intervention of Lennon.
Crouch flicked on a long Assou-Ekotto ball and Lennon, who had got inside Konchesky, kept his cool to side-foot past Reina.

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