Goals from Benoit Assout-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong gave Tottenham a 2-1 win over Liverpool in their first game of the season. More
90+4 The final whistle is blown! Spurs start with a win and a big one against title hopefuls Liverpool who, to be honest, looked anything but! 2-1 and it could have been more, although Liverpool will be aggrieved at what they thought was a cast-iron penalty in the second half.
90+2 SPURS SUB: Pavlyuchenko on for Defoe.
90' Liverpool assistant Sammy Lee is sent off after Stuart Atwell, the fourth official, reports him to Phil Dowd for something he said, no doubt about the non-penalty.
85' Benayoun with a lovely ball into Voronin who is clean through and Asso-Ekotto comes across him and the Ukrainian goes down but no penalty! That looked a foul to me! Big decision from the ref and I think the wrong one.
83' SPURS SUB: Jamie O'Hara is introduced for Modric, one assumes to contain Glen Johnson.
78' LIVERPOOL SUB: Voronin on for Kuyt.
75' LIVERPOOL SUB: Skrtel comes off holding his head again, Ayala on in his place.
68' SPURS SUB: Keane trudges off, seeming uncomfortable, for ex-Liverpool striker Peter Crouch.
68' LIVERPOOL SUB: Babel comes off for Benayoun.
67' Assou-Ekotto sees yellow for a late challenge.
61' Gerrard to take and he opts to shoot but Gomes, almost caught out, gets back across to two-hand it over for a corner.
59' Modric to take the free-kick, 30 yards out on the right. He swings it into the box AND BASSONG FLIES IN WITH A WONDERFUL HEADER INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET! WHAT A HEADER! Poor marking from Carragher but what a way to make your debut. 2-1.
58' Liverpool clear the corner but it is back with Spurs. Now Defoe gets the ball and knocks it past Carragher who takes him out and is booked.
56' Gerrard steps up and he thrashes it into the roof of the net, straight down the middle with Gomes going to his right, 1-1.
54' Johnson on the right sprints away from Huddlestone and races clear from Asso-Ekotto and he is in the box and Gomes flies out to take him down and it is a penalty! Yellow card to Gomes, a rash decision from him but a great run by Johnson.
53' Palacios on the ball, he bounds forward like a gazelle and hammers a rising drive that Reina flies across to tip over for a corner! Great strike matched by the save.
51' Yellow card for Skrtel for cumulative offending, catching Keane on the Spurs left.
49' Torres gets a rare touch but it is a bit heavy. Still with Liverpool though, Kuyt on the right slides it across to Torres who lays it off for GERRARD but he drills it just wide!
47' Lennon races forward on the right, he has pace to burn and sprints away from Insua and he cuts inside and this could be a wonder goal but his touch is heavy on the edge of the box and Liverpool survive! He had Keane and Defoe in support too but made the wrong choice.
46' Liverpool get the second half underway.
45+4 Half-time, Spurs lead 1-0 through that stunning Benoit Assou-Ekotto strike.
44' Huddlestone takes the free kick, it goes straight into the wall, it bounces into the path of ASSOU-EKOTTOOOOOOOO!!! WHAT A GOAL! He killed it with his right and smashed it in with his left foot, across Reina and zipping into the top left, unstoppable from the right-hand corner of the box. Spurs lead 1-0 and deservedly so.
42' Liverpool make a mess of clearing a routine high ball and it falls to Huddlestone who nods it down TO KEANE WHO IS IN BUT HE PANICS AND HAMMERS IT MILES OVER! Oh dear. Another poor miss by Keane.
35' Modric with the corner, he swings it near post and Liverpool stand still while DEFOE FLIES IN WITH THE HEADER BUT IT FLASHES WIDE!!
34' Modric puts the corner in but Liverpool clear. Gerrard gives the ball away, Spurs break with Modric chesting it and surging from halfway, he slides Robbie Keane through and heÂ’s one-on-one but Reina parries the chip behind for a corner!
32' Lennon knocks the ball past Mascherano but the Argentine is already committed and the two collide and are winded. A harsh yellow card for Mascherano.
31' Lennon goes down the right after Keane's flick wide, he pumps in a deep cross that is set to fly out but Modric at the far post plays a superb first-time ball with the outside of his right AND KEANE IS UNMARKED AND MUST SCORE WITH THE DIVING HEADER FROM SIX YARDS BUT REINA FLIES ACROSS TO BLOCK! Great save but he should have scored.
30' Kuyt gets it on the right and clips it inside for Gerrard who takes a touch and drills it in low but just wide of the far post!
25' Lennon slides in late on Skrtel, booking for the winger and the Liverpool defender goes off for more treatment to his face. It seems worse than a cut, maybe concussion.
15' King lofts the ball forward, Mascherano sticks a boot out and the ball flies in the air and Skrtel collides with Carragher, head first as both tried to clear! No communication clearly.
1' First half underway at White Hart Lane!!
- So, Steven Gerrard plays for Liverpool despite his lingering groin strain, while Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel are both pressed into action. Ledley King is back for Spurs, who opt for Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe up front with Peter Crouch on the bench.
- TOTTENHAM TEAM: Gomes, Corluka, King, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric, Keane, Defoe.
- LIVERPOOL TEAM: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel, Torres.
90' Liverpool assistant Sammy Lee is sent off after Stuart Atwell, the fourth official, reports him to Phil Dowd for something he said, no doubt about the non-penalty.
85' Benayoun with a lovely ball into Voronin who is clean through and Asso-Ekotto comes across him and the Ukrainian goes down but no penalty! That looked a foul to me! Big decision from the ref and I think the wrong one.
61' Gerrard to take and he opts to shoot but Gomes, almost caught out, gets back across to two-hand it over for a corner.
59' Modric to take the free-kick, 30 yards out on the right. He swings it into the box AND BASSONG FLIES IN WITH A WONDERFUL HEADER INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET! WHAT A HEADER! Poor marking from Carragher but what a way to make your debut. 2-1.
56' Gerrard steps up and he thrashes it into the roof of the net, straight down the middle with Gomes going to his right, 1-1.
53' Palacios on the ball, he bounds forward like a gazelle and hammers a rising drive that Reina flies across to tip over for a corner! Great strike matched by the save.
49' Torres gets a rare touch but it is a bit heavy. Still with Liverpool though, Kuyt on the right slides it across to Torres who lays it off for GERRARD but he drills it just wide!
47' Lennon races forward on the right, he has pace to burn and sprints away from Insua and he cuts inside and this could be a wonder goal but his touch is heavy on the edge of the box and Liverpool survive! He had Keane and Defoe in support too but made the wrong choice.
44' Huddlestone takes the free kick, it goes straight into the wall, it bounces into the path of ASSOU-EKOTTOOOOOOOO!!! WHAT A GOAL! He killed it with his right and smashed it in with his left foot, across Reina and zipping into the top left, unstoppable from the right-hand corner of the box. Spurs lead 1-0 and deservedly so.
42' Liverpool make a mess of clearing a routine high ball and it falls to Huddlestone who nods it down TO KEANE WHO IS IN BUT HE PANICS AND HAMMERS IT MILES OVER! Oh dear. Another poor miss by Keane.
35' Modric with the corner, he swings it near post and Liverpool stand still while DEFOE FLIES IN WITH THE HEADER BUT IT FLASHES WIDE!!
34' Modric puts the corner in but Liverpool clear. Gerrard gives the ball away, Spurs break with Modric chesting it and surging from halfway, he slides Robbie Keane through and heÂ’s one-on-one but Reina parries the chip behind for a corner!
31' Lennon goes down the right after Keane's flick wide, he pumps in a deep cross that is set to fly out but Modric at the far post plays a superb first-time ball with the outside of his right AND KEANE IS UNMARKED AND MUST SCORE WITH THE DIVING HEADER FROM SIX YARDS BUT REINA FLIES ACROSS TO BLOCK! Great save but he should have scored.
30' Kuyt gets it on the right and clips it inside for Gerrard who takes a touch and drills it in low but just wide of the far post!
- So, Steven Gerrard plays for Liverpool despite his lingering groin strain, while Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel are both pressed into action. Ledley King is back for Spurs, who opt for Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe up front with Peter Crouch on the bench.
- TOTTENHAM TEAM: Gomes, Corluka, King, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric, Keane, Defoe.
- LIVERPOOL TEAM: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel, Torres.
Tottenham HotspurManager: Harry Redknapp
Captain: Robbie Keane
67′
83′
90′ None
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LiverpoolManager: Rafael Benítez
Captain: Steven Gerrard
66′
78′
74′ None
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well done spurs ur gonna finish in the top 6 but i still hate you

Have it Spurs are now top!
Liverpool a flop!

A good win. But what's a bit worrying is that "Spurs attempted just five crosses against Liverpool". Some teams will close down the passing game, so you need to be able to cross. Crossing to Crouch or Pavlyunchenko makes more sense than to Defoe and Keane, so the latter two shouldn't be playing at the same time against teams like that. From the right, Bentley crosses better than Lennon. On the left we still need a left-footed winger or attacking midfielder to do the same. Unless Harry lands one such player before the transfer window closes, I can't see a top-5 finish for Spurs.

RB quoted in The Qatar Tribune in the Middle East says that he was upset with the ref and officials on Saturday as Liverpool, according to him should have had 2 penalties, how quick a summer changes ones mind it's OK for him to complain but nobody else.

cannot see any silverware for liverpool this year, another typical result, why such a poor team whe he has 57 guys on the books for the ist team..

It didn't appear that Liverpool had anywhere near the hunger for a win that they should have, right from the start... Almost like they went out with the attitude... 'hmm, let's see how we get on in this game, and then decide what we need to do in the next game..'

alonsos a big miss fact

When will Rafa stop criticising officials.Liverpool lost because of an totally inept performance.Could it be that Spurs played the scousers off the park.

goog liverpool suck thay shud lose all there games
glory glory man united 4th year

glory glory tottenham hotspurs, glory glory tottenham hotspurs, glory glory tottenham hotspurs, an rafa loses it again

mr benenetiz mus t now the educate himself and his players of the rules of the game of the football.
then he need togo back to the basics about the football tictacs..
he should show his goal keeper the goal and tell him it is his job to stop the ball going into it.
then he should show his defenders the hammer and tell them he will hit them with it very the hard if they wander up field and not the tackle and chase the opposing team players around.
with his midfield he should simply show them the picture of the donkey and then let them work the rest out for them the selves.
with the forwards he should tell show them the ball, explain what it is, let them touch it and hold it, as they wont see much of it again this the season.
then mr bennynitiz should cuddle his players and sing them the sad spanish songs to prepare them for yet another season without trophy or purpose.

mr benenetiz mus t now the educate himself and his players of the rules of the game of the football.
then he need togo back to the basics about the football tictacs..
he should show his goal keeper the goal and tell him it is his job to stop the ball going into it.
then he should show his defenders the hammer and tell them he will hit them with it very the hard if they wander up field and not the tackle and chase the opposing team players around.
with his midfield he should simply show them the picture of the donkey and then let them work the rest out for them the selves.
with the forwards he should tell show them the ball, explain what it is, let them touch it and hold it, as they wont see much of it again this the season.
then mr bennynitiz should cuddle his players and sing them the sad spanish songs to prepare them for yet another season without trophy or purpose.

Abs fan of Manure, how can it be a ract! it hasn't happened, you great moron.

Chelsea 4 evver!

loserpool......looooooosers...glory glory man utd

simonphillips69
No we drawn with the geordies.

didn`t man u start like that larst year then went on to win the title come on liverpool carn`t let united or chelski win it this year

I'm the fan of Manchester United and i'm glad that Liverpool lost some points but this doesn't matter because it's only the first match and they have played against Tottenham not against Burnley, Hull or other.That is only the begin but i still hope that MU could win this title. GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED ! ! !

Gooooo LooozerPool !!! Glory Glory Man UNITEEED !!!

gunners for life
