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MOTD: Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur

By on February 10, 2015

Tottenham Hotspur were valiant, coming from behind twice against Liverpool in tonight’s six-pointer matchup for Champions League qualification. Yet just as they created their own chances, they were also architects of equally as many of Liverpool’s — in fact, the Spurs produced four goals in total, albeit two were for Liverpool. A goalkeeping mistake followed by a clumsy penalty cost them twice. Mauricio Pochettino’s side was indeed fortunate that two other poor back-passes didn’t result in more goals, as well.

At the other end of the pitch, however, Spurs created just as many chances on the attack. Outnumbering and outplaying Liverpool in the midfield, Tottenham ended the match with fourteen shots, five on target. Harry Kane was again immense, offering another goalscoring performance for England manager Roy Hodgson to salivate over, while Mousa Dembele was also inspired, finding the back of the net.

Then the storyline threw a curveball. No longer would the attention be on Tottenham, as it just so happens they set the stage for the most unlikely of heroes: Mario Balotelli. So long ago was it that he was Liverpool’s “steal” of a signing, and so long it has been since the club cast aside hopes of a Balotelli revival. Perhaps he has even forgotten what goals, match winners at that, mean to a club — his celebration was that deadpan. But as he poked home the late goal, his first in the Premier League for Liverpool, all was briefly forgiven.  In the top four race, no goal may prove as critical.

Balotelli had failed to impact the match until his goal, only coming on as a seventy-fourth-minute substitute. The Italian finished the match with just eleven touches of the ball and a higher pass accuracy than none bar Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. So while the goal came of out nowhere, it couldn’t have done so at a better time.

The win puts Liverpool back within sight of a Champions League spot, just three points back at the moment, and one behind Tottenham. Brendan Rodgers’ side weren’t quite dominant, and played mainly on the break, yet were lethal in the final third.  Just eight minutes in today they nearly opened the scoring, with Sturridge pouncing on Ryan Mason’s poor back-pass and only Eric Dier’s pressure forcing his low effort across goal to be at a savable pace for Hugo Lloris.

Gerrard also threatened with a whipping free-kick just over the crossbar, and soon after Daniel Sturridge’s snapshot volley from Markovic’s layoff made for more tough work for Lloris. Here, his strong arm was infallible; how that changed in just moments. Fourteen minutes in Markovic led the ball to the edge of the box after receiving Sturridge’s layoff, and while a slow, bobbling shot seemed to make for easy pickings, Lloris dove too early — anticipating the shot — letting it bounce right over his hand, giving Liverpool the lead.

Nineteen minutes in, another poor back-pass, this time from Nabil Bentaleb, put Sturridge in on goal again and save yet another superb block from Dier, would have surely put the game to bed. Yet Tottenham were not easily broken, and only fell after having handed Liverpool two goals on a silver platter. Kane would provide an equalizer after a lovely little reverse pass from Mason put him through on goal, but right on the brink of the half Liverpool struck the post via the back of Sturridge’s heel following a defensive mishap from Tottenham.

The theme continued in the second half; fifty-three minutes in Danny Rose was drawn into a clumsy challenge on Sturridge and the timeless Gerrard buried an unstoppable spot-kick.

All the uncertainty provided with wonderful, entertaining back-and-forth football, and almost immediately after Gerrard’s penalty Erik Lamela forced Mignolet into an incredible finger-tip save. It would only be seven minutes before (who else?) Kane got on the end of Mignolet’s save from Christian Eriksen’s free-kick and cut it back for Dembele to bundle home. Tottenham thought they’d earned a draw, Pochettinho claimed they deserved as much after the match, but Lallana assisted Balotelli’s tap in with a low cross, leaving no time left for another comeback.
Man of the Match: Daniel Sturridge

Photo credit: Kamran Hussain on Flickr

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.