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Premier League
Aug 31, 2014 at 1.30pm UK
 
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FT(HT: 0-1)
Sterling (8'), Gerrard (49' pen.), Moreno (60')

Live Commentary: Tottenham Hotspur 0-3 Liverpool - as it happened

Relive Liverpool's impressive 3-0 win over Tottenham at White Hart Lane, courtesy of SM's live coverage, as Mauricio Pochettino loses for the first time as Spurs boss.
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Liverpool bounced back from their first defeat of the season in style this afternoon, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at White Hart Lane.

Raheem Sterling gave the visitors the lead after just eight minutes when he rolled Jordan Henderson's pass into the bottom corner.

Steven Gerrard made it two from the spot shortly after the break before Alberto Moreno capped off the scoring with a brilliant solo effort.

You can read how an entertaining encounter unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.


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Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's huge Premier League clash between top-four hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur and title contenders Liverpool. It is the second big away game in a row for the visitors, while Spurs face their toughest test of the season so far against last season's runners-up. If last season's meetings are anything to go by, we should have an entertaining match on our hands today! Let's start with a look at the hosts...

Results-wise it has been a perfect start to the season for Tottenham Hotspur, who have won four from four in all competitions so far. They eased through to the group stages of the Europa League on Thursday having kept up their 100% record in the Premier League, making life very comfortable in the early stages of Mauricio Pochettino's time at the helm.

However, despite winning every match, performance-wise it has been something of a mixed bag for Spurs. They were fortunate to come away with all three points against West Ham United on the opening day, with Eric Dier netting a late, late winner on his debut after Spurs had played with 10 men for an hour. They were also fairly unconvincing in their 2-1 win over AEL Limassol in the first leg of their Europa League playoff. However, things seem to have clicked in the past weekend, with a superb display helping them to a 4-0 win over QPR before a 3-0 victory over AEL securing a 5-2 aggregate success.

The win over QPR was particularly impressive and will have Spurs fans excited about what the rest of the season holds for their side. Pochettino had his team playing some lovely football in their first home match of the campaign, and the four-goal winning margin did not flatter them at all. Admittedly, they were helped by a QPR side unfamiliar with a 3-5-2 formation, and tougher tests will come - starting today - but it was a perfect start at White Hart Lane. They are yet to concede in the league this season and have scored 10 goals in all competitions, letting in just the one.

Spurs have continued their form from the end of last season into the beginning of this one, despite a change of manager. The signings from last season seem to be finally starting to settle - especially Erik Lamela - and Spurs could finally be on the verge of reaping the benefits from the spending spree they went on with the Gareth Bale money. They have won lost just one of their last 10 games since a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, and that run stretches to one in 15 if you include pre-season.

It was the matches against the big boys that really cost Spurs last season, though. They weren't too bad against teams that they were expected to beat, but a few hammerings home and away to those above them in the table really knocked confidence. They took just one point off the top four last season and, over the eight matches against Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal, they lost be a combined score of 27-2. Nine of those goals came courtesy of Liverpool, who hammered Spurs 5-0 here back in December - a result that saw Andre Villas Boas sacked as manager.

That defeat was their heaviest in the Premier League for 16 years, since a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea in 1997. It was probably the nadir of what was widely regarded as a poor season for Spurs, despite them breaking a number of club records throughout the campaign. The competition for the top four is so fierce now, though, that Spurs will need to improve substantially this season if they are to push for a Champions League spot. They have made a fine start to the campaign, but this is their first really big test.

Home form was an issue last season as well, with White Hart Lane often turning into a very nervy ground, with the home fans quick to turn on their side when things weren't going well. Spurs posted just the seventh-best home record in the division, amassing 36 points. However, they do seem to have sorted that recently and have now won their last five home Premier League games, scoring 18 goals in the process.

As for Liverpool, their start to the season has been something of a mixed bag. Neither of their performances have been completely convincing, but they have at least got one of the hardest matches out of the way nice and early with a trip to the Etihad in the second game of the campaign. Rodgers will have been disappointed to get nothing out of that game as they played fairly well in the first half, but City were simply more clinical and deserved their victory.

In truth, Liverpool can consider themselves lucky to have as many as three points on the board. Many were expecting a comfortable victory over Southampton on the opening weekend, but that didn't prove to be the case. The Saints matched the Reds for large parts of the game and hit the woodwork late on. They also missed a couple of glorious chances as Daniel Sturridge netted a late winner at Anfield. Liverpool have still not hit their best form, and Rodgers will be keen to get his men up to speed sooner rather than later.

One new man in the camp is Mario Balotelli, who joined the club on Monday and sat in the stands to watch his new side lose to his former club. The Italian will make his debut today having been included in the starting lineup, and no doubt all of the cameras will be on him. He is certainly box office, but Rodgers will want him to prove his worth on the field rather than making headlines off it. At £16m, it seems like a risk worth taking for a player who can do special things. However, there will always be a question mark lingering over his head, so it is intriguing to see how he performs alongside Sturridge today.

Liverpool were superb in the second half of last season, and Rodgers will be confident that his side are capable of beating anyone in the league. Indeed, it is only the other two clubs from last season's top three that have beaten the Reds since December 1, when Hull ran out 3-1 winners. Since then, Liverpool have lost four times in the league - twice to Man City and twice to Chelsea.

Their loss to Manchester City on Monday was their first away league defeat of 2014, having won seven and drawn two of their nine games prior to that. No side picked up more points on the road than Liverpool last season (35), while they also lost fewer away games than anyone else (four) and scored more away goals than any other side (48).

It was their goalscoring prowess that provided the Reds with their success last season as they became the first team in Premier League history to score more than 100 goals in a season and not win the title. A whopping 60 of those goals have come in 2014 so far, which is seven more than any other side has managed in that period. Luis Suarez was, of course, a large part of that, but in Sturridge and Sterling they still have two players who contributed heavily, and Balotelli will also be looking to contribute 20+ goals of his own this season.

The Reds have scored in their last 15 Premier League away matches, which is one short of their top-flight club record, set in 1987. However, they have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight league outings, showcasing exactly why they lost the title last season. Even so, they will still be confident of their ability to outscore their opponents, and a victory today would be Brendan Rodgers's 56th in his 100th match in charge of Liverpool in all competitions. That would equal the start both Bill Shankly and Rafael Benitez made at the club. Only Kenny Dalglish has posted a better record over his first century of games. The Reds have also not lost back-to-back Premier League matches since December.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and as I have already mentioned the biggest news is that Mario Balotelli is handed his Liverpool debut, starting up front alongside Sturridge. Sakho also comes in for the injured Skrtel, while Johnson has a knock so is replaced in the side by Manquillo. Spurs, meanwhile, name an unchanged side to the one that thrashed QPR last weekend. Full team news for both sides coming right up...

TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris; Dier, Kaboul, Vertonghen, Rose; Bentaleb, Capoue; Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela; Adebayor

TOTTENHAM SUBS: Friedel, Chiriches, Davies, Dembele, Holtby, Townsend, Kane

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Manquillo, Moreno, Lovren, Sakho; Gerrard, Allen, Henderson; Sterling, Sturridge, Balotelli

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Jones, Enrique, Toure, Lambert, Coutinho, Can, Markovic

So, what can we make of those two sides? Well, it is no surprise to see Spurs unchanged from that QPR match given how impressive they were. Pochettino was able to rest a number of key players in the Europa League on Thursday and still run out comfortable winners, so there won't be any concern regarding fatigue this afternoon. Adebayor gets the nod up front once more despite Kane's fine goalscoring form, while Soldado is not in the squad due to a neck and back injury.

In midfield, Eriksen was one of the few hits from the new signings last season and, while he has begun this campaign fairly well, he has been outshone so far by a resurgent Lamela. The Argentine suffered a torrid debut year in English football but is starting to show why Spurs shelled out so much money for him last summer and was man of the match against QPR. A similar performance this afternoon would go a long way towards helping Spurs win this match. Chadli scored twice in that QPR game so is also a man in form, and his second goal came at the end of a 48-pass move - twice as long as any goal from the 2013-14 season.

Tottenham's defence has an increasingly settled look to it now, and Dier has quickly established himself as an important cog both at the back and going forward. He could not have dreamt of a better start to his Spurs career, scoring the winning goal against West Ham before going on to net against QPR a week later. Indeed, he is the first defender in Premier League history to score on his first two appearances. The defence is protected by the disciplined pairing of Bentaleb and Capoue, the latter of whom had played more passes after two games than any other player in the league (196).

As for Liverpool, there really is only one place to start. Balotelli is put straight into the starting lineup, and no matter what he does today, the headlines are likely to be focused around him anyway. He partners Sturridge up top in what is expected to be a diamond formation. Rodgers employed that formation a number of times last season to devastating effect, and in Balotelli he may have found the man to replace Suarez in that system.

Should Rodgers opt for the diamond then Sterling is likely to be at the tip of it, as he was last season. The teenager is arguably the brightest young prospect in English football, with his pace causing huge problems for defenders. He has matured over the last year or so as well and now has an end product to his game. His finish against Southampton was very composed, and the prospect of him linking up with Balotelli and Sturridge is an exciting one for Liverpool fans.

The midfield trio of Gerrard, Allen and Henderson also play an important role in Liverpool's side, but there is no place for Coutinho this time around. The Brazilian, who was so impressive in pre-season, has made an underwhelming start to the current campaign and finds himself dropped to the bench to accommodate Balotelli in the side.

Defence was Liverpool's major problem last season, and it is a new-look back four that takes of the field for the Reds today. Three summer signings are included, with Manquillo replacing the injured Skrtel from the Man City match. Moreno makes his second appearance for the club having had a debut to forget at the Etihad, while Lovren has a new centre-back partner in Sakho this afternoon. It is also worth noting the presence of Enrique on the bench as he nears a return from a lengthy injury. Still no place among the subs for Adam Lallana, though.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at White Hart Lane, which means that it is time for a prediction! This is quite a tricky one to call considering how well Spurs played against QPR last weekend. Liverpool are their first real test of the season, and after what happened in the last campaign the biggest question is whether Spurs can match the big boys in these types of games. They do seem better equipped this time around than they did last, so I think they could get something out of today. I'm going for a 2-2 draw.

The Sports Mole sofa also found this one difficult to call, which each of us going for a different scoreline. We had one Spurs win, one draw and one Liverpool win - at least one of us will be right! See what we had to say here:


Liverpool will be hoping for a repeat of their last visit to White Hart Lane today, but this is a different Tottenham side that they are up against. It was largely doom and gloom under Villas Boas, but under Pochettino they seem to be optimistic and on the way up. Of course, that could all change today, but Liverpool won't be expecting a repeat of last season's 5-0 win here - their biggest ever victory at White Hart Lane.

Spurs, meanwhile, will be looking for a return to how things were before last season. They have one six consecutive home games against Liverpool before that drubbing, with five of those coming in the league. It was certainly an abrupt end to that run, but they will fancy their chances of catching Liverpool cold at the start of the season here.

There is one other Premier League game kicking off at 1.30pm this afternoon, and you can follow live coverage of Aston Villa vs. Hull with us. I will be keeping you up to date with any major events from Villa Park, but here the main focus is on Tottenham and Liverpool. We're edging ever closer towards kickoff, which is now just two minutes away.

Just before kickoff, a mention should go to Daniel Agger. On a week that saw Balotelli come into the club, the Dane departed for Brondby after years of fine service to the Reds. He will be missed at Anfield, that is for sure.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! Tottenham get us underway as they look to maintain their 100% record under Pochettino, while Liverpool look to bounce back from an early defeat to title rivals.

CHANCE! Oh Balotelli has a chance to open his Liverpool account within three minutes! Liverpool come forward down the left and Sturridge whips a fine ball in to his new strike partner, who has got between two defenders. He gets a firm connection on his header but sends it straight at Lloris, while he can't turn the rebound on target. Big chance for the new boy!

Slightly nervy moment for Mignolet here as he comes out of his goal to claim a long ball forward. He gets there first, but just lets the ball slip out of his hands. Chaldi is in close attendance, but luckily for the visitors the ball bounces off the Tottenham man and goes out for a goal kick.

This match has started at a brilliant tempo, with both sides looking to make a quick start. We saw Chelsea score twice in the opening three minutes against Everton yesterday and I wouldn't bet against an early goal here either.

GOAL! Tottenham 0-1 Liverpool (Raheem Sterling)

There is the early goal! Liverpool take the lead after just eight minutes as they hit Spurs on the break. Sturridge slid the ball through for Henderson down the right, and the midfielder puts a low, square ball across the face of goal. It looks like it has just run too far for Sterling, but he gets there and slots it into the bottom corner. Questions over whether Lloris should have made that, but it was right in the corner.

CHANCE! Spurs almost hit back immediately! Adebayor races onto a ball over the top and tries to lift the ball over Mignolet, who has come off his line once again. He can't get his effort on target, however, as a good chance goes begging for the hosts.

Spurs have responded well to that setback, but after what happened last season they will furious at having conceded so early again this time around. It is a really open match, and you'd have to say that favours the counter-attacking quality of Liverpool.

CLOSE! Almost a second for Liverpool as Sterling finds Sturridge, who creates space to shoot before fizzing a low effort narrowly wide from just outside the box. Lloris looked to have it covered, but it was bright play from the England striker.

CHANCE! Another big chance for Balotelli to open his Liverpool account. Gerrard swings a good free kick towards the back post, where the Italian has earned himself a yard of space. However, it looks like he doesn't really expect the ball to come through as he puts his header wide of the mark. He could have had two goals already!

Liverpool are playing some really nice football at the moment and are worthy of their lead. Pochettino likes his side to press high up the field, but that is leaving space behind for the Reds, and the likes of Sterling and Sturridge can be devastating in such a scenario.

Sterling has looked very bright in the opening stages, but he won't want to see this moment again. He lines up Dier on the wing and throws a few step-overs before tripping over himself and losing the ball.

UPDATE: There has been a goal in the other 1.30pm kickoff this afternoon, and it has gone the way of Aston Villa. Gabby Agbonlahor has given his side the lead against Hull.

Balotelli has made a decent start to life in a Liverpool shirt. He has had two good chances which, in truth, he should have done better with, but off the ball he is working hard to win possession back for his side.

Poor from Sakho as he gifts the balls to Spurs inside his own half, and the hosts immediately look to break. However, Lovren gets back to make a crucial interception as Adebayor was looking to cut inside.

Liverpool show a glimpse of just how quickly they can counter. A defensive error after a corner had been cleared allows Sterling to race through, and immediately he has two players in support. One of them is Moreno bursting through the middle, but Sterling's pass is cut out.

Dier goes flying into a challenge on Balotelli, which leaves the Italian writhing on the floor. It was a heavy tackle and he was off the floor so, nowadays, it is a surprise to see that not given as a foul. However, he got the ball and for me Phil Dowd is right to award just a throw in. A good, old-fashioned tackle that!

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the game is shown to Allen, and he can have no complaints. He was all over Lamela, pulling him back to prevent him breaking forward from midfield. There are some handbags between the two after, but nothing serious.

SHOT! Nice football from Spurs as they come forward down the left. Eriksen drops a shoulder to come inside before moving the ball along one to Rose. The full-back lines up a shot from 25 yards, but he slices it horribly off target.

SAVE! After a good spell for Spurs, Liverpool almost double their lead against the run of play. Balotelli creates it with a cheeky back-heel to Sturridge, who opens his body and tries to curl an effort into the far corner from the edge of the box. It is a nice height for Lloris, however, as he dives to his right to make the stop.

CHANCE! Another huge chance for Balotelli to score! The Italian does really well to hold the ball up and drive down the left before chipping it through. Lloris comes out to get to the ball first, but his clearance is straight to Balotelli. He has an open goal to aim at from 35 yards, but he is rushed into a shot and skews his effort well wide. He could have had a first-half hat-trick here!

This has been a really good contest so far. Spurs have played some nice football in open play, but it is Liverpool who are creating all of the chances. The hosts are yet to have a shot on target, while Liverpool could - and perhaps should - have had three or four goals by now.

Liverpool knock the ball about patiently inside their own half, but Spurs begin to press high up the pitch, forcing an error from the visitors. However, Tottenham can't make the most of it as Liverpool scramble back to clear the danger.

YELLOW CARD! Manquillo becomes the second name in the book for a rash challenge on Rose. Dowd played the advantage but then, when the ball finally goes out three minutes later, returns to book the full-back.

Gerrard has sent a lot of passes astray so far this afternoon. He has given possession away far too often, with both long and short passes. It is uncharacteristic for the Liverpool skipper, and Liverpool as a team as, other than Gerrard, they are passing the ball brilliantly here.

Superb recovery from Lovren as he atones for an earlier error to deny Adebayor. The summer signing gave the ball away carelessly on the halfway line, but raced back and put in a very good sliding challenge to dispossess the Tottenham striker.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Spurs to level the scores! Both Liverpool centre-backs go for the same ball, which Adebayor flicks into the gaping hole that has opened up in the defence. Chaldi races onto it, but his volley is tipped wide by Mignolet. Very good save, but Chadli should have scored.

SHOT! Half a chance for Balotelli here, although this one is tougher than his previous sights of goal. He peels away from his marker to reach a low corner completely unmarked, but it is bouncing horribly towards him and he blasts it over the bar.

There will be just one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

HALF TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Liverpool

Phil Dowd brings an end to a thoroughly entertaining first half at White Hart Lane, with Liverpool leading 1-0 at the break. Both sides have played some good football but it is the Reds who have looked most dangerous so far, and they deserve their half-time lead. It is set up very nicely for a thrilling second half.

It was another quick start for Liverpool as they took the lead inside 10 minutes. Henderson and Sturridge linked up on the right flank before the former slid the ball across for Sterling. The youngster's finish was superb, right into the bottom corner, but Lloris may be upset that he didn't get to it.

Liverpool have had a number of other good chances throughout the half, and many of them have fallen to Balotelli. The Italian could have a hat-trick in the first half of his debut for his new club, squandering a header after just three minutes before sending another headed effort wide from a Gerrard free kick. The striker also fired a 35-yard effort well off target when faced with an open goal and sent another strike over the top after a good corner move. The signs have been promising so far, but his finishing has been off.

Spurs haven't quite been as productive in the final third, but they have still managed to carve out a couple of chances. Adebayor was released by a long ball forward, only to lift his effort over Mignolet and onto the roof of the net, but the best opening fell to Chadli just before the break. Adebayor drew both Liverpool centre-backs away, allowing Chadli to race in behind, but Mignolet thwarted the Belgian with a superb save.

Sturridge has threatened on a couple of occasion for the visitors, who have been very impressive in possession on the whole. They are moving the ball quickly and accurately, and Spurs have struggled to deal with the pace of the Reds' attacks at times. Gerrard has been sloppy in possession, but aside from that Liverpool have been very good.

Spurs will still be confident that they are in this game, however. They grew into the match as time went by and are likely to get another good chance against a Liverpool defence which is fairly unfamiliar. However, Liverpool have broken so quickly today that Spurs will be very wary of committing too many men forward.

KICKOFF: Liverpool get us back underway for the second half as they look to protect and build on their lead. The Reds are unbeaten in 60 straight Premier League games when leading at half time, winning 50 of them. Their last loss came, incidentally, at Tottenham in November 2010.

PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL!

GOAL! Tottenham 0-2 Liverpool (Steven Gerrard, pen)

What a start to the half for Liverpool! He hasn't had the best game, but Gerrard doubles his side's lead with a fine penalty into the bottom corner. Lloris got a hand to it, but couldn't keep it out. Allen won the penalty when he was pulled back by Dier inside the box. It was a very soft one, but Dowd was in a good position and there was a clear hand on the shoulder of Allen. You can see why Dowd gave it but, for me, Allen went down too easily.

Incidentally, that is Gerrard's 43rd penalty for Liverpool, breaking the club record which was previously held by the big Dane Jan Molby. It was an accomplished spot kick from the Liverpool skipper, who has kept the penalty duties despite the presence of Balotelli.

Good play from Adebayor as he cuts inside his man before drilling a shot towards goal that is blocked behind for a corner. The subsequent delivery is cleared by Gerrard at the near post, but it has been a decent response from the hosts here.

Balotelli gives a free kick away in a dangerous crossing position, but Lamela's delivery is too hard for Dier to flick on at the near post. He made a run to the near post to score against QPR last weekend, but this was a big ask for him to turn this one on target.

Spurs are enjoying a decent spell here. They have not let their heads drop after that poor start to the half and are pushing for a quick response now. They have enjoyed 65% possession since the break, but they need something to show for it.

Lamela has made a very good start to the season, but today he has been ineffectual. He has got no joy against the Liverpool defence and has just let a simple pass roll under his foot and out for a throw. Poor from the Argentine.

TOTTENHAM SUBS: Eriksen has also been anonymous today, and he makes way to be replaced by Andros Townsend here. Pochettino makes it a double change by bringing on Mousa Dembele for Bentaleb.

GOAL! Tottenham 0-3 Liverpool (Alberto Moreno)

Oh it is a nightmare start for Townsend! He is caught in possession by Moreno, who immediately bursts forward from his own half. He carries the ball a long way, making it into the Tottenham box before drilling his effort into the bottom corner. Brilliant goal from the full-back, who has responded to his mistake against Man City in style.

LIVERPOOL SUBS: The visitors make two changes in the aftermath of that third goal as Allen and debutant Balotelli make way for Emre Can and Lazar Markovic. It has been a very promising debut for Balotelli.

Liverpool are content to just sit back and let Tottenham have more of the ball now. They know that Spurs have no option but to commit men forward now, and that will provide plenty of space behind. With Liverpool's counter-attacking ability, that will be dangerous for the hosts.

Not Sturridge's best effort here. The ball drops to him on the edge of the box and he tries to curl one with the outside of his boot into the top corner. However, he simply boots it out of play, well off target. There wasn't much else on for the striker, though, so it was worth a go.

SAVE! Sturridge threatens again here as he picks the ball up down the right channel before cutting inside. He throws a couple of step-overs before drilling a low shot towards the near post that Lloris shovels behind.

CHANCE! Decent chance for Lovren here as he rises really well to get on the end of a corner. He lost his marker, but couldn't steer his header on target.

At the other end, Capoue floats the ball over towards the back post for Adebayor, who sends his header looping wide. That was always going to be tough for Adebayor, who couldn't have done much more than he did.

CHANCE! Oh my word, what a huge chance for Sterling to make it four! The youngster embarks on an incredible run, weaving past a number of challenges to make his way into the box. He only has Lloris to beat from close range but, after doing the hard bit with apparent ease, his finish is dreadful as he passes it straight to Lloris!

TOTTENHAM SUB: The hosts make their third and final change of the match as Ben Davies replaces Danny Rose for his league debut for the club. Rose appears to have an injury, which could have an impact for England after the full-back was included in Roy Hodgson's squad.

YELLOW CARD! Sterling goes into the book for a foul on Kaboul, and he can't have many complaints. The winger just tripped the centre-back on the halfway line, and Phil Dowd was right on the scene.

UPDATE: Hull have pulled a goal back at Villa Park, with an Aly Cissokho own goal making it 2-1 to the hosts now. They're in for an interesting final 15 minutes there.

Adebayor is still working hard up there for Tottenham, but he isn't getting too much support. He races past Lovren, who needlessly goes to ground with his challenge, but when he looks up for the cross there is only one white shirt in the box and Liverpool can clear.

Interestingly, one more goal would see this fixture become the one with most goals in Premier League history. The 129 goals it has seen over the years is currently level with Liverpool vs. Newcastle.

Henderson has worked very hard today and put in a good performance for his side. The visitors have dominated the middle of the park, and that has been the basis for what looks like being a comfortably victory in North London.

SHOT! Nice build-up play from Liverpool as they work the ball from side to side before finding Sturridge on the edge of the box. He pulls off a Cruyff turn to create space to shoot, but his attempted right-footed curler is well wide.

The atmosphere inside White Hart Lane is very flat at the moment, with the fans and players fully aware that this match is over as a contest. Liverpool are looking very comfortable at the moment, keeping Spurs at bay and then looking dangerous on the break.

LIVERPOOL SUB: It has been another superb display from Sterling today, but his afternoon ends slightly prematurely as Jose Enrique comes on. The Spaniard has been out for a long time with injury, so these will be some valuable minutes for him here.

This has been a perfect way for Liverpool to bounce back from their loss to Manchester City on Monday. They have shown their first signs of replicating last season's performances and, if they can keep that up, then they will be challenging again this season.

YELLOW CARD! Moreno is shown a late yellow card here for a pull on Townsend off the ball.

The fourth official indicates a minimum of three minutes added time at the end of this match.

PENALTY SHOUT! A late penalty shout for Spurs as Lovren is tugging the shirt of Adebayor inside the box. The Spurs striker doesn't go down, but the whole crowd has seen the pull and want a spot kick. Phil Dowd waves it away, though. It would have been a soft one, but I've seen them given.

FULL TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 0-3 Liverpool

Well, what a performance and result that is for Liverpool. They once again come away from White Hart Lane with all three points having swept their hosts aside. It was a comfortable victory for the Reds, who make a quick start to both halves on their way to a 3-0 victory. A great response from Brendan Rodgers's side following Monday's defeat to Man City.

It was Sterling who broke the deadlock after just eight minutes when he slid Henderson's pass into the corner following a quick break from the visitors. Gerrard made it 2-0 from the spot shortly after following Dier's tug on Allen, while Moreno added a third with a superb solo effort having won the ball off Townsend.

Spurs, meanwhile, were toothless in attack and couldn't make the most of a number of decent attacking platforms. The early goal in the second half was exactly what they didn't need, and Moreno's third really killed the game off. There were positives for Pochettino to take, but his side were well beaten this afternoon.

Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for another thoroughly entertaining match in this new Premier League season. Liverpool once again come away from White Hart Lane with a win, easing past Spurs 3-0. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and ratings. There is more live football for you in the form of Leicester vs. Arsenal but, from me, it is goodbye for now!

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Jamie Redknapp at the HMV Football Extravaganza in London on February 3, 2009
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!