EPL ~ Liverpool 2 - 0 Tottenham
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Harry : Crouch ‘n Keane will haunt you Rafa
THE HAUNTED ... Rafa Benitez could be spooked by Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Channel 27: "Live"Liverpool - Tottenham - 4:00 amUNDER-FIRE Rafa Benitez has been warned Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch are out to pile on the misery.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is set to start at least one of his two former Liverpool strikers at Anfield tonight. And he admits they would love to prove a point and see Kop boss Benitez squirm.
Redknapp said: "In a way they've got something to prove. Robbie and Crouchie going back to Liverpool, it's interesting. "I'm pleased to have them here instead of facing them."
Benitez's job is hanging by a thread after falling out of the title race and suffering early exits from both the Champions League and FA Cup. Defeat against Tottenham would be the 13th for the Spanish boss this season and, worse still, it would leave Liverpool seven points behind their top-four rivals.
Keane, in particular, will be desperate to show Benitez what he is missing after the way his dream move to Liverpool last season was ruined. The Irish striker, 29, joined for a massive £20million fee in the summer of 2008 but he was substituted in most games and ultimately dropped before being sold back to Spurs for an £8m loss.
It was considered one of Benitez's biggest blunders and left Keane bewildered. Redknapp added: "I didn't see Robbie play there. It's a game of opinions and I wouldn't question Rafa's decision. "He obviously wasn't crazy about him but we've all done that with players.
"You have players who other people think are great and you don't think they're so great and you let them go and everybody thinks 'Why did you let them go?' "He obviously wasn't in Rafa's plans and obviously he didn't fancy him that much. "But he played with Steven Gerrard in that hole off Fernando Torres, which certainly worked for them last season."
England strike star Crouch, 28, was also not given a fair crack by Benitez, despite scoring 40 goals in a total of 142 appearances. He eventually joined Redknapp at Portsmouth in July 2008 for £9m then followed his boss to White Hart Lane a year later for the same fee.
Benitez's decision to offload the hitmen is all the more surprising as they have no credible alternative up front in the absence of Torres. Both Gerrard and Torres will miss tonight's clash and Redknapp insists Liverpool are no longer guaranteed a top-four finish.
He said: "They are weaker without Gerrard and Torres, they are two world-class players. "If they're not playing they're not as strong and, no, Liverpool would not be favourites for fourth place now. I think Man City are."
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Rafa: It is do or die tonight
MUST-WIN ... Rafa Benitez
RAFA BENITEZ has admitted tonight's must-win clash with Tottenham will make or break Liverpool's season.
His comments came as Steven Gerrard laughed off tales of a dressing room bust-up with the Kop chief. Benitez declared: "We all know how important it is for us to win."
The Reds go into the Anfield showdown knowing victory would send them within a point of fourth-placed Spurs in the battle for a Champions League slot.
Defeat, though, would leave Benitez's boys seven points off the pace and with the positions of Aston Villa and Manchester City also further strengthened.
Benitez added: "There's a big difference between being one point behind and seven. If Tottenham win, it will give them a buzz and a lift. They'll have confidence.
"But if we beat them we'll be in a good position. "We just have to work hard, show the character we did at Stoke and it'll be easier to get the three points.
"If we can, it will be a totally different situation. "So we will win and not consider the other options. We're confident."
Meanwhile skipper Gerrard insisted he is as devoted to Liverpool as ever. Rumours had circulated that the England midfielder had a showdown with Benitez at half-time during last week's shock home FA Cup defeat by Reading. But he insisted: "I've heard about a dozen versions and they're all as daft as each other.
"Nothing happened, that's a fact. We've all had a good laugh about it. "In the time since he has been here, I have never had a problem with the manager or his staff.
"All the stories about me leaving are also unfounded. I am doing all I can to get back to top form and help Liverpool finish on a high."
Liverpool are again minus crocked Fernando Torres, Gerrard, Yossi Benayoun and Glen Johnson tonight.
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like that sure die
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Originally posted by Poignant:
like that sure die
no la, seasons still far leh.. it is not a league or cup finals mah..
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its a 6-pointer.
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Lemme guess the worst-case scenario for this match:
1 - 0 to Liverpool throughout the entire match.
Then Crouch equalizes in the 90th minute.
Then Keane scores in injury time via a deflection off a beach ball.
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Originally posted by fudgester:
Lemme guess the worst-case scenario for this match:
1 - 0 to Liverpool throughout the entire match.
Then Crouch equalizes in the 90th minute.
Then Keane scores in injury time via a deflection off a beach ball.
That would be epic
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Liverpool shall lose this match n rafa gets sacked
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Originally posted by AEW5001:
Liverpool shall lose this match n rafa gets sacked
I don't think the owners have enough cash to sack him!
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I assume Spurs will give them a 3-0 thrashing in first half
then liverpool fought back 2 goals
in the end
90 mins agin spurs stuck in
full time
4-2
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Liverpool v Tottenham preview
Reds aiming to close gap on Spurs in Champions League showdown
Aquilani: Set for Reds return
Champions League hopefuls Liverpool and Spurs lock horns at Anfield on Wednesday night, live on starhub channel 27.
Both sides hold ambitions of finishing in the coveted fourth spot and Wednesday's game could go a long way to deciding which team is best placed to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Spurs currently sit in fourth spot, four points clear of Liverpool, with the Reds aware they need to close the gap on their rivals if they are to achieve their aim of a top-four finish.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is aiming to kick-start his side's campaign and ease the pressure on him with a much-needed win.
Benitez's options are again hit by injuries to a number of key players as he prepares his squad for the vital encounter.
Steven Gerrard remains sidelined with a hamstring complaint, Fernando Torres has undergone knee surgery and Yossi Benayoun faces a month out with a rib injury.
Glen Johnson is also still missing through injury meaning Jamie Carragher is likely to continue at right-back.
With Daniel Agger unlikely to recover from the injury which forced him to miss the weekend draw with Stoke, Sotirios Kyrgiakos is set to continue in defence alongside Martin Skrtel.
Alberto Aquilani could be restored to the starting line-up having been restricted to a late cameo off the bench against Stoke.
New signing Maxi Rodriguez is also pushing for his full debut after appearing as a substitute against Stoke and Albert Riera is hoping to return after injury.
Ryan Babel comes back into contention after apologising to Benitez over comments he made about being dropped for the Stoke draw.
Tottenham, who have not conceded a goal in their last five Premier League matches, could be boosted by the return of Ledley King after he trained for the first time in nine days on Tuesday.
Jonathan Woodgate is still missing for Spurs with a groin injury as are full-backs Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Alan Hutton.
Tom Huddlestone looks set to miss out with an ankle problem meaning Jermaine Jenas will start in midfield.
The game has come too soon for Aaron Lennon as he recovers from a groin problem.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp will have to make a decision between former Reds forwards Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane as to who will partner top scorer Jermain Defoe in attack.
Possible starting XIs:
Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Insua, Rodriguez, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Aquilani, Ngog.
Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Bassong, M Dawson, Bale, Jenas, Palacios, Modric, Kranjcar, Crouch, Defoe.
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Expecting any last minute goal for Liverpool tonight? It is Anfield afterall... Aaron Lennon is not playing Pool very lucky cos their left back is rather shaky at the moment...
But if Kyrgiakos really start for them... Pool fans better pray hard he don't mess up.
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I am expecting a draw
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2-1 Spurs win.
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redknapp really has a lot to do.
i doubt he is the one who can lead spurs to the title, or even the CL.
spurs at best are only good for europa league.
their attack sucks. they have no build up play. they cant play at all without aaron lennon.
liverpool gave them a good hard lesson.
i think its a mistake to resign keane.
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Liverpool 2 Spurs 0: Dirk Kuyt gives Rafa Benitez breathing space
To say that the blip, as George Gillett called it yesterday, is now over might be a bit premature.
To say that it could yet be a turning point in Liverpool's troubled campaign could also amount to nothing more than wishful thinking.
There have been false dawns already this season, proving that it takes more than one result to revive an ailing team.
But this was a most important victory for Rafa Benitez and his beleaguered side, not least because of the manner in which it was won.
Spurs stunned: Dirk Kuyt opens the scoring for Liverpool
Anfield was gripped by more than nervous tension last night. There was an almost tangible fear, the sense that Liverpool would concede yet another late goal, sending stress levels through the roof for the Anfield faithful.
MATCH STATS
LIVERPOOL...............TOTTENHAM
5............Shots on target.............3
8............Shots off target.............2
1...............Blocked shots...............5
2...................Corners....................3
11......................Fouls....................17
2...................Offsides....................5
346...........Total passes...........422
62%.......Passing success.......73%
28.............Total tackles..............21
64%.......Tackles success.......76%
45%............Possession...........55%
54%.............Territory.............46%When the fourth official signalled that there would be five minutes of second-half stoppage time, a Kop haunted by the events of last week's FA Cup encounter with Reading and the visit to Stoke that then followed were horrified. That was far too much time for things to go wrong.
It was made all the more uncomfortable by the fact that Liverpool should have put three precious Barclays Premier League points beyond Tottenham's reach long before the 90th minute. They had chances galore, with Dirk Kuyt, David Ngog and Sotirios Kyrgiakos all going painfully close to adding to the irrepressible Kuyt's sixth-minute goal.
But a combination of poor finishing and quite brilliant goalkeeping from Heurelho Gomes ensured an anxious, extraordinary climax.
Point to prove: Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt celebrates scoring the second goal from the penalty spot
Only when a super move that was started by substitute Stephen Darby and continued with Kuyt was concluded with the sight of Sebastian Bassong crashing through Ngog did Anfield begin to relax. Howard Webb pointed to the penalty spot and invited Kuyt to add a second.
Even then, though, there was one more cruel twist. Lucas burst into the penalty area before the ball had been struck and, having scored with his first attempt, Kuyt had to do it all over again.
Liverpool celebrated wildly, because this was not just about taking a significant step towards the top four and those coveted Champions League places but restoring some confidence.
Scoring against Tottenham has proved no easy task for their opponents in recent weeks but Kuyt ended 633 minutes of near flawless defending when he struck with a superb right-foot shot.
Benitez would have been pleased that they protected the lead. This time Liverpool did not crumble under the considerable pressure.
Deadely Dirk: Kuyt sends keeper the wrong way to wrap up the points
This time they did not concede the late goals that had cost them on five other occasions this season.
Playing with a spirit epitomised by Jamie Carragher when he accelerated past Gareth Bale so quickly to win a corner he probably even surprised himself, they conquered Tottenham with a combination of style and steely determination.
That Alberto Aquilani was central to much that was good about Liverpool would also have given Benitez something of a lift. The injury-plagued Italian's �20million move to Anfield has not been an easy one but in occupying the role normally reserved for Steven Gerrard he did a thoroughly decent job. Most crucially, he set up Kuyt for the opening goal.
For Tottenham, of course, it was rather less encouraging. They have had a fine season so far but this came after a disappointing draw against Hull at the weekend and extended a run that must be a huge source of frustration for Harry Redknapp. It is now 65 games without a win when they visit so-called top four opposition.
They had their chances here. Not least when Jermain Defoe seized on a poor back-pass from Kyrgiakos and, after wrestling the ball off Pepe Reina, scored into an empty net. But Defoe was judged offside, and that looked a poor decision.
On his knees: Spurs striker Jermain Defoe shows his disappointment
That said, Tottenham failed to match Liverpool for sheer desire. Redknapp will be particularly upset by the way his side contrived to let Liverpool breach their defence. A fine piece of individual skill from Aquilani enabled him to deliver the ball to the feet of Kuyt, who then struck with a blistering right-foot shot, but the opportunity came as a result of a mistake by Michael Dawson.
With Carragher barking the orders on the pitch and Benitez directing from the technical area, there was an urgency about Liverpool's football that has too often been missing this season.
After the break more chances followed.
Albert Riera forced a fine save from Gomes with a looping header while a sweetly struck volley from Jermaine Jenas brought the best out of Pepe Reina.
Kuyt and Philipp Degen contrived to waste one chance and Kuyt then somehow missed with a point-blank volley, Gomes excelled in denying the Dutchman as well as Ngog and Kyrgiakos. Much to the relief of Liverpool, however, he could not stop Kuyt's late penalty.
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Shocker.
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is defoe a top striker?
he cant seem to perform against the big teams.
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a disappointment to see dirk's name on the score sheet.
i would rather tottenham to score 2 than we winning with 2.
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Saved his job... for now..
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Liverpool should seriously consider cashing in on Gerrard... Cos they somehow look better without him... This season and last, they played many big matches without him and they somehow do better than with him...
Maybe Lucas may become the next Fabregas like when Vieira left Arsenal and everyone was expecting doom and gloom... I know lah its a long shot but hey... as they say in football, the ball is round mah... lol. And Pool's result so far without him isn't bad by any means...
Liverpool v Spurs match ratings
Liverpool
Pepe Reina 7
Jamie Carragher 9 - STAR MAN
Martin Skrtel 7
Sotiros Kyrgiakos 7
Emiliano Insua 6
Philipp Degen 6
Javier Mascherano 7 - Booked
Lucas 7 - Booked
Albert Riera 8
Alberto Aquilani 7
Dirk Kuyt 8
Subs:
Stephen Darby (for Degen) 5
Maxi Rodriguez (for Riera) 5
David Ngog (for Aquilani) 5
Subs not used: Cavalieri, Babel, Spearing, Pacheco.
Tottenham
Heurelho Gomes 7
Vedran Corluka 4
Michael Dawson 6
Ledley King 6
Gareth Bale 7 - Booked
Luka Modric 6
Jermaine Jenas 7 - Booked
Wilson Palacios 6 - Booked
Niko Kranjcar 5
Peter Crouch 7
Jermain Defoe 6
Subs:
Alan Hutton (for Corluka) 6
Sebastien Bassong (for King) 5
Robbie Keane (for Kranjcar) 6
Subs not used: Alnwick, Pavlyuchenko, Giovani, Rose.
REF: Howard Webb 6
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Originally posted by CKeer:
I don't think the owners have enough cash to sack him!
tats one main reason..
wad i truely believe is LFC should continue to stick to Rafa..
and lets say, if they really sack him..
in comes another new gaffer..
tat new fellow will not last long too, reason is because with insufficient "war-chest"..
he will also not much alter this team..
ended up, the same old prob is still there..
therefore, nobody knows this current squad of players better den Rafa..
unless there's a big change in the ownership tat can provide lotsa $..
den maybe getting an even top-notch gaffer will really change LFC inside out..
lastly, do rmb his days @ Valencia too..
he worked frm ground zero to bring them to a greater height..
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REF: Howard Webb 6
haha.. ref also got rating huh?? -
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez pleased to be back in top four race
Touch and go: Rivals managers Rafa Benitez (right) and Harry Redknapp on the sidelines
Rafa Benitez saluted his Liverpool side's resilience after they reignited their Champions League hopes with a Dirk Kuyt double against Tottenham.
The Anfield manager praised his striker after his twice-taken injury-time penalty sealed a vital win and said: 'He showed great composure but you would always expect that from him. He always works incredibly hard but he also has lots of experience and a great record for scoring goals here and in Holland.
'Perhaps we have sent out a message with this win and performance. It was full of character and effort, and everyone else will now know Liverpool are a good team. I think the rest now realise we are in the race for a top-four place.
'I was pleased with the players' attitude and happy we proved our squad is not as bad as some people have been saying. It was vital we scored first, especially as Tottenham were playing well in the first half. We had some space when they started pushing forward in the second half. In the end Kuyt could have scored four.'
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp sensed it might not be Tottenham's when he had to delay sending on substitute Sebastian Bassong.
Deadely Dirk: Kuyt sends keeper the wrong way to wrap up the points
'He'd forgotten to put his shorts on,' explained a bemused Redknapp, 'It's a new one on me and you do wonder, don't you? I don't know whether someone has to do his bootlaces up as well.'
Redknapp was unhappy at an offside ruling against Jermain Defoe after he appeared to have equalised early in the second half and said: 'As for the offside goal, I'm going to have to spend a couple of hours reading the rule book when I get home, because I just don’t understand it.
‘This was a missed opportunity. When you come here and there is no Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres you think you’re in with a chance but we didn’t respond.’
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i think city are liverpool's main challenger for 4th place.
villa and spurs are not up to it.