Tottenham vs Liverpool final score: Reds give Spurs first loss 3-0
By Mike Dyce
Tottenham Hotspur hosted Liverpool in Premier League action on Sunday. It is a big game between two teams who will be in the thick of the hunt at the top of the table for most of the season. Tottenham has gotten off to a remarkable start, winning their first two games and conceding zero goals in the process.
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Liverpool is debuting their new striker, Mario Balotelli, in the game. Balotelli is playing alongside striker Daniel Sturridge at the front. Sturridge was the second highest scorer in the Premier League last season behind his teammate Luis Suarez.
In the third minute of the game, Mario Balotelli almost had his first goal with Liverpool. Sturridge curled a cross into the box and Balotelli elevated near the back post to get his head on it and redirect it on goal. Unfortunately got Liverpool, Tottenham goal keeper Hugo Lloris saved the header keeping Balotelli off the board.
Roughly five minutes later in the game, Liverpool scored to take the lead. There was some beautiful ball movement from the near touchline to the back post. Jordan Henderson won the ball and passed it to Daniel Sturriduge. Henderson then went on a beautiful run to get the ball back in the box from Sturridge. Then Henderson sent a low pass through the box and winger Raheem Sterling tapping it in.
That goal gave Liverpool the lead in just the eighth minute of the game, it was also the first goal scored against Tottenham this season.
In the 31st minute, Lloris came way out of his box to challenge Balotelli. With an open net it looked like Balotelli was going to get an easy goal, though he was rather far out, but he didn’t strike it well and take advantage of the opportunity.
Things got rough for Tottenham in the opening minutes of the second half. Joe Allen was running in the box with the ball when Eric Dier pulled on Allen with his hand. Allen went down, albeit fairly easily, but Dier did grab and pull on him. Referee Phil Dowd pointed to the spot and awarded the penalty.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard stepped up to take the kick, though Balotelli had inquired about taking them when he was brought to Liverpool. Gerrard went low and to the left corner, Tottenham Lloris guessed the right direction but was unable to stop the shot and Liverpool took a 2-0 lead.
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About ten minutes later, Alberto Moreno made a remarkable play. First he dispossessed Andros Townsend just barely on Liverpool’s defensive half. Moreno then went on a remarkable run by himself before ripping an incredible strike beating Lloris along the far post to extend Liverpool’s lead to 3-0.
In the 67th minute Liverpool had another quality chance. A Steven Gerrard corner found defender Dejan Lovren who got a head on it, but couldn’t get it quite on target.
Raheem Sterling went on a tremendous run through the box, getting past multiple Tottenham defenders to find himself on the other side of the box one-on-one with Lloris. He couldn’t convert the final chance though to score and extend the lead.
Liverpool and Tottenham carried on for the rest of the game, with Liverpool getting a couple more chances down the stretch. In the final minutes of the game and the start of stoppage time, Tottenham had a few more chances on goal and really looked at their offensive best.
30 seconds into stoppage time there was a curious non-call when Liverpool defender Lovren wasn’t called for pulling on Emmanuel Adebayor’s shirt, something that would’ve given them a penalty of their own.
A team that had not given up a goal yet in the Premier League season all of the sudden was on the losing end of a 3-0 scoreline.