Home victory over Tottenham 2-0
With Liverpool starting this match four points off their opponents it was vital for Rafael Benitez’s side to close the gap on Spurs with a win and win they did!
Dirk Kuyt scored twice as the Reds earned a richly deserved 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur last night.
The victory moves Liverpool side to within one point of the fourth-placed Londoners and sends out a message that hopes of a Champions League place are still very much alive.
From the moment the team coach arrived at Anfield Road it was evident that team and fans would be united by the cause and crowds gathered on each side of the pavement to form a guard of honour, with huge banners fluttering in the night breeze. Liverpool’s players could not have asked for any more inspiration.
The first goal came after only six minutes as some neat interplay between Kuyt and Alberto Aquilani resulted in the ball falling to the feet of Kuyt, who from just outside the area side footed the ball with his right foot into the bottom left hand corner of Heurelho Gomes’ goal, sending the Kop into raptures.
Aquilani looked to have been fouled just before Kuyt struck the ball, but a good advantage from referee Howard Webb allowed the Dutchman’s goal to stand.
The second half began with a huge moment of controversy. Jermaine Defoe came back from an offside position after a long ball from Ledley King but the linesman didn’t raise his flag. Defoe then hunted down Kyrgiakos and Reina causing the goalkeeper to slip, and the striker slid the ball into the empty net. However just as Defoe made contact with the ball the linesman raised his flag. Once again throwing into doubt the complexity of the ‘phases’ of the offside rule.
The Reds have made a nasty habit of conceding late goals this season, but they were the ones to strike at the death on this occasion when Kuyt finally added a second from the spot after Ngog was brought down in the area in stoppage time. Kuyt dutifully scored from the spot but was then made to retake the penalty after referee Howard Webb spotted encroachment in the penalty area. The Dutchman held his nerve at the second time of asking though, and slotted his second penalty into the bottom right hand corner to seal a deserved win and take some of the pressure off Rafael Benitez.
With Liverpool starting this match four points off their opponents it was vital for Rafael Benitez’s side to close the gap on Spurs with a win and win they did!Dirk Kuyt scored twice as the Reds earned a richly deserved 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur last night.
The victory moves Liverpool side to within one point of the fourth-placed Londoners and sends out a message that hopes of a Champions League place are still very much alive.
From the moment the team coach arrived at Anfield Road it was evident that team and fans would be united by the cause and crowds gathered on each side of the pavement to form a guard of honour, with huge banners fluttering in the night breeze. Liverpool’s players could not have asked for any more inspiration.
The first goal came after only six minutes as some neat interplay between Kuyt and Alberto Aquilani resulted in the ball falling to the feet of Kuyt, who from just outside the area side footed the ball with his right foot into the bottom left hand corner of Heurelho Gomes’ goal, sending the Kop into raptures.
Aquilani looked to have been fouled just before Kuyt struck the ball, but a good advantage from referee Howard Webb allowed the Dutchman’s goal to stand.
The second half began with a huge moment of controversy. Jermaine Defoe came back from an offside position after a long ball from Ledley King but the linesman didn’t raise his flag. Defoe then hunted down Kyrgiakos and Reina causing the goalkeeper to slip, and the striker slid the ball into the empty net. However just as Defoe made contact with the ball the linesman raised his flag. Once again throwing into doubt the complexity of the ‘phases’ of the offside rule.
The Reds have made a nasty habit of conceding late goals this season, but they were the ones to strike at the death on this occasion when Kuyt finally added a second from the spot after Ngog was brought down in the area in stoppage time. Kuyt dutifully scored from the spot but was then made to retake the penalty after referee Howard Webb spotted encroachment in the penalty area. The Dutchman held his nerve at the second time of asking though, and slotted his second penalty into the bottom right hand corner to seal a deserved win and take some of the pressure off Rafael Benitez.
