Scintillating Suarez wins shootout with Bale - Liverpool 3 Tottenham 2

Report by dedlfc (David Douglas)

The big two talking points pre-kick off were 

• Firstly for regular home supporters to Anfield was the price hike of nearly 10% to season ticket prices for next season 2013-2014.

There are both winners and losers under the plans unveiled by our club to divide Anfield into half a dozen differently priced sections from August based on a seat's location and view.

The most expensive areas are the central sections of the Centenary Stand, Main Stand and Paddock.

A Main Stand adult season ticket holder currently paying £780 will be asked to shell out £850 for the same seat next season.

However, season ticket holders in the corner sections of the Kop will see the cost of their seat drop by £15 to £710, while for those in the central sections of the Kop there is a price freeze at the current level of £725.

In a bid to keep tickets for juniors affordable, we are also introducing a £5 children's ticket for selected Premier League games.

There is also a reduction of around 30% for junior season tickets with under-16s watching every league game from the Anfield Road Stand for just £200.

The price of season tickets for over-65s ranges from £637.50 to £532.50.

• The second talking point was the massive blow before kick off that we were to play without Reina in goal had dampened many of our spirits but we had to hope that our second choice keeper Brad Jones had finally got over the FA Cup defeat performance against Oldham and was ready for a massive chance at redemption.

With the Tottenham side on a 5 game winning run and Liverpool on a two game winning run, it was a game that would show us where we were as regards our progress as a team.

The early signs were not looking good for the confidence of our reserve keeper Jones as he had to use unconvincing measures to push away a Bale free kick - which to be fair to him had a slight swerve on the ball.

Attempts on goal were being kept to a minimum until a fantastic build up gave us the lead after 20 minutes with the sily skills of Coutinho combining well done the left with Enrique freed up Suarez who toe-poked the ball home for his 22nd league goal of the season - 29th goal overall.

Our captain Stevie Gerrard was cautioned unfairly when he was adjudged to have fouled Bale in a full-blooded aerial challenge, Bale seemingly looking groggy and having to leave the field, he then proceeded to have the last laugh on the stroke of half-time.

The following free kick resulted in a prolonged spell of Spurs possession, and the in-form forward Bale curled in a delightful cross from the right wing that Vertonghen confidently glanced into the bottom right-hand corner at the back post rising above the static Johnson to do so.

From the start of the second half Tottenham seemed to take over control of midfield with particularly Dembele giving our team problems with this dribbling skills and strength on the ball.

The Belgian defender Vertonghen proved his goalscoring form again eight minutes after the restart with an impudent half-volley to give Spurs the lead. Bale once again won and delivered a free kick which Jamie Carragher failed to clear, and Vertonghen struck home instinctively from 10 yards.

The turning point of the whole game came four minutes later when the visitors should have had a third when Gareth Bale outpaced Steven Gerrard and the rest of our back line from the halfway line and found Sigurdsson unmarked at the back post, his shot was deflected off of Glen Johnson onto the woodwork and then wide.

The miss was costly as Walker inexplicably tried to play a high back pass from the right wing which curled away from his keeper Lloris who raced from his goal but coulcn't control the ball which Downing nicked and calmly placed home through the legs of Vertonghen with approximately 25 mins left.

With both sides desperately searching for the winner it was another Tottenham defensive error which was the decisive difference in this game.

Both sides searched for a winner but Spurs' tiredness told as Defoe redirected the ball into Suarez's path in the box, causing Assou-Ekotto to bundle our forward over and allow Gerrard to send Lloris the wrong way for all three points.

Kop-Post man of the match - Luis Suarez - Our sorcerer played another great role in this victory with his constant movement, vital goal and discipline to play out of position on the left at times just to assist the team.

Positives 
We have finally beaten a top side of note this season, it has been one of our achilles heels for this season and also recorded three successive league victories for the first time since May 2011.

We have also displayed the required character and mental strength to come back from going behind which will be needed to get up to the very top level.

The potential of our front three Suarez, Coutinho and Sturridge may not have been totally at its best in this game but even in glimpses you can see how they can influence games going forward.

The excellent substitution choice by Rodgers of bringing on Joe Allen in the second half worked as we were no longer totally over-run in midfield when he came on.

Negatives 
Throughout the majority of the game Tottenham had more midfield control and possession and looked like the better side overall which again shows there is a lot of further work to be done on improving the depth of the squad to improve on our side.

The other major problem is that no long-term improvement will be possible as long as we are undermined by atrocious defending. It was the 15th time this season we had conceded two or more goals in the league, we have now conceded two or more goals in half of our games. A dominant central defender is now a must in the summer as Skrtel has been ignored for good it seems.

Comments from Brendan Rodgers:-

"It was very important win for us," said the Northern Irishman. "We are on a great run at the moment and we knew this was going to be a severe test of our qualities and character against a team in great form. For us to get three points and show the character was fantastic and I am delighted for the players because they worked ever so hard.

"You can see the mentality in the group. I thought we had to show different characteristics than what we have had to do in recent weeks. We've been comfortable in a lot of the games and been able to control them but against a top side we came through. I had to make some changes to get the control back and when we did that I thought we were good value for the win."

Teams:-

Liverpool: Jones, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Lucas, Gerrard, Downing, Suarez, Coutinho (Allen 59), Sturridge (Henderson 88). 

Subs not used: Gulacsi, Skrtel, Shelvey, Sterling, Wisdom.

Goals: Suarez 21, Downing 66, Gerrard (pen) 82.

Booked: Carragher.

Tottenham: Lloris, Walker, Vertonghen, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto (Carroll 90), Parker, Livermore (Holtby 84), Bale, Dembele, Sigurdsson, Defoe. 

Subs not used: Friedel, Huddlestone, Naughton, Caulker, Coulthirst.

Goals: Vertonghen 45, 53.

Booked: Vertonghen.

Att: 44,752

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)