Liverpool add steely resolve to stunning attacking play

Two games in and back to the tried and trusted diamond formation.  Balotelli joined the fray one of three changes to the starting line-up from the team which lost to Manchester City at the Etihad.

Javi Manquillo and Mamadou Sakho came in for the injured Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel and Coutinho losing out to the battling qualities of Joe Allen would provide in the central areas.  Adam Lallana missed out again deemed not fit enough to make the match day squad.  Emre Can and Lazar Markovic again saw bench patrol.

Brendan Rodgers make-over on his 100th match as Liverpool manager was taken to another level with three of his four defenders having just arrived in this transfer window and Sakho having not secured a regular starting place since his arrival last summer.

Balotelli’s return to the English game almost had a perfect start in the second minute after Sturridge picked him out with sumptuous cross for the Italian striker to head straight at Lloris with the goal at his mercy.   Even so, with one touch Balotelli had shown Liverpool now possessed an aerial threat to go with their pace and subtlety up front.

As in so many games last season Liverpool fast start bore fruit.  Jordan Henderson won the ball on half way before feeding Sturridge on the right.  The forward showed sublime touch and ingenuity to bring the ball under control before finding Henderson again with a lovely weighted pass at the top his run who in turn played a delicious ball for the marauding Sterling tap in on the angle.  The goal said everything about Brendan Rodgers Liverpool.



Sterling strokes home the opener

Liverpool were know in our formidable stride moving up the gears, but unlike against Man City there was a cutting edge to the play with Balotelli offering another outlet to keep the defence busy.  Balotelli found space again from Gerrard’s free-kick heading wide from close range.

Balotelli combined well with his strike partner finding him with a neat back heel which Sturridge curled, with very little back lift, towards the corner of the goal which Lloris caught without trouble.
 
Balotelli could’ve a claimed a hat-trick in the first-half having. He held the ball up on half-way spun away from the defender before clipping through pass to Sterling which Lloris fly-hacked out straight back to the forward who shanked his long range shot wide.

The only way an outclassed Spurs were going to get back in the game was through a mistake and we almost provided them the opportunities.

First, uncertainty between the centre-halfs allowed Adebayor to gallop through uncontested onto a long ball to lob over and then Sakho losing possession and was saved by Lovren’s superb last ditch tackle to block the disappointing Lamela’s shot.

Concentration levels were still wavering when  Lovren and Sakho challenged for the same ball leaving Chadli to saunter in unmarked before Mignolet saved smartly from his international team mate.

Spurs momentum was halted early in the second-half by Eric Dier tugging back Joe Allen after some fine work again from Sturridge out wide.  Steven Gerrard clinically dispatched the penalty for his first goal of the season.

Any chance of Spurs mounting a comeback was summarily dismissed by the impressive Moreno who whipped the ball away from Townsend, just inside before Liverpool half, before setting off on charging run taking him inside the area before unleashing an angled drive to end the game as a spectacle.

It was no more than Liverpool deserved having looked incisive on almost every attack with Sterling dynamic at every turn and Sturridge as creative as he was threatening.

Liverpool coasted through the final half hour without Spurs posing any questions a part from one sensational piece of skill form Sterling.

Emre Can powered clear before feeding Sterling on the right of the area.  He showed fantastic balance and dancing feet to twinkle in between three Spurs defenders before hesitating with the ball on his left and prodding a tame shot in the grateful arms of Lloris with his right.

Man of the Match:  Raheem Sterling quite simply different class.  Provided the edge to Liverpool’s game with his incisive running and his ability to link the midfield to the forward line.  He is adding a goal threat to his game as well as being able to see a pass.

Critical eye:  Balotelli was excellent proving that he can put in a shift when required.  Held the ball up well and linked up well with Sturridge providing an aerial threat up front and in defence.  Sturridge showed sublime touches and intricate passing which led to two of the goals.

Moreno exhibited great mental strength to come back from his mistake against City, defending well and was explosive with his forays up field one of which ended with his stunning strike.

Moreno was steady and Lovren showed excellent leadership at the back, but requires time with either Sakho or Skrtel to build a string relationship over time.  Sakho started nervously, but improved after some rash defending.

Rodgers showed he learnt a from last season in bringing on Can and Markovic for Allen and Balotelli to shut down the game as soon as Liverpool went three-up.

He equalled the great Bill Shankly’s record of 56 victories in his first 100 games.

Teams:
Tottenham: 1 Loris, 15 Dier, 3 Rose (Davies – 72 mins), 29 Capoue, 4 Kaboul, 5 Vertonghen, 11 Lamela, 42 Bentaleb (Dembélé – 59 mins), 10 Abeyayor, 23 Eriksen (Townsend – 59 mins), 22 Chadli
Substitutes: 6 Chiriches, 14 Holtby, 17 Townsend, 18 Kane, 19 Dembélé, 24 Friedel, 33 Davies

Liverpool: 22 Mignolet, 19 Manquillo, 18 Moreno, 8 Gerrard, 6 Lovren, 17 Sakho, 14 Henderson, 31 Sterling (Jose Enrique – 86 mins), 45 Balotelli (Markovic – 61 mins), 15 Sturridge, 24 Allen (Can – 61 mins)
Substitutes: 1 Jones, 3 Jose Enrique, 4 Kolo Toure, 9 Lambert, 10 Coutinho, 23 Can, 50 Markovic

Referee: Phil Dowd
Attendance: 36,130