Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Second half goals from Danny Murphy and Michael Owen kept Liverpool at the top of the Premiership and extended the Reds' unbeaten start to 11 games.
The first half saw few goalscoring chances, with the best of falling to Salif Diao midway through the half. The Senegal midfielder was inches from giving Liverpool the lead after he struck a first time shot across the face of the Spurs goal following an outstanding 40 yard through ball by Jamie Carragher.
The was controversy in the opening 45 minutes though, as Owen saw a goal disallowed. Diao was involved in creating the chance from midfield, and after Owen recieved the ball just inside the area, he beat Dean Richards rather easily before firing past Kasey Keller from 12 yards out.
But El Hadji Diouf, who was stood close by Richards, was adjudged to have hauled down the Spurs defender as Owen went past, and Mike Riley was quick to rule out the goal.
Early in the second half though, Spurs created the best chance of the game through Gustavo Poyet. The Uruguayan midfielder scored the winner in the last meeting between the two sides when Spurs won 1-0 at White Hart Lane in April, which is still Liverpool's only league defeat since January. Thie time Poyet failed to hit the back of the net but did force Jerzy Dudek into a fantastic save.
A pass from midfield was diverted into the patyh of Poyet by the outstretched leg of Traore, and from 10 yards out, Poyet fired a powerful shot towards goal but Dudek was equal to it, making a top class save to force the corner, from which Poyet went close again.
Jamie Redknapp delivered the corner from the right hand side, and Poyet managed to get a header on target which beat Dudek, but Didi Hamann was perfectly positioned to make a goalline clearance.
Spurs were just starting to gain the upper hand, but the next two opportunities both fell Liverpool's way.
Milan Baros, on as a second half sub for Diouf, set up a chance for Owen, but his shot was fired narrowly over the bar. The Reds made no mistake with the next chance that came their way though, which came on 72 minutes.
Salif Diao began the move in midfield, Vladimir Smicer and Jamie Carragher both made contributions on the right hand side, just outside the Tootenham penalty area, before Hamann easily escaped the close attention from Simon Davies to set up the chance for Murphy.
Murphy took one touch with his left foot to control the ball, setting himself up for a right footed shot which he curled delightfully beyond Kasey Keller and into the top corner. It was arguably the best goal seen at Anfield this season with both a good build up and a magnificently executed finish, but the lead was to be short lived.
On 82 minutes, Milenko Acimovic created enough space to get a cross beyond Carragher and into the Liverpool penalty area, and Dean Richards rose unmarked to put a header past Sami Hyypia and John Arne Riise who were both stood on the goalline. It was nothing more than Spurs deserved in what had up to that point been an evenly matched game which had been fiercely contestd by both teams.
But, as with Liverpool's previous two league games, the Reds battled hard for a win and eventually managed to secure a late winner.
Michael Owen made a run from just inside the Spurs half, and after beating Redknapp and Chris Perry, he was taken down inside the area by a late challenge from Stephen Carr to earn Liverpool a fourth home penalty in the league this season.
Despite missing two out of the three which he had taken already this season, Michael Owen confidently stepped up to take the kick, and he made no mistake in sealing the three points for Liverpool in a game which they again looked like taking just a point from.
Liverpool held on for the closing minutes to ensure they didnt lose the lead late on, and it was ultimately a win which was the Reds' players worked extremely hard for.
The result keeps Liverpool on top of the Premier League table, and with Arsenal losing at home to Blackburn, the lead over the Gunners is now 4 points, with Chelsea in third place, 8 points behind Liverpool.
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