Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool: Opening day defeat at the Lane

Match Summary

Liverpool lacked cohesion as they suffered a defeat on the opening day at White Hart Lane.

Spurs took the lead through full-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s impressive strike just before half time. Steven Gerrard briefly leveled from the penalty spot after Glen Johnson was brought down after a good run from the right, but Sebastien Bassong headed the home side back in the lead within minutes.

Liverpool were denied a late penalty when sub Andriy Voronin was clearly fouled but in all honesty Spurs deserved the win and questions will already be asked of Rafa Benitez’s side.

Press ReactionBBC’s Phil McNulty: Rafael Benitez can have few complaints as Liverpool – heavily tipped to end Manchester United’s run of three successive Premier League titles – delivered a lame display which lacked attacking invention and genuine quality.

Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, King, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Palacios, Modric (O’Hara, 83), Keane (Crouch, 68), Defoe (Pavlyuchenko, 92)
Subs not used: Cudicini, Hutton, Naughtley, Bentley
Goals: Assou-Ekotto (44), Bassong (59)

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel (Ayala, 75), Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt (Voronin, 79), Gerrard, Babel (Benayoun, 67), Torres
Subs not used: Cavalieri, Kelly, Dossena, Spearing
Booked: Carragher, Skrtel, Mascherano
Goal: Gerrard (pen, 56)

Referee: Phil Dowd
Attendance: 35,935

Match Stats

Possession
* Tottenham 58%
* Liverpool 42%

Shots on target
* Tottenham 11
* Liverpool 3

Shots off target
* Tottenham 6
* Liverpool 3

Corners
* Tottenham 6
* Liverpool 5

Fouls
* Tottenham 14
* Liverpool 16