Liverpool travelled to Tottenham Hotspur this evening on a seven-match unbeaten Premier League run.
However, a lightning-fast start the hosts saw them take an early 2-0 lead, and despite a second-half comeback, Liverpool fell to a sixth consecutive White Hart Lane defeat.
The result moves Spurs up to fifth in the table, three points adrift of West Bromwich Albion in fourth, while Liverpool fall a place to 12th.
Below, you can read how Spurs endured a nervy finish to hold on for the points.
The starting lineups are in, and the headline news comes from the Spurs camp...
Moussa Dembele returns in central midfield after missing nine matches with a hip injury. Tom Huddlestone drops to the bench to accommodate the Belgian, who was a key man when Spurs strung together four straight Premier League wins earlier this season.
With Steven Caulker absent from the squad entirely, William Gallas is recalled to partner Michael Dawson in the home defence. Despite leaving the field on a stretcher against West Ham, Sandro is fit to start.
Clint Dempsey was a Liverpool transfer target in the summer, but the American eventually made the switch to Spurs instead. He will provide support to lone striker Jermain Defoe, with Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon on the flanks.
SPURS: Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Gallas, Vertonghen; Sandro, Dembele; Lennon, Dempsey, Bale; Defoe
SUBS: Friedel, Naughton, Carroll, Huddlestone, Livermore, Sigurdsson, Townsend
Liverpool are unchanged from their 0-0 draw with Swansea on Sunday. Andre Wisdom is available after injury but is only on the bench as Brendan Rodgers continues with Stewart Downing at left back.
The England international will play behind Jose Enrique, who has finally found a regular berth under Rodgers in a more advanced position.
On the opposite wing, Raheem Sterling will be up against the club who were supposedly interested in signing him when Harry Redknapp was in charge at White Hart Lane.
And of course, the Premier League's top scorer Luis Suarez will be Liverpool's main goal threat. The Uruguayan has netted 10 times this season.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Downing; Allen, Gerrard, Henderson; Enrique, Sterling, Suarez
SUBS: Jones, Sahin, Assaidi, Carragher, Shelvey, Suso, Wisdom
Champions League-chasers Spurs go into the match seventh in the table, five points adrift of fourth-place Chelsea.
Liverpool have European ambitions of their own but find themselves four points further back after only winning three of their opening 13 Premier League games.
Around 10 minutes until kickoff now, but we are not just bringing you action from White Hart Lane tonight...
We are also providing coverage of four more matches, including another Merseyside vs. north London clash in the shape of Everton vs. Arsenal.
But why would you want to go anywhere else? This should be a cracker!
The players are emerging from the tunnel which means kickoff is imminent...
Liverpool are wearing their alternative black kit rather than their famous red strip, and they will get us underway...
Andre Villas-Boas and Brendan Rodgers, former colleagues at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, shake hands on the touchline and take their seats.
And I have taken my seat, just in time for kickoff. The action has begun at White Hart Lane...
We have had a lot of rain in north London, and Hugo Lloris nearly finds this to his cost when he charges from his line to retrieve an over-hit Steven Gerrard pass and almost fails to stop his slide before the edge of the area.
SHOT! Allen makes a clumsy challenge from behind on Dempsey to give Spurs a free kick. Gareth Bale tries his luck from 30 yards and his swerving drive forces Pepe Reina into an unconvincing save.
SHOT! Gerrard gives the ball away and Spurs counter through Defoe. The England striker feeds Bale and his shot across goal ends up just wide of Reina's far post.
GOAL! Spurs 1-0 Liverpool (Lennon)
GOAL! What a start from Spurs, and Bale in particular. The Welshman breaks from the halfway line in typical fashion and after a charging run, fizzes the ball across goal. Aaron Lennon gambles at the back post and his run goes unnoticed by Downing, allowing the Spurs winger a simple tap-in from four yards.
SAVE! Liverpool come close to an immediate reply as the ball breaks kindly to Suarez 20 yards out. He skips past Dembele before trying to bend the ball around Lloris, but the Frenchman gets down well to save.
CHANCE! Oh, what a mess. Henderson pinches the ball from Defoe and Liverpool counter. Suarez tries a through ball to Enrique and when Lloris comes to clear, he makes minimal contact. The ball falls to Henderson 20 yards out with the goal vacant, but, under pressure from Walker, the midfielder only finds the side netting. Lucky escape for Lloris!
GOAL! Spurs 2-0 Liverpool (Bale)
GOAL! Bale hits a 25-yard free kick which goes straight through the wall, leaves Reina wrong footed and finishes in the centre of the net. Bale is enjoying himself tonight!
Brendan Rodgers will be furious with the manner in which that goal was conceded. Firstly, the free kick awarded is a soft one - Henderson seemed to make minimal contact with Dempsey. Two Liverpool players in the wall move out of the firing line and then Reina seems to get it completely wrong behind them. All in all, not great work from the Reds!
SHOT! Defoe collects the ball from Bale, cuts inside but drags his low shot just wide of Reina's near post.
SHOT! Dembele robs Allen in the Liverpool half, travels with the ball but his shot is high and wide.
CHANCE! Half a sight of goal for Liverpool as Enrique latches onto Gerrard's ranging cross-field ball before crossing for Suarez. The Uruguayan is under pressure from Gallas though and ends up miss-kicking his effort, which is eventually cleared by the Spurs defender.
SHOT! Suarez is coming alive. He powers into the box, evading three challenges before shaking off Dawson and shooting at goal. The effort is from a tight angle, and Lloris is able to save - parrying the ball upwards and then catching it at the second attempt.
CHANCE! Liverpool have had all of the last 10 minutes and their good work continues here. Johnson makes a bustling run into the box and when the ball is poked away from him, Enrique hits a shot on the turn which Lloris gets across to save.
OFF THE LINE! Brilliant from Walker! Suarez plays in Gerrard with a delightful through ball. Dembele slides in to deny the England captain but Suarez is on hand to poke a follow-up effort goal-wards, which Walker superbly steers off the line.
Yellow card! Skrtel goes into the book for a cynical challenge from behind on Dempsey, who was leading a Spurs counter attack. That's the definition of 'taking one for the team'.
Liverpool have been applying constant pressure to the Spurs goal in the last 15 minutes, but Andre Villas Boas's side are a serious threat on the break. Excellent football from the hosts as Vertonghen charges down the left before switching it to Lennon via Dempsey and Defoe, but the winger's cross is turned away by Agger.
Downing creates a yard of space before crossing into a good area. Dawson clears it unconvincingly for a corner, which is claimed by Lloris.
SHOT! Good play from Dempsey as he patiently retains the ball before playing in Bale, whose low 25-yard drive is on target but gathered by Reina.
We are entering injury time, of which there will be one minute...
HALF-TIME: Spurs 2-0 Liverpool
HALF-TIME: Spurs started much the better and surged into a two-goal lead courtesy of a goal and an assist from the superb Bale. However, since then Liverpool have had the majority of the ball and fashioned some decent chances. They would have pulled one back had it not been for a brilliant goal-line clearance from Kyle Walker. This has been a really open game, so expect more goals in the second half...
You can read Sport Mole's half-time report on the contest here.
The two sides have emerged unchanged for the second period, and Spurs get us back underway...
Sterling shows a great change of pace to get away from Vertonghen and fizz a low cross into the box, which Dawson clears for a throw -in.
CHANCE! Dawson gifts Liverpool possession on the edge of his own area with a sloppy pass. Suarez crosses for an unmarked Enrique at the back post, but for some reason, the Spaniard opts to nod the ball across goal instead of shoot himself. Strange decision which perhaps illustrates the full-back's lack of attacking instinct.
Further pressure from Liverpool as Lloris is forced off his line to foil a dribbling Suarez and put the ball behind for a corner.
More sloppy defending, this time at the other end as Skrtel's mistimed header falls to Defoe. Dempsey is also charging forward and the Spurs pair get in each other's way before the American eventually has a left-footed shot blocked.
SHOT! Dempsey has another shot and this time tests Reina with a long-range hit which the Spaniard gathers into his chest.
Excellent ball retention from Dempsey as he shows quick feet to draw a foul from Allen right on the edge of the box. Bale is eyeing up this free kick, while Dempsey and Dembele are also interested.
The American hits it, but straight into the wall.
SUBSTITUTION: First Liverpool change as Jonjo Shelvey comes on for Jordan Henderson to provide a greater goal threat from midfield.
SUBSTITUTION: Andre Villas-Boas also opts to use his bench, with one former Liverpool transfer target Dempsey being replaced by another - Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Spurs have a free kick on the left touchline after Johnson pushes Bale while attempting to win an aerial duel.
Gerrard heads clear, but Spurs now have another set piece chance courtesy of Shelvey's high challenge on Lennon. Bale is again over the ball...
SHOT! Bale has a go at goal and connects well with his strike, but it is a few yards off target.
CHANCE! Suarez and Johnson link up well down the right before the latter crosses for Enrique, whose first-time effort is blocked behind by Walker.
GOAL! Spurs 2-1 Liverpool (Bale og)
GOAL! The resulting corner is headed goalwards by Gerrard and Lennon's attempted clearance off the line strikes Bale in the face and rebounds back into the net. Liverpool have one back, in very fortunate circumstances, but they will argue that their efforts deserve that slice of fortune.
Yellow card! Bale is cautioned for simulation after apparently diving under the challenge of Agger.
SUBSTITUTION: Rodgers is sensing a positive result out of this match now and makes an attacking change - bringing on Moroccan winger Oussama Assaidi for Stewart Downing.
CHANCE! Spurs players stop after Agger appears to take the ball out of play. The Dane hooks it back into the box and an unmarked Suarez 12 yards out blazes a volley over the crossbar.
Short stoppage in play as Dembele receives treatment for a head injury. This might help Spurs as Liverpool were again enjoying a spell of sustained pressure.
Vertonghen executes a beautiful slide tackle on Sterling before buying a foul from the 17-year-old to relieve the pressure on the home side.
Excellent defending from Gallas, firstly to deny Shelvey with a great last-ditch challenge before diverting a Sterling cross behind for a corner.
SHOT! Walker's clearing header falls kindly to Enrique 30 yards out and he strikes a first-time half-volley that drifts yards wide of Lloris's goal.
SUBSTITUTION: Huddlestone on for Dembele as Villas-Boas looks to hold on to this slender lead.
SUPERB TACKLE! Enrique drops a lovely ball over the shoulder of Gallas, which Suarez controls brilliantly. He spins towards goal and is just about to get a shot away when Gallas stretches out a leg to poke the ball away.
We are entering stoppage time, of which there will be FOUR minutes. Can Liverpool snatch an equaliser?
FULL-TIME: Spurs 2-1 Liverpool
FULL-TIME: Spurs were under the cosh for most of a scrappy, yet entertaining encounter, but, despite a Gareth Bale own goal, they have hung on to claim the points. The Welshman was electrifying in the opening stages, scoring one and creating another as the hosts romped into a two-goal lead that gave them enough of a cushion to survive a second-half Liverpool barrage.
You can read Sports Mole's full-time report on the contest here.
That is all from me for this evening, but be sure to return to Sports Mole later tonight for analysis of the action at White Hart Lane. Thanks for joining us!
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
