Liverpool's title dream all but died at White Hart Lane as a Gus Poyet goal
sent them crashing to their first defeat in 16 league games.
Gerard Houllier's Reds are now four points behind leaders Arsenal, but have
only two games remaining, while Arsene Wenger's team have three.
Ironically, Tottenham did their arch-rivals a huge favour with this win, and
it will surely take a minor miracle for the Gunners to thrown it away now.
It was Poyet who put a huge dent in Liverpool's title hopes by firing home the
41st-minute winner.
Darren Anderton's deep cross from the left was knocked back across the face of
goal by Simon Davies, and Poyet tucked it inside Jerzy Dudek's left-hand post.
This was Tottenham's last home game of the season and Jamie Redknapp, signed
from Liverpool a fortnight ago, was paraded on the pitch before kick-off and
received a warm welcome from both sets of fans.
Among the crowd was England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who might have been
concerned by the absence from the visitors' line-up of his midfield lynchpin
Steven Gerrard.
But the news from the dressing room was that Gerrard had a minor groin strain,
and nothing to cause undue concern.
It was Spurs who made the brighter start and skipper Teddy Sheringham had a
good chance in the third minute. Ben Thatcher's long punt into the box was
nodded out to Sheringham, who whipped a volley over Dudek's crossbar.
There was an even better opening two minutes later, when Davies did
particularly well to beat Jamie Carragher down the Spurs right. He crossed the
ball to Sheringham and this time he glanced a header wide of the far post.
Liverpool's first real chance to hit back came after eight minutes, and it
took a fine save from Kasey Keller to deny skipper Sami Hyypia.
Michael Owen - making his 150th league appearance - was fouled by Perry in the
left midfield area and when Danny Murphy delivered a deep free-kick, Hyypia's
powerful header was beaten away by the American goalkeeper.
From the resulting corner, Murphy's cross from the left was headed on by
Heskey and then headed off the line by Mauricio Taricco.
Liverpool again came within inches of scoring after 12 minutes. Dietmar Hamann
crossed from the right and John Arne Riise saw his downward header bounce back
off the near post.
Keller came to the rescue again for Spurs after 31 minutes by pushing away a
low drive from the impressive Murphy.
The game tapered off until the 40th minute when Taricco did well on the left
and found Poyet with his cross into the box, but his low drive flashed just past
the far post.
However, Poyet was celebrating seconds later when he fired Spurs into the lead
thanks to good work from Anderton who slipped the ball through the legs of Abel
Xavier and crossed with the outside of his right foot.
Liverpool were stunned, and were nearly caught again in injury-time when
Iversen sent a header into the body of Dudek.
Tottenham might have been two ahead after 50 minutes when Clemence made a good
run into the box, beating three players along the way, but shot tamely at
Dudek.
A minute later Sheringham disappointed again by glancing another header wide
from Taricco's cross.
There was a magical moment from Owen after 53 minutes when he slipped the ball
between two defenders to create a shooting chance, but Clemence got back well to
cover. The stand-in England captain then fired the rebound wide of the far
post.
Liverpool brought on Nicolas Anelka for Emile Heskey and then Patrick Berger
replaced Xavier as manager Houllier tried to find an equaliser.
His assistant, Phil Thompson, started complaining when Owen was barged off the
ball by Anthony Gardner, and was then involved in a heated exchange with Spurs
boss Glenn Hoddle who had told him to shut up.
Liverpool made their final change after 81 minutes when Jari Litmanen came on
for Murphy.
Spurs again went close to doubling their lead when Davies saw his 87th-minute
shot beaten away from Dudek. Then in the final minute Riise drove a free-kick on
the edge of the box against the wall.
Spurs had conceded late goals in each of their previous three games, but this
time they held on and signed off from White Hart Lane on a high note.
Teams
Tottenham: Keller, Taricco, Perry, Gardner, Thatcher, Anderton,
Poyet, Clemence, Davies, Sheringham, Iversen.
Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Doherty, Leonhardsen, Etherington,
Jackson.
Goals: Poyet 41.
Liverpool: Dudek, Xavier (Berger 68), Henchoz, Hyypia,
Carragher, Smicer, Murphy (Litmanen 82), Hamann, Riise, Owen,
Heskey (Anelka 64).
Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Wright.
Booked: Riise.
Att: 36,017
Ref: P Jones (Loughborough).
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