Chris Armstrong shrugged off missing a succession of chances to score the goal which made up for Tottenham's continued attacking shortcomings as they secured a hard-fought victory against Liverpool.

Tottenham's success was built on hard graft, especially in central midfield through the efforts of Stephen Clemence and Tim Sherwood, while Sol Campbell was yet again impregnable at the back.

They gave David Ginola the space in which to weave his magic on the left flank, yet apart from being the most creative player on the pitch he had also clearly caught the work-ethic bug being installed by boss George Graham.

In the final minutes there was even the sight of the Frenchman - for once completing a full 90 minutes without being substituted - being applauded by Graham for his workrate.

By that stage Spurs were clearly in command and only the White Hart Lane regulars, who are painfully used to a hatful of chances going begging, were able to understand why their team had failed to put the result beyond any shadow of doubt.

Chairman Alan Sugar's recent knighthood was certainly not for services to strengthening the Tottenham forward line, yet for all of the home side's finishing inadequacies it was Armstrong who came to the rescue on 23 minutes.

The striker, who otherwise wasted much of Ginola's dangerous approach play, scored his first goal in five weeks and only his fourth of the season with a thunderbolt 25-yard strike.

And so Tottenham prevailed in the battle of two of the perennial under-achievers of the past few years, even if Graham and opposite number Gerard Houllier have recently started to revive the clubs' fortunes.

Liverpool, who evidently missed their strike duo of Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen, have strengthened their rearguard over recent months but they simply could not cope with the trickery of Ginola.

The Frenchman's first penetrating cross of the game set up Armstrong for a header straight in front of goal but he mistimed his jump and planted his effort wide.

Steffen Iversen shot wide soon afterwards, while Armstrong again wasted a quickly-taken free-kick by Ginola and Tottenham's lack of clinical finishing in front of goal seemed to be costing them once more.

That was until Vegard Heggem failed to properly clear another free-kick and the ball fell to Armstrong 25 yards out.

He steadied himself before taking aim and fired in a powerful shot that easily beat keeper Sander Westerveld.

Liverpool seemed to have conceded a second four minutes later before Campbell's close-range header was ruled out for offside.

It was only then that Liverpool started to make any impact on the match, but - just like Tottenham - their finishing also let them down and Titi Camara produced a dreadful chip into the crowd after beating the offside trap.

Steven Gerrard was just as culpable, though, when the ball rebounded to him inside the penalty area after Ian Walker had done well to parry a shot from Camara, who had burst between the challenges of Campbell and Chris Perry.

Three yellow cards were shown in the space of three minutes shortly before the break and the atmosphere was certainly hotting up, with Camara at the centre of the controversy when he went down somewhat theatrically under a challenge.

Dietmar Hamann fired the ensuing free-kick past the post yet Armstrong also flicked a header just wide from a Ginola corner to ensure that Liverpool had to remain wary at the back as they searched for an equaliser.

Camara, who was the main thorn in Tottenham's side and was himself duly booked soon after the interval for a challenge on Perry, shot straight at Walker on his next attempt.

However, while Liverpool were at that stage dominating possession they could find no way past Campbell, whose timely interventions allowed Spurs to counter-attack far more dangerously through Ginola.

The Frenchman had one curling effort tipped around the post by Westerveld at full stretch, while Armstrong failed to connect with the winger's dangerous cross before himself clipping his shot wide after rounding the keeper.

Westerveld again denied Spurs when he saved three times from Iversen - one of them from perilously close range - and while three substitutions were made by the visitors they failed to seriously trouble Walker in the closing stages.

There was no room for manoeuvre for Graham to introduce Darren Anderton into the fray on his return to the squad for the first time in four months - only to be barracked by a handful of fans.

But apart from a curled effort by Vladimir Smicer, the closest that Liverpool came to equalising was probably a hurried backpass by Clemence and Tottenham - full of running right to the end - deservedly held on.

Teams:

Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Campbell, Perry, Taricco, Young, Sherwood, Clemence, Ginola, Armstrong, Iversen.

Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Anderton, Vega, Dominguez, Gower.

Booked: Campbell, Clemence, Perry.

Goals: Armstrong 23.

Liverpool: Westerveld, Heggem, Hyypia, Henchoz, Matteo, Carragher (Thompson 58), Smicer (Staunton 82), Hamann, Gerrard, Berger (Murphy 73), Camara.

Subs Not Used: Nielsen, Song.

Booked: Smicer, Matteo, Carragher, Camara.

Att: 36,044

Ref: A Wilkie (Chester Le Street).