Michael Owen and Emile Heskey showed watching England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson that he might not need Alan Shearer after all, as the Liverpool strike duo scored a goal apiece - and spared the blushes of goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek in the process.

But it was man of the match Steven Gerrard who did most to impress Eriksson as he ran the show for the Reds and scored a superb late breakaway goal to seal victory.

Shearer had given Eriksson something to think about by making comments which suggested he might be interested in playing for his country again, and that may have given Owen and Heskey an extra spring in their step as they set out to impress the Swede.

Liverpool had not won at White Hart Lane since December 1996 and looked to be heading for a sixth successive defeat there when defender Mauricio Taricco scored his first goal for the club - thanks to a huge helping hand from Dudek.

After a disappointing first half, the game came to life with two goals inside five minutes of the restart.

The first, in the 48th minute, was a major shock with Taricco scoring his first for the club in 112 appearances.

Taricco hit a speculative low drive from 25 yards which goalkeepers usually gather in their sleep but Dudek somehow spilled the ball and it trickled over the line.

It was a case of deja vu for the Polish international who lost his place earlier in the season after a similar blunder against Manchester United, but regained it following Chris Kirkland's knee injury.

However, Dudek's blushes were spared a little after 50 minutes, when a lapse at the other end from Teddy Sheringham allowed Owen to equalise.

Spurs skipper Sheringham lost possession on his left flank and Gerrard pounced to whip in a low cross, which Owen slid in to convert at the far post for his 21st goal of the season.

Liverpool stepped up a gear and it was influential midfielder Gerrard who set up the second goal for Heskey in the 72nd minute.

Jamie Carragher, making his 250th appearance, fed the ball inside from the right to Gerrard, who left the defence standing as he chipped a perfect far-post cross for Heskey to head into an unguarded net and register his eighth goal of the season.

It was fitting that Gerrard should be the one to all but finish off Spurs with a wonderful breakaway goal after 81 minutes.

Liverpool cleared a Spurs corner and from inside his own half Gerrard powered past Ben Thatcher and fired the ball beyond Keller from 20 yards for his fifth goal of the season.

Spurs ensured a rousing finale as Sheringham made amends by pulling back a goal in the 87th minute. Stephen Carr's corner was nodded down by substitute Jamie Slabber and the skipper swept home his 11th goal of the season.

It was a classic game of two halves - the first was poor and the second thoroughly entertaining.

Spurs had the game's first clear-cut chance after 11 minutes. Simon Davies did well down the right as he delivered a low cross which Gus Poyet - who scored the winner in this fixture last season - met first time, but his effort flashed wide.

There was very little to get the spectators excited, although Gerrard did his best after 33 minutes when he ran on to Murphy's square pass and flashed a 25-yard drive just wide.

Spurs then showed more guile and a clever pass by Sheringham to Davies on the right edge of the box opened up Liverpool three minutes before the break. The cross was good too, but the visitors escaped with no-one on hand to apply the finishing touch.

Spurs also should have scored in the final minute as Taricco did well on the left and delivered a low cross which Davies just failed to meet in the six-yard box.

The second half came to life instantly with the two goals, and as soon as Liverpool went ahead there was always going to be only one winner.

Liverpool will continue to push for a Champions League place, but for Spurs this result may have ended their hopes of UEFA Cup qualification.

Teams:

Tottenham: Keller, Carr, Thatcher, King, Taricco (Freund 69), Davies, Poyet, Bunjevcevic, Etherington, Sheringham, Doherty (Slabber 79).

Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Acimovic, Toda.

Booked: Carr.

Goals: Taricco 49, Sheringham 87.

Liverpool: Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Riise, Diouf, Hamann (Diao 88), Gerrard, Murphy, Heskey, Owen.

Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Smicer, Baros, Biscan.

Booked: Hamann.

Goals: Owen 51, Heskey 72, Gerrard 82.

Att: 36,077

Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).