Rafa fumes as Reds’ title hopes suffer early setback

THIS was supposed to be the day for Liverpool to bellow their title aspirations to the rest of the Premier League.

In the event, they could barely muster a whimper.

Rafael Benitez’s side were deservedly beaten by a slick and sprightly Tottenham team, who scored fine goals either side of half-time through Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong, and Benitez’s complaints in the aftermath about two penalty claims and the age of the fourth official, Stuart Atwell, appeared to be little more than the wispiest of smokescreens.

The Spaniard would have been better served reserving his ire for his own team, who were alarmingly toothless for supposed title contenders.

Liverpool’s attacking quartet of Ryan Babel, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres were largely anonymous, even if Gerrard did briefly restore parity with a penalty, and their defence was regularly exposed by simple crosses.

Already, there will be members of the Kop congregation pining for the departed Xabi Alonso, whose intelligent probing from midfield was sorely missed, and the rehabilitation of his replacement, the injured Alberto Aquilani, cannot come soon enough.

There are other injuries to concern Benitez. Martin Skrtel was forced off in the second half with a facial injury after an early collision with Jamie Carragher, who also had to have stitches in a head wound, while Torres and Gerrard do not look fully fit.

Tottenham, meanwhile, deserve immense credit.

This was an emphatic statement of intent from the north Londoners, a clarion call to the rest of the league that the established top four might not be a closed shop.

“We’ve got a good squad here now and there’s great competition for places in all positions,” Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, said.

“I like the look of this team and we now have some players that we haven’t had before which will make us stronger. It will be very tight at the top all season.’’

Redknapp’s only complaint could have been his side’s profligacy, and in particular that of Robbie Keane. The Dubliner, who nurses unhappy memories of his dismal five-month spell at Anfield, had been surprisingly preferred to Peter Crouch, Spurs’ new £9 million (€10.5m) signing, presumably in the hope that the sight of Liverpool’s red shirts would bring out the bull in him.

Instead, he retreated into his shell. The tone was set in the 29th minute when his close-range header was brilliantly saved by Pepe Reina and, from then, it was all downhill.

Moments later, he was sent clear when Luka Modric’s incisive pass split Liverpool’s back-line only to produce a shot that was as potent as a pop-gun.

When he then skied a volley into the top tier of the Park Lane stand, Redknapp would have been forgiven a wistful look over his shoulder at Crouch. Thankfully for the manager, not all his players boasted a wonky radar, although the identity of the scorer was enough to have jaws dropping all over north-east London.

Assou-Ekotto had played 151 professional games without once troubling the scoring statisticians, but that record was shredded by a moment of startling brilliance seconds before half-time.

Collecting the loose ball after Tom Huddlestone’s free-kick had clattered into the wall, the Cameroonian took one touch to switch the ball onto his preferred left foot and struck the kind of shot that leaves a vapour trail. Reina barely had time to blink before it arrowed into the top corner.

Benitez might have hoped that half-time would have cleared his side’s heads but, while they did level almost immediately, the goal owed more to the eccentricity of Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

The Brazilian brainlessly fouled Glen Johnson as the winger attempted to chase an innocuous ball, allowing Gerrard to slam in from the spot.

That should have provided Liverpool with a launchpad but, instead, they succumbed once again. Luka Modric’s free-kick from the right should have been cleared by Carragher, but Bassong climbed above the defender to nod into the top corner.

After that, Liverpool never seriously looked capable of mustering a response and even the penalty claims were born more of desperation.

Assou-Ekotto’s first challenge was clumsy but contact with Andriy Voronin was minimal, while for the handball appeal, Torres’ cross struck the Cameroonian’s arm when it was laid across his stomach.

Like everything else about Liverpool yesterday, the protests carried an air of desperation.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Wilson Palacios (Tottenham): Too many times Tottenham midfielders have been all style and no substance. But not Palacios: the Honduran blends industry and quality in equal measure and will be integral to Spurs’ hopes of gate crashing the top four. He was excellent here and dominated the centre.

REFEREE: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) 7: Spot on for the penalty, which was a clear foul by Gomes, and kept control of a game that flared into life after 30 lifeless minutes.

MATCH RATING: *** A slow-burner, but it ended up being incendiary stuff. Spurs were worthy winners and Liverpool have plenty to ponder.