Reds have stamp of champions

Liverpool 4 Spurs 0

Without a championship win since 1990, Liverpool have now won eight successive league games to put the destiny of the title in their own hands.

Dropped points by Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal the day before had given Liverpool the opportunity to seize the initiative, with City and Chelsea still to visit an increasingly expectant Anfield before the end of what could be a historic season.

And they didn’t disappoint, dismantling a Tottenham side whose season is threatening to end with a whimper as they lost a third successive away game for the first time since January 2009 to see their fading top-four hopes all but ended.

Even though Rodgers continues to play down the prospects of ending Liverpool’s title drought, he acknowledged that the supporters are starting to believe.

“For us the mantra has always been to focus on the next game, we never get too carried away,” said the Liverpool manager.

“This was everything we have been working towards in the last year-and-a-half.

“Without the ball we had that hunger and intensity to get it back and our dominance in possession was very impressive. We then had the penetration to open up Tottenham and I thought the supporters were brilliant. Together we are a force.

“They are appreciating what they are seeing. They can see it was a long winter and a tough period over 20-odd years and they can see something building here, not just for now but for the future.

“I thought the composure on the ball and the calmness was outstanding. You see the confidence, there is no anxiety, no pressure, it was great to watch.

“There is no doubt they [Manchester City and Chelsea] understand this is going to be a real tough place to come. We love playing here. The support today was incredible and that is only going to intensify. It works for us rather than against us.”

Liverpool won 5-0 at White Hart Lane in December and could easily have matched that here once hapless Tottenham captain Younes Kaboul had gifted them a lead with barely 90 seconds gone.

Luis Suarez added his customary goal to double the lead before half-time and 10 minutes into the second half any lingering doubts there might have been at the outcome were dismissed by Philippe Coutinho’s clinical finish.

Jordan Henderson’s successfully converted free-kick 15 minutes from the end only enhanced the feeling around Anfield that this may finally be their year.

Given Liverpool’s current form and Tottenham’s fragile state, the last thing the visitors needed was to concede an early goal. And to deliver the wound themselves can only have hurt even more.

Raheem Sterling, restored to his starting line-up by Rodgers, made an immediate impact as he released England international colleague Glen Johnson to cross low into the box.

The ball deflected off Jan Vertonghen, whose afternoon was to end on crutches after limping off mid-way through the opening half, and bounced off the heel of Kaboul and into his own net.

Liverpool needed no further encouragement and were given another helping hand as Suarez doubled the lead with his 29th goal of the season as he closes in on becoming only the 10th Liverpool player to score 30 league goals in a campaign -— last achieved by Ian Rush in 1986/87.

Michael Dawson, who had replaced Vertonghen, mis-cued his first touch to allow Suarez to run beyond Kaboul and steer a left-footed shot across Hugo Lloris into the far corner.

Lloris was to later deny Suarez with a superb save to keep out the striker’s header from a Sterling cross, but the Tottenham keeper was powerless to prevent further damage after half-time.

Liverpool worked the ball out from the back via Jon Flanagan for Coutinho to run at the Spurs defence and drill a low shot into the corner of the net from 25 yards.

At that stage, a repeat of the beating Liverpool dished out in the capital was on the cards. But although there was to be no fifth goal, Rodgers’ side had sent out another clear message that they are going full steam ahead for the title.

Vanquished Tottenham manager Sherwood agreed. And while he still favours City to finish top of the pile, he believes Liverpool’s goal threat gives them a chance.

“From last year to this they are chalk and cheese and you have to say they are right in this race because of the players they have in the final third. Everything we did wrong we got punished and that’s credit to them,” Sherwood said.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Mignolet 7; Johnson 8, Skrtel 8, Agger 8, Flanagan 8; Gerrard 8 (Lucas 70, 7), Henderson 7, Coutinho 8 (Allen 63, 7); Sterling 9 (Moses 83), Sturridge 7, Suarez 8.

TOTTENHAM (4-4-1-1): Lloris 7; Naughton 6, Kaboul 5, Vertonghen 6 (Dawson 24, 5), Rose 5; Lennon 5 (Townsend 60, 5), Sigurdsson 6, Bentaleb 5 (Dembele 60, 6), Eriksen 7; Chadli 6; Soldado 6.

Referee: Phil Dowd