Super Mario back in the game for Liverpool

The A-team theme tune was played shortly before kick-off at Anfield last night and Brendan Rodgers could be forgiven for breaking out a John ‘Hannibal’ Smith style cigar and declaring: “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Such is the momentum building that Rodgers even managed to coax a dramatic late winner out of much-derided enigma Mario Balotelli, who came off the bench to secure all three points against Tottenham.

“We knew it would be a tough game and it’s important to get the three points to close the gap,” said Reds assistant Colin Pascoe.

“Mario always works hard in training and he’s recently been ill and he’s kept going and deserved his goal. Mario’s immensely happy. With Mario he knew there was a chance tonight.”

It was a crucial victory for Liverpool against one of their top-four rivals and if Balotelli does nothing else in the campaign, his first Premier League goal was at least a telling one. Things really do feel like they are coming together.

Rodgers will view this a significant step given the resolve his side showed after they were twice pegged back by a resilient Tottenham side. Crucially, it maintained their unbeaten start to 2015. The only team in the top-flight to have such a record.

As Rodgers acknowledged in his programme notes, Liverpool have almost played as many games in this campaign as they did in the whole of last season. There is a sense at Anfield there is still more to come and if they can catch fire in the business end of the campaign, Champions League football is obtainable.

With Raheem Sterling absent with a foot injury, Rodgers handed Daniel Sturridge, whose goals will be crucial over the next few months, his first start since a lengthy spell out injured.

Jordon Ibe, Steven Gerrard and Lazar Markovic were also in Rodgers’ starting line-up while Tottenham were unchanged from the side which beat Arsenal in the north London derby.

Liverpool, in front of owner John W Henry in the stands, attacked the Kop End first half and the alert Sturridge seized upon a weak backpass from Ryan Mason early on and broke clear into the box, but his finish was not quite as sharp and Hugo Lloris gathered comfortably.

However, the France international will feel he should have done much better from Liverpool’s opening goal in the 15th minute.

A long punt well controlled by Sturridge found its way to the Markvoic who effortlessly glided to the left edge of the area and saw his low shot, albeit not the most powerful, go in off the weak hand of the Spurs goalkeeper.

Harry Kane had already showed the kind of confidence currently surging through his veins with a speculative effort from the half-way line.

And the boyhood Spurs fan took his tally in the Premier League to 13 goals — more than any striker at the club managed in the whole of last season — when he finished off a slick passing move from the visitors.

A neat exchange involving Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela saw space open up inside the box for Kane and he capitalised on Mamdou Sakho’s slip to fire the ball into the net off Simon Mignolet despite the Liverpool keeper’s attempts to narrow the angle.

Ibe, once again a menace with his aggressive direct running and quick feet on the right flank, cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot which stung the palms of Lloris, while a Sturridge backheel hit the post, as the hosts finished the first half on the up.

That advantage was reasserted when were awarded a penalty shortly after the break when Sturridge tumbled under a clumsy challenge from Danny Rose, and Gerrard confidently struck the spot-kick past Lloris.

Mignolet tipped a sweet strike from Lamela over the crossbar before the visitors fought back to level matters for a second time on the hour.

Eriksen’s dipping free-kick was parried by Mignolet and Kane scuffed it into the six-yard box for Mousa Dembele, who bundled the ball over the line from close range.

Balotelli replaced Sturridge and Adam Lallana was introduced and the pair combined for Liverpool’s winner.

With seven minute left on the clock Lallana fired a low cross into the penalty and there was Balotelli, on hand to tap the ball past Lloris from close range. Finally Mario, as his Twitter handle reads. Finally indeed.

LIVERPOOL: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Sakho, Ibe, Henderson, Gerrard (Lovren 68), Moreno, Markovic (Lallana 79), Coutinho, Sturridge (Balotelli 74).

TOTTENHAM: Lloris, Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose, Bentaleb, Mason (Paulinho 69), Lamela, Dembele (Soldado 85), Eriksen (Chadli 81), Kane.

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).