Dirk Kuyt's double strike injected new life into Liverpool's
stuttering Premier League campaign as the Reds secured a 2-0 win
over Tottenham.
The Holland international fired home in the sixth minute from
the edge of the area and then converted a twice-taken penalty in
second-half injury time.
Victory lifted the Reds to within one point of fourth-placed
Spurs and eased the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez after early
exits from the Champions League and FA Cup.
The importance of the match to Liverpool's top-four
aspirations had been outlined by Benitez on Tuesday and his players
responded in fine style.
It was a match the Reds could not afford to lose, having
dropped two points thanks to Stoke's late equaliser on Saturday,
and they did not disappoint an appreciative Anfield crowd.
There was a brief early scare when Jose Reina spilled a
Gareth Bale cross under pressure from former Liverpool striker
Peter Crouch, but he reclaimed the ball bravely from the challenge
of Jermain Defoe.
Reina picked himself up to hoist a long kick downfield which
Kuyt knocked back to Aquilani, playing in the hole behind the
striker.
The Italian's close control took him past Michael Dawson, who
brought down the playmaker, but the ball rolled to Kuyt on the edge
of the penalty area and he fired low past Heurelho Gomes'
right-hand to give his side the lead.
Jermaine Jenas was booked in the 27th minute for bringing
down Philipp Degen as he raced over the halfway line but Liverpool
failed to make the free-kick count.
And moments later Defoe was lucky to escape with just a
talking to from referee Howard Webb after diving in and standing on
Degen's foot.
The Swiss international was on the end of yet more rough
treatment in the 34th minute when Bale clashed heads with the
makeshift midfielder, which led to the Wales defender being
cautioned.
Javier Mascherano became the first Liverpool player to be
booked when he lost possession and then slid in on Crouch.
In first-half injury time Kuyt's header from Albert Riera's
inswinging corner was stopped by Bale yards from the line and
Martin Skrtel blazed the rebound over.
Moments later Luka Modric's shot was saved well low to his
left by Reina.
Liverpool have made a season of failing to hang on to leads
and they almost gifted Spurs an equaliser straight after the
restart.
Sotirios Kyrgiakos dithered on the ball before surprising
Reina with a short back-pass which immediately put the goalkeeper
under pressure from Defoe.
Fortunately for the Spaniard the Tottenham striker was
adjudged to have fouled him seconds before Crouch rolled the ball
into an unguarded net.
Wilson Palacios was next to go into Webb's notebook for
pulling down Lucas as he attempted to run through the Spurs defence
on the halfway line.
Riera almost doubled Liverpool's lead in the 52nd minute when
his header from Jamie Carragher's cross beat Gomes but crashed back
off the crossbar.
Considering their recent habit of conceding in the last
minute the hosts desperately needed a second goal to give them a
cushion but the longer the game went on without one the more
confident Spurs became.
The danger was highlighted when Jenas' first-time shot from
25 yards had Reina going the wrong way before he stuck out a hand
to deflect it behind.
Having sent on Alan Hutton for Vedran Corluka, Spurs boss
Harry Redknapp then replaced Niko Kranjcar with ex-Reds striker
Robbie Keane.
Liverpool should have made it easier for themselves in the
66th minute when Kuyt robbed Dawson on halfway to race clear but he
opted to play in Degen to his right instead of shooting and
over-hit his pass.
Liverpool continued to press and Kuyt volleyed over at the
far post after Degen had flicked on Aquilani's free-kick while
Riera was just wide with a 25-yard swerving left-foot shot.
Spurs, however, continued to threaten and Hutton's
spectacular volley curled around the outside of Reina's right-hand
post.
Substitute David Ngog almost secured victory within minutes
of coming on when he turned fellow substitute Sebastien Bassong but
curled a shot across the face of goal.
However, he won a crucial penalty in the first of five
minutes of injury time when Bassong brought him down.
Kuyt scored the first effort only to be ordered to re-take by
Webb, but the Dutchman held his nerve to send Gomes the wrong way
and Liverpool heading in the right direction up the table.
