REDS SLUMP TO OPENING DAY DEFEAT

Goals from Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong condemned Liverpool to a disappointing opening day defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.

Full-back Assou-Ekotto fired Spurs into the lead just before half-time with a powerful drive into the top corner after the home team had threatened throughout the opening 45 minutes.
 
Steven Gerrard gave the Reds hope with a 56th minute penalty, but Bassong restored Tottenham's lead with a towering header to inflict defeat on Rafael Benitez's charges in the first game of the new season.
 
Liverpool were boosted pre-match by the inclusion of Gerrard, Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher in their starting XI after the trio were deemed fit following recent injury concerns.
 
The Reds' first opening arrived in the fifth minute when Skrtel's long-ball forward almost allowed Ryan Babel a clear run on goal, but Spurs' summer signing Bassong was able to recover and deny the Dutchman a shooting opportunity.
 
On 15 minutes, centre-back duo Carragher and Skrtel were involved in a heavy but accidental collision as they both went to head a ball into the box clear.
 
The Anfield vice-captain required stitches to a head wound, while Skrtel received treatment on the side of the pitch before the pair both returned to the field - Carra in a Terry Butcher-esque head bandage.
 
Aaron Lennon skewed well wide from 12 yards with Tottenham's first chance of note on 21 minutes as the home side began to apply heavy pressure to the Liverpool rearguard.
 
Gerrard flashed a low shot narrowly wide of Heurelho Gomes' post just shy of the half-hour mark, but Pepe Reina was forced to produce a world-class save shortly after to deny ex-Red Robbie Keane after Luka Modric had picked out the unmarked Irishman in the centre.
 
The striker seemed destined to score from point blank range, but Liverpool's custodian thwarted his former teammate with a fantastic block.
 
The Spain international again frustrated the 29-year-old moments later as he clawed away a goalbound effort with his left hand, prior to Jermaine Defoe heading wide.
 
Keane spurned another good chance three minutes before the break when he blazed high and wide from a central position just inside the area.
 
However, Spurs finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when full-back Assou-Ekotto arrowed a powerful strike into the top corner of Reina's goal from 20 yards after Tom Huddlestone's initial free-kick had cannoned back off the Liverpool wall.
 
The visitors emerged with renewed determination after the break and Gerrard was inches away from drawing level with another powerful daisy cutter from distance after good play from Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres, although Reina had to be at full stretch to tip a long-range Wilson Palacios drive over the crossbar in the immediately after.
 
Liverpool were awarded a penalty on 54 minutes after a trademark surge forward from Johnson. The full-back turned one way then the other before busting into the box. Gomes rushed from his line, but only succeeded in bringing down Anfield's new No.2.
 
Gerrard stepped up to take the resulting penalty and the skipper made no mistake, clinically dispatching the spot-kick into the back of the net with aplomb.
 
The Reds' joy was short lived, however, as Bassong rose highest to plant Luka Modric's precise free-kick beyond Reina via his head in the 59th minute after Carragher had fouled Defoe 25 yards from goal.
Liverpool's response saw Gerrard's curling free-kick palmed over the bar by Gomes before the goalkeeper stopped a left-footed strike from the captain.
 
With just over 15 minutes remaining, young defender Daniel Ayala was introduced to the action for his Reds debut, replacing Skrtel who was still visibly shaken from the first-half collision with Carragher.
 
The visitors continued to probe and had a strong penalty appeal waved away with five minutes remaining as substitute Andriy Voronin was seemingly barged off the ball by Assou-Ekotto when through on goal.
 
Minutes later, the full-back was at the centre of another spot-kick claim as Torres' centre appeared to be blocked by the hand of the Tottenham defender.
 
Sammy Lee was sent from the Liverpool bench by referee Phil Dowd as tensions rose and time ebbed away, and the Reds were unable to find an equaliser on what will go down as a day to forget at White Hart Lane.

Teams

Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Carragher, Skrtel, Johnson, Babel, Mascherano, Leiva, Kuyt, Gerrard (captain), Torres. Subs - Spearing, Kelly, Sanchez Ayala, Dossena, Cavalieri, Voronin, Benayoun
 
Tottenham Hotspur: Gomes, Assou-Ekotto, King, Bassong, Corluka, Modric, Huddlestone, Palacios, Lennon, Defoe, Keane (captain). Subs - O'Hara, Pavlyuchenko, Bentley, Cudicini, Naughton, Crouch, Hutton
 
Referee: P Dowd
 
Conditions: Hot and sunny
 
Attendance: Unknown
 
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Pepe Reina

Breakdown

15:03 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Spurs get the game underway
3 mins : Spurs have made a bright start and Keane wins the first corner of the match
4 mins : Assou-Ekotto blazes over after the Reds only half-clear the delivery
6 mins : Babel gets in behind the Spurs defence.. a poor first touch and the chance is gone
8 mins : Kuyt powers down the right flank and wins LFC's first corner of the match
9 mins : Gerrard's cross is easily cleared and from the follow-up Insua's delivery is well gathered by Gomes
10 mins : The game is starting to open up.. Palacios' shot deflects for another Spurs corner, but LFC clear comfortably
13 mins : Johnson gives a cameo of what he could offer down the right with a delightful cross that King does well to nod to safety
15 mins : Skrtel is down after an accidental collision with Carra
16 mins : Both defenders are struggling with cuts and play has stopped...
17 mins : Skrtel appears dazed but should be okay. Carra is currently off the field of play getting treatment
18 mins : The game continues and Carra is about to return with a bandaged head
21 mins : Skrtel keeps holding his jaw and a loss of concentration leads to a free-kick to Spurs on the right flank...
22 mins : The delivery is poor but from the resulting throw-in the ball breaks across the area to Lennon who scuffs his shot well wide of the right-hand post
25 mins : First Booking: Aaron Lennon:
26 mins : Skrtel is off the pitch and the medical team are assessing his jaw
27 mins : Skrtel returns to make a great last-ditch tackle on Huddlestone
29 mins : Just coming up to the half hour mark and Gerrard has LFC's best effort of the match so far, drilling a low effort just wide
30 mins : Wonderful save from Reina. Modric picks out Keane with a sensational outside of the foot cross but the Spaniard is there to deny his ex-teammate's header
32 mins : LFC are in the wars today. Masch is down with a rib injury and picks up a yellow card to boot!
32 mins : First Booking: Javier Mascherano:
33 mins : Huddlestone sees his 30 yard free-kick deflect out for a corner
34 mins : Liverpool clear but Spurs come again and Reina is there to once again deny Robbie Keane
35 mins : Defoe glances the corner just wide as the home side continue to turn the screw
38 mins : Gerrard earns some respite for the visitors as his attempted cross goes out for a corner
39 mins : Spurs clear but the Reds remain in the attacking third
40 mins : Palacios surges to the byline and sends over a superb cross that Johnson does brilliantly to head clear
42 mins : Keane skies well over the top after the Reds fail to pick him up on the edge of the area
43 mins : Skrtel brings Palacios crashing to the ground - free-kick to Spurs in a dangerous position 20 yards from goal
44 mins : GOAL! Benoit Assou-Ekotto: Stunning drive into the top corner after Huddlestone's free-kick crashes back off the wall
15:52 GMT : Half Time Reached
16:10 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : LFC restart the match looking to get back on terms
46 mins : A good start from the Reds...corner ball
47 mins : Tottenham clear and Lennon threatens to score a sensational solo goal... Lucas intervenes with a brilliant tackle on the edge of the area
48 mins : The Reds put together their best move of the match with Gerrard firing just wide after neat approach play by Kuyt and Torres
51 mins : First Booking: Martin Skrtel:
53 mins : Reina forced into action again...this time tipping Palacios' thumping strike over the bar
55 mins : Penalty to the Reds. Great play from Johnson
56 mins : Penalty Scored! Steven Gerrard:
58 mins : There's a lively atmosphere in the Lane now. What a great a run by Johnson for the equaliser
59 mins : First Booking: Jamie Carragher:
59 mins : GOAL! Sebastien Bassong: A bullet header from Modric's pinpoint free-kick
62 mins : Gerrard looks to level once again but this time Gomes is alert enough to tip his free-kick over the bar
65 mins : Spurs are looking sharp in possession and Reina is called into action again, gathering Keane's blockbuster at the second attempt
67 mins : First Booking: Benoit Assou-Ekotto:
67 mins : Substitution: Yossi Benayoun for Ryan Babel:
68 mins : Substitution: Peter Crouch for Robbie Keane: An ex-red replaces an ex-red
69 mins : Both Skrtel and Masch have to be at their defensive best to thwart Spurs after Lennon's low cross causes chaos in the area
72 mins : Another great ball in from Johnson is headed just wide by Torres
73 mins : Yossi sends Stevie racing down the left but the Skipper's low cross shot is easily held by Gomes
75 mins : Substitution: Daniel Sanchez Ayala for Martin Skrtel:
78 mins : Yossi jinks inside and fires in a shot that is deflected over the top
79 mins : Substitution: Andriy Voronin for Dirk Kuyt:
81 mins : Great play by Masch. The Argentina skipper fills in for Insua at left back and does well to nullify the rampaging run of Lennon
83 mins : Torres is inches away from firing home Gerrard's teasing cross
84 mins : Substitution: Jamie O'Hara for Luka Modric:
86 mins : Yossi threads it through...Voronin's onto it.. he goes down.. is that penalty? Ref says no.
87 mins : Torres crosses and appeals for a pen after Ekotto appeared to handle. The ref again says no.
89 mins : The Reds need to produce something special if they are to rescue a point now
90 mins : The ref sends Sammy Lee from the dugout. The frustration is clear to everyone
90 mins : Substitution: Roman Pavlyuchenko for Jermain Defoe:
16:58 GMT : Match Over