The first half: Was, for the most part, rather "meh." A Tottenham side without manager Harry Redknapp (flight problems) and several key men (Jermain Defoe, Rafael Van der Vaart, Younes Kaboul and Aaron Lennon were all injured) seemed rather flat in the opening moments, but Liverpool weren't much better. The significant moment of the half came eleven minutes in, when an unexpected visitor made what was ultimately the best run of the contest. A confused cat ran down the field and into goalkeeper Brad Friedel's six yard box. After choosing to avoid the net (as did most Liverpool players on this evening), the cat finally made its way to the sideline before being gently scooped up by a steward. The rest of the half mostly featured both sides canceling each other out, and up to three individuals starting "Liverpool/Anfield Cat" accounts on Twitter. One of the accounts actually got a shout-out from the TV commentary crew during the second half. Yeah, it was that kind of game.
The game changed: When Luis Suarez, making his return to Liverpool after an eight-game ban, took the pitch in the 66th minute. What was an unspectacular performance from both teams up until that point turned into Tottenham dropping back into defense in a desperate attempt to earn just a point. Michael Dawson was heroic throughout the match, making a goal-saving tackle in the first half, and then clearing several dangerous attacks from the penalty area during the final half hour of play. Dawson was my Spurs man of the match for this game, continuing the solid play we've seen from the defender since the start of the new year.
9 out of 10: Nine times out of ten, Gareth Bale scores in the scenario we saw unfold in the 85th minute. An over the top ball from Niko Kranjcar found Bale, who stayed onside before beginning a run that found him one-on-one against goalkeeper Pepe Reina. Bale made his way into the left half of the penalty area, and then sent a rather light left-footed attempt directly at the legs of the 'keeper. While Reina did well to stop the shot, Bale certainly should have done better. Bale had himself an off night at Anfield, although getting kicked in the legs three times in a little over an hour will have that effect on a player.
What it means: Spurs remain third in the EPL table, five points behind Manchester United and seven points behind Manchester City. Tottenham are again seven points clear of Chelsea. Liverpool, currently seventh, trail Chelsea by four points.
Overall: It's always somewhat of a shame when football matches nationally televised in the States are somewhat of a yawner. While the final ten minutes were exciting once the game opened up, the rest of the match was, outside of the cat incident, mostly missable. I disagreed with analysts who, before kickoff, claimed Spurs needed a win. A draw was always a perfectly acceptable result for a Spurs side looking to at least remain in the top three up through the spring. Considering all that Tottenham were without on Monday, I'll gladly take the point and move on to Saturday's match against Newcastle at White Hart Lane.
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