Liverpool kept the glimmer of European hope alive this weekend, coming out on top after a thrilling contest with Tottenham at Anfield. The Reds, who moved up to 6th place after the win, lost the 1-0 lead given to them by Luis Suarez as surprise scorer Jan Vertonghen struck twice either side of half time from poorly dealt with set pieces. But Tottenham undid their own hard work as they allowed Liverpool to score twice to win 3-2 after one of the most dramatic and entertaining games of the Premier League season. It was Spurs' first defeat in 13 league games, while Liverpool claimed their first victory against a side in the top 7 all season, and only their second against a member of the top 10. Here we look at 5 factors that proved the biggest contributors to an important and memorable win for the reds.
5. Suarez Has His Say
The Pre-match build-up was centred around the two most in-from players in the Premier League: Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez. Each had scored 14 goals in their last 14 games and were in direct competition for player of the year, and the thought of seeing both on the pitch at the same time was too mouth-watering not to be focused on. Here were two of the most exciting, majestic talents in the league, battling it out for individual and collective supremacy for two clubs in outstanding form. Neither disappointed, but it was the Uruguayan who made the decisive contribution in an extremely tight encounter. Suarez, alive from the off, provided the first and the last of the game's crucial moments, first expertly poking in for the opening goal on 21 minutes and finally flicking the ball past Asou-Ekotto with his shoulder to win the vital penalty, with plenty of mischief, wizardry and effort in between. Bale shone too, and provided two assists on the day with two crosses to Jan Vertonghen, although Glen Johnson and then Daniel Agger should have done better with each. The Welshman could have provided a third when he embarked on a lung-busting run through Liverpool's half to set up Gylfi Sigurdsson, who contrived to miss the chance to put Spurs 3-1 up and effectively end the game. Overall, it was Suarez and Liverpool's day, with the Uruguayan tirelessly and effectively working for his team on and off the ball, while Bale was mostly stifled and often looked to shoot from ridiculous distances with options available.