Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Rating Liverpool's Players in Monday's EPL Draw

A match that was expected by many (including me) to be full of excitement ended in a rather dull 0-0 draw.

To be fair, both sides had chances to win the game, particularly in the last 10 minutes, but in the end both teams took their chances poorly and were unable to provide themselves with the necessary breakthrough goal.

Here we'll be rating the Liverpool players' performances in their EPL draw with Tottenham.

GK: Pepe Reina

In most 0-0 draws, the standout players are usually the goalkeepers. This game was no different.

Though Pepe Reina had little to deal with—and definitely less than his counterpart Brad Friedel—he did play Gareth Bale well when the Welshman was clear on goal, and his block saved Liverpool from what would've been a very cruel loss.

Reina Was a reliable presence, keeping another clean sheet and collecting dangerous crosses from the air without too much difficulty.

Rating: 7.5/10

LB: Glen Johnson

Although many Liverpool fans feared that Gareth Bale might torment Glen Johnson down Tottenham's left flank, Kenny Dalglish's decision to move Glen Johnson to left back for this game paid off as the England international kept Kyle Walker in his back-pocket for most of the game.

Glen Johnson also contributed on the offensive end, as he often found himself in Tottenham's half of the field.

He did not put in too many crosses though, and his direct contributions to Liverpool's offense were few and far between.

Rating: 7/10

RB: Martin Kelly

Liverpool fans got their wish with Martin Kelly at right back, and as expected Gareth Bale didn't seem to pose too much of a threat down the left-hand side. 

Martin Kelly's offensive contribution was much greater than Glen Johnson's, and the young Englishman provided a number of crosses throughout the game.

Though his crosses were of a higher quality than those provided by the likes of Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing, they were still lacking, and few (if any) found their intended target. Kenny Dalglish really needs to practice crossing with his team after the poor crossing exhibited in this game.

Rating: 7/10

CB: Daniel Agger

Daniel Agger kept Emmanuel Adebayor and later Louis Saha from ever posing a threat to Liverpool's goal, but in truth he didn't have much to do.

Tottenham's three shots on goal indicates the lack-of-cutting edge that Spurs had today, meaning that Daniel Agger's defensive responsibilities were limited.

As with the majority of his team, Daniel Agger didn't really have any notable moments on offense in this game.

Rating: 7/10

CB: Martin Skrtel

Alongside Agger, Skrtel kept Emmanuel Adebayor far away from Liverpool's goal. Although to be fair, the Togolese striker probably wouldn't have gotten very close even if Wigan's center-backs were defending him, based on the way he was playing today.

The only time Martin Skrtel really became relevant in this game was when his tackle on Gareth Bale earned him a yellow card. Otherwise, he quietly went about his business, recording another clean sheet for his team.

Rating: 7/10

RM: Dirk Kuyt

Dirk Kuyt was fairly absent from this game with the exception of the header he took while being offside.

He put in a typically industrious performance, and kept Benoit Assou-Ekotto well-shackled, but this was a game where Liverpool need more creativity and less industry. Kuyt simply could not produce before being subbed off in the 66th minute.

Rating: 6/10

LM: Craig Bellamy

Craig Bellamy should not have been playing as left midfielder, and I have no idea why he was not given a more advanced role after performing so well as a striker or strike-winger in previous games.

His presence was hardly felt throughout the match as Kyle Walker muted his influence on the match. One of the few times I noticed that he was actually on the pitch was when Emmanuel Adebayor accidentally knocked him down, but otherwise, he contributions to the team effort were minuscule.

Rating: 6/10

CDM: Jay Spearing

This picture should sum up how Jay Spearing feels about this game.

The young Liverpudlian worked hard as always, but his passing was especially poor today. On multiple occasions it was his pass which brought a good spell of possession and pressure from Liverpool to an end, and his crosses to Andy Carroll were badly off-target.

His one notable moment in the game was when he took a powerful shot off a pass from Steven Gerrard, but it only barely missed the goal. It would've redeemed what otherwise was not a good performance, but alas it was not to be.

Rating: 5.5/10

CM: Charlie Adam

Despite the faith shown in him by Kenny Dalglish of starting him in almost every single Liverpool match, Charlie Adam has been hot-and-cold all season long, and today was definitely one of his colder games.

Against Tottenham, Charlie Adam's passing was decent, but his crosses were poor time and time again.

Along with the rest of his team, Adam simply could not deliver the killer pass his teammates to score, and his influence was limited throughout the match.

Rating: 6/10

CM: Steven Gerrard

On a night when Liverpool just seemed unable to feed unable to produce any quality from the wings or midfield, Steven Gerrard was The Reds' best performer and one of its few players who performed decently throughout the game.

Despite seeming a tad rusty, Steven Gerrard's crosses and passes were of a much higher class than his teammates'.

He found Dirk Kuyt from deep for a goal-scoring opportunity which Kuyt missed (and was already offsides for). Later in the game an excellent cross from him found Andy Carroll, who flicked the ball to Luis Suarez for a good goal-scoring opportunity which was blocked by Ledley King.

It was unfortunate that Gerrard's free kick from close range was not at his typically high standard, but otherwise he had a pretty solid individual game that simply was not supported by his teammates.

Rating: 7/10

CF: Andy Carroll

You know what, I'm going to say it: This was a good game from Andy Carroll. He didn't get on the scoresheet, but that was more his teammates' faults than his.

He worked hard, kept himself active, and wasn't too bad with the ball at his feet. He missed a good chance later in the game to open the scoring, but it was not an easy opportunity and it's hard to fault Carroll for not finding the back of the net in this one.

If there's someone to blame in this game for his lack of scoring, it's his teammates, not him. Carroll very much looked like he was a strong, potential match-winner. Without a doubt, he'll be scoring again soon if he keeps working hard like he did today, and if Liverpool's crossing finally improves.

Rating: 7/10

Bench: Luis Suarez, Stewart Downing

Stewart Downing: Poor cameo from the ex-Aston Villa man. Can't think of a significant contribution he made in his 17 or so minutes on the pitch. 5.5/10

Luis Suarez: The rust from being out of the game for nine games was apparent. He had one good opportunity and another great one to win the game, but could convert neither one. Not lucky nor on his best form today, but he did change the trajectory of the game for Liverpool. 6.5/10