Liverpool vs. Tottenham: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez are two of the most prolific strikers in the Premier League, and both proved their worth on Sunday. Unfortunately for Bale, his efforts weren’t enough to outlast Suarez and surging Liverpool in the 3-2 loss.

It took Suarez just 21 minutes to find the net and open a 1-0 lead for Liverpool. He’s been on a tear of late, as pointed out by a Twitter account dedicated to his impressive play:

The 21st-minute goal was the 50th of his career in a Liverpool uniform, and it set the tone for Liverpool in the early going. The Reds looked to be headed for a 1-0 first half, but a beautiful cross from Bale to Jan Vertonghen for a header in the 45th minute brought the score to a tie before the end of the first half of action, as BBC Sport’s Twitter account describes here:

Liverpool played with a lot of intensity in the opening 45 minutes, but the Reds were never able to fully take control of the match. Spurs kept it close enough to ensure the second half would be worth watching.

As if scripted, Bale and Vertonghen picked up where they left off in the early going of the second half. Another Bale cross found its way across Liverpool’s defense and into the Reds’ net courtesy of another header from Vertonghen in the 53rd minute, pulling Spurs ahead with a 2-1 advantage.

Bale just missed a golden scoring opportunity in the 56th minute after beating Steve Gerrard on the right wing. His strike was deflected off the post, though, and Liverpool was able to dodge a bullet that easily could have put the match out of reach, as Spurs’ Twitter account details here:

The following 10-plus minutes of action were controlled by Tottenham, but Liverpool wasn’t finished. In the 66th minute, Vertonghen sullied an otherwise terrific performance in defense of a Stewart Downing right foot that went between his legs and past Hugo Lloris to knot the score at 2-2.

It was a poor pass back to Lloris, but Downing took advantage of the mistake for his third Premier League goal of the season (per Squawka Sports):

"

#Downing now has 3 EPL goals in just 6 shots on target this season for #Liverpool. @squawka_sports

— Squawka Sports (@Squawka_Sports) March 10, 2013"

The tying goal got the Anfield crowd back in the match, and the final 20-plus minutes were full of aggressive football. Neither club was content with settling for a draw, and Liverpool were able to draw blood in the 82nd minute courtesy of Gerrard.

Bale had a chance to immediately tie the score at 3-3 with a free kick from 40 yards, but his attempt fell just above the crossbar, leaving the door open for the Reds to control the fate of the contest.

The Reds staved off Spurs’ attack in the remaining minutes, and Liverpool were able to walk away from a nail-biter with a close 3-2 victory.

Liverpool played well, but Tottenham could have easily pulled away if not for some bad mistakes in the second half of play. Ultimately, the Reds came away the better club with a win to show for it.

Gareth Bale: B+

The Welsh midfielder didn’t find the net in the contest, but his two assists set the tone for Spurs’ surge in the second half of play.

Bale doesn’t typically rack up assists (as Martin Laurence highlights here), but his second and third of the EPL season were a huge boost for Spurs:

Still, Bale’s inability to find the net (especially with his 40th-minute free kick) ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in the match. Perhaps too much is asked of the striker, but he’s having an incredible season, and a lot is expected of him.

Jan Vertonghen: A

Vertonghen deserves a lot of credit for his two goals off the foot of Bale, and he should also be commended for a strong defensive effort all around. He received a lot of praise on Twitter, like this comment from William Sloane:

Bale stole all the pre-match headlines, but it’s Vertonghen who took advantage of a couple beautiful passes from the Welshman. Had he not converted on his opportunities, Liverpool could have easily walked away with a very lopsided victory.

Luis Suarez: A

Suarez’s brilliant 21st-minute goal set the tone for the Reds on Sunday. It was an up-and-down affair, but he got it all started.

The debate between Bale and Suarez will continue regardless of the outcome, but Suarez did enough to keep his club in front and pace the Reds throughout the match.

It was another strong performance from the striker, who is compiling one of the best seasons in the Premier League this season. A huge win over Spurs on Sunday only solidifies his spot as an elite talent in the league.