Mario Balotelli's first Premier League goal for Liverpool, that won them the match, could not have come at a better time in the context of earning a place in next season's Champions League. Liverpool twice led leads slip, before the Italian international, on a substitute for Daniel Sturridge netted the winner with seven minutes remaining.
Young Serbian international Lazar Markovic, 20, who joined Liverpool last year, gave the home team an early lead in the 15th minute. However, in-form England prospect Harry Kane, 21, cancelled out the early advantage, as he bore down on goal to level the score in the 26th minute.
This was Kane's 23rd goal of the season; his growing form and confidence places him now as the top 2015 scorer across the top five European Leagues, together with Lionel Messi.
The Reds regained the lead only seven minutes after the interval, when Sturridge was felled by Danny Rose, 24, inside the penalty area. Steven Gerrard, 34, converted a penalty and restored the led for Liverpool, but Spurs didn't waste any time in responding in the form of Mousa Dembele, who bundled in from almost the goal-line from Harry Kane's cross, after Mignolet had done well to parry Christian Eriksen's free-kick. The Belgian midfielder equalised for Spurs once more in the 61st minute.
Both sides made changes, after players were beginning to tire, but it was Liverpool boss' Brendan Rodgers introduction of the 24 year-old ex-AC Milan striker, Mario Balotelli, that made the telling difference as he was on target to poke home a Adam Lallana cross across the "corridor of death" for his first league goal for Liverpool, which lifted the Merseysider's quest for a Champions League place.
The Italian striker has been seen as a £16 misfit at Liverpool this season, with thirteen games in to a Premier League and no goals. But his final contribution last night may just be the one his club needed right now. The Reds have halted Spurs' recent resurgence and are only one point behind them and three behind fourth-placed Arsenal.
