Skrtel gave Liverpool a 42nd minute lead but after Defoe sent his penalty well wide –
Spurs’ fourth penalty miss of the season –
Skrtel turned Luka Modric’s ball into his own net.
But deep into added time,
Peter Crouch sent Lennon through and the winger raced into the area before beating Pepe Reina with some style.
It was a terrific game,
full of chances, tough tackling and the odd amount of controversy.
And it also meant that every team in the Premier League scored over the weekend,
for the first time in the competition’s history.
It was a quickly fluctuating game full of chances at both ends,
and a game played at pace from the start saw Spurs press early on,
with Aaron Lennon their chief protagonist.
The England winger went on a strong run through the middle,
only to be dispossessed by Jamie Carragher.
And with the game still in its infancy,
Alan Hutton fed Lennon along the right and he cut in before crossing from the byline.
The ball came to Luka Modric and the Croatian could have scored,
but his shot bounced into the grateful arms of Pepe Reina.
Liverpool responded,
in the ninth minute,
when Maxi Rodriguez shot wide from inside the Tottenham area,
when he might have done better.
Sadly for Spurs,
Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart,
rated as doubtful prior to this game,
lasted just 10 minutes when he suffered a recurrence of a hamstring problem in attempting a back heel.
As van der Vaart walked around the perimeter of the pitch he looked dejected, indicating to manager Harry Redknapp that it could be serious.
Liverpool were next to threaten,
with Maxi responding to Fernando Torres’ pass with a right foot drive that was well saved by Heurelho Gomes.
The Brazilian made another impressive stop soon afterwards,
from a Dirk Kuyt volley,
as Liverpool began to offer a greater threat.
Liverpool,
though,
escaped two penalty appeals in quick succession.
Firstly,
Peter Crouch appeared to be barged by Jamie Carragher.
And then Alan Hutton fell at the feel of Meireles.
Both Meireles and Paul Konchesky were booked for halting Gareth Bale before Jermain Defoe,
van der Vaart’s replacement,
had a shot blocked in the goal area by the lunging Carragher.
In the 36th minute Spurs had to make a second change,
with defender Younes Kaboul seemingly injuring his hip and replaced by Sébastien Bassong.
And before the interval Gomes saved from Meireles,
but the manner of it was not convincing,
the ball almost slipping through the goalkeeper’s hand.
Carragher became Liverpool’s third cautioned player,
for fouling Modric.
However,
in the 42nd minute,
Liverpool scored the goal they had been threatening.
Meireles’ free-kick was met by Skrtel and though his initial attempt struck team-mate David Ngog,
the rebound landed kindly and the defender prodded the ball beyond Gomes.
Minutes later Maxi Rodriguez had the chance to add a second but lost control at the vital moment.
And then Torres was put through but Bassong timed his interception to perfection.
And within seconds of the restart,
Ngog fed Torres and his first touch was poor,
Bassong’s challenge allowed Spurs to survive again.
But Spurs were denied in the 52nd minute when Reina’s poor clearance fell to Bale but his well struck effort was headed off the line by Meireles.
Crouch appealed for another penalty when Konchesky barged into the striker, but they did get a sport-kick in the 59th minute.
Bale’s free-kick was fiercely struck by Bale but struck the arms of Ngog. Liverpool complained that the offence was outside the area,
but Defoe’s kick was placed woefully wide.
It was Tottenham’s fourth penalty miss of the season,
following misses by Roman Pavlyuchenko, van der Vaart and Bale.
But Spurs drew level in the 65th minute when Modric drove into the area before his effort was turned into the net by the luckless Skrtel.
Liverpool could have had a 70th minute penalty when Benoît Assou-Ekotto brought down Kirk Kuyt.
In the 81st minute Reina saved well to deny Bale but Meireles almost claimed a late winner with a tremendous shot,
from 30 yards,
which just missed the target.
And before the end Liverpool’s Glen Johnson became their fifth player to be booked – and third for a foul on Bale – before Defoe had a 90th minute goal disallowed for offside.
