THE NEW YORK ANFIELDER

What a performance by Jamie Carragher! Indeed, #23 is in a great vein of form at the moment. Carragher put in a titanic performance at the back to ensure that Liverpool escaped White Hart Lane with all three points and a clean sheet. Most followers of the Premiership are aware of Carragher's incredible determination and effort, and he duly displayed those qualities at the back for Liverpool today. Tottenham put Liverpool under increasing pressure during the course of the final half hour, often committing 7 or 8 players into the attack towards the end. At White Hart Lane, most Premiership sides would have cracked under the pressure caused by Defoe's runs and Berbatov's impactful presence. Today, Jamie Carragher threw himself at every dangerous ball into the Liverpool penalty area and ensured that Liverpool fans would not be disappointed with the outcome. Sure, there were nervy moments - Finnan heading against his own post, Hossam Ghaly missing an empty net off a parry by Pepe Reina - but it seems that these are the kind of breaks that team's get when they are finding form.

Player Ratings v. Tottenham:
Pepe Reina - 6.5 - didn't have much to do, but did cause a gasp or 2 when the ball sailed through his hands as he tried to claim a corner
Steve Finnan - 7 - steady contribution, although his one mistake was almost costly
Jamie Carragher - 9 - man of the match. Immense at the back, a number of important blocks.
Daniel Agger - 7 - solid performance, though he has Riise to thank for saving him after Berbatov skinned him and whipped a dangerous ball into the six-yard box. Riise, covering behind Agger, did well to turn the ball out for a corner.
John Arne Riise - 6.5 - I still maintain that Riise performs better in a back 5, but his performance today was satisfactory.
Luis Garcia - 7 - scored the winner, sporadically looked dangerous in attack
Steven Gerrard - 7 - important assist on Luis Garcia's goal, a much better performance than at Blackburn
Xabi Alonso - 7.5 - a number of nice interceptions to break up Tottenham attacks
Fabio Aurelio - 6 - seems to take too long on the ball, doesn't seem completely adjusted to the English pace
Craig Bellamy - 7.5 - until hamstring worry, was creating problems for the Tottenham backline
Dirk Kuyt - 7 - linked well with Bellamy at times, consistent workrate as usual
Jermaine Pennant - 6 - slotted in, but nothing outstanding
Peter Crouch - 6 - solid 27 minutes on the pitch
Mark Gonzalez - 6 - not much time to make an impact

Overall verdict: Good to see Liverpool rebound from the performance at Blackburn with an away win at a normally difficult ground. Few clear cut chances, but finishing proved to be the difference. A number of good performances and one outstanding performance from Jamie Carragher moves us up into the Champions League places ahead of Monday's clash with Bolton Wanderers at Anfield.