Tottenham 1, Liverpool 1: Reds Draw Level At White Hart Lane

Tottenham 1 Rose 71'
Liverpool 1 Milner 43' (pen)

When the fixture list came out and Liverpool fans saw three away games -- two in north London -- four points would have seemed a fair result. It's unlikely anyone would have guessed Liverpool would beat Arsenal, draw with Spurs, and lose to newly-promoted Burnley, but that's how it's shaken out.

The encouraging thing is that Liverpool has looked the best team on the pitch for most of the 270 minutes of league action that they've played, despite the less-than-ideal points tally, and that continued today. Liverpool were lively from the start, with Sadio Mané injecting a verve into the Reds' attack that was frustratingly lacking against Burnley.

The game set a frenetic pace in the first ten minutes, with both teams going end to end. Coutinho missed a sitter in the opening moments of the game, the first save in a big match for Michel Vorm, who singlehandedly kept Spurs in the game for most of the first half. Mignolet returned the favor minutes later when he saved a tricky freekick by Christian Eriksen.

Liverpool's defense was more solid than it had been all season. Joel Matip made his league debut for the team and looked a definite improvement to their back line. He also should have earned Liverpool a penalty after getting fouled in the box during a Liverpool corner.

The team came out pressing hard, trying to take advantage of Spurs' high defensive line, and they did well in all but the final product. Mané, Coutinho, and Firmino combined well, and Coutinho had several close calls that had Liverpool fans grinding their teeth at the injustice of it all, but still bode well for the future. Spurs were on the back foot for long stretches, with Vorm the only reason Liverpool weren't two or three up by half time.

Finally, Liverpool's break through came in the 43rd minute. Firmino was tripped in the box by Erik Lamela. James Milner converted the penalty, sending Vorm the wrong way, to put Liverpool ahead at the half.

Spurs came out in the second half looking better, keeping more possession, but had few chances. Liverpool, on the other hand, nearly expanded their lead when Matip smashed a header into the crossbar. Later, Mané was unlucky to have a fantastic counterattacking goal, set up with a great interplay between him and Lallana, incorrectly called offside.

They would come to regret these near misses in the 71st minute when Erik Lamela headed an excellent pass over the heads of two Liverpool defenders straight to Danny Rose, who tucked it into the bottom left hand corner.

That goal would prove definitive and enough to steal two points from Liverpool. Both sides seemed to lose steam at the end, though there were a few decent efforts in the last fifteen minutes from both sides, most notably Wijnaldum's shot that went careening off of Alderwield’s upper body and into Vorm's arms.

In the end, Liverpool will take one point with them after this match and four points out of nine from their first three games. It's back to Anfield after the international break, when they take on the titleholders for their home opener.