15:35. That's all for today. Thanks for joining me Charlie Malam, and VAVEL UK, with our LIVE match commentary. Check back for all the reaction to that 3-0 victory over Spurs, and make sure you come back for coverage of the Reds' next game against Aston Villa on September 13th. Thanks again, and good bye. 
15:30. So, a good three points for Liverpool and a very positive performance. Plenty of positives to take from that, and though there were a few warning signs - it was a good all-round 3-0 victory away from home. "We're more pleased with the clean sheet than our attacking play" says Steven Gerrard after the game, speaking to Sky Sports. That win means Brendan Rodgers takes 56 wins from his first 100 Liverpool matches, the same amount as Bill Shankly & Rafa Benitez.
15:28. At the back, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren had a few moments - but they kept a much-needed, confidence-boosting clean sheet and Javi Manquillo and Alberto Moreno both coped well on the flanks. The latter in particular, did well and took his goal very well.
15:25. In contrast to Monday night, Liverpool were clinical today and thoroughly deserved their victory. They received a number of yellow cards for silly little fouls, but that won't exactly matter. Mario Balotelli was impressive in his first 45, defending well and getting involved in the final third. He fired five shots on goal, with four off target and he should have scored - but it was a promising debut for the Italian. Continue like that and he'll endear himself to the Kop in no time.
15:23. Over the last three meetings, Liverpool take their aggregate wins to 12-0 over Spurs, as Sky Sports point out. Raheem Sterling's early strike gave them the lead, and Steven Gerrard doubled their lead with a penalty after Eric Dier had pulled down Joe Allen in the box. Alberto Moreno made it three little over ten minutes with a superb run down the left before firing low and hard past Hugo Lloris into the far corner and the Reds saw off Spurs' attacks to claim a first clean sheet in nine games. Happy days for Brendan Rodgers and co.
FT: Tottenham 0-3 Liverpool. A resounding three points for the Reds.
90+3' Pochettino will be disappointed not to have been given a late consolation penalty, but in reality it would have had no effect on the game's outcome.
90+1' Dier fires in to Adebayor, but Sakho clears. There's shouts for shirt pulling, but nothing is given. Lovren certainly had a strong hold of him, and the Reds have been let off the hook there.
90' You'll Never Walk Alone rings around White Hart Lane as Lovren clears the danger inside the box. There'll be 3 minutes added on here.
89' Townsend switches the play but Lamela's pull back is deflected out for a corner by Lamela. Meanwhile, Moreno receives a yellow card for tugging Townsend's shirt moments earlier.
87' The game petering out to an end here, as both sides look to get it over and done with. Spurs are still coming forward, but are struggling to find any joy in the final third.
85' Decent cross from Davies, but Moreno heads clear. Spurs almost score seconds later, when Adebayor is through but Sakho slides in last-ditch to save the day and he's offside anyway. Meanwhile, Sterling makes way for Enrique.
84' Davies wins a throw-in after having his cross blocked, and Spurs are simply struggling to break the Liverpool defence down here. There's too many bodies in front of them, and they haven't got anything creative enough in their locker to get through.
82' Sturridge for the hundredth time today, beats his man but from the attack, his shot is poor after switching from left-to-right.
81' Henderson, even at 3-0 up, fights hard to win back possession and wins a foul for his efforts. The 24-year-old has put in an excellent performance here.
80' It's quitened down a bit now, with the three points looking sealed for the away side. Spurs look down and out, and Coutinho could come on yet.
78' Olés from the visitors as Liverpool frustrate the home team by passing the ball about.
77' In today's other game, Hull City have pulled one back against Aston Villa - who lead 2-11. Back to this game though, Sturridge pulls forward and looks dangerous again but after taking it past one, he can't repeat the feat.
76' Nothing in the final third for Spurs, as they try to engineer an attack but after Chadli pulls past Manquillo and puts the ball into the box - there's one Spurs player and five or six Red shirts for him to aim at and Mignolet comes out to catch his cross.
75' Sterling cuts into the box and looks lively, but just as he edges past Dier, his final product is poor as he prods a tame effort at the near post which Lloris gets down to comfortably.
73' Spurs knit a neat move together and appeal for a penalty after Lovren's tackle in the box, but it was a half-hearted call. Meanwhile, Sterling goes into the box for bringing down Kaboul but the booking was perhaps harsh.
72' Heavy touch by Kaboul and Sterling pounces before finding Henderson on the edge of the area, when he had other options, he decides to shoot and the effort is blocked and falls easily to Lloris.
71' Final change for Liverpool as Ben Davies comes on for Rose.
70' Lovren deals well with a cross and Can picks up the ball before the Reds find themselves through on goal - Sterling superbly ghosts through a number of white shirts in the box, and with the goal at his mercy his finishing is terrible - and he wastes the opportunity to make it 4-0. He should have doubled his tally.
68' The game losing it's tempo a little bit now and Pochettino doesn't look best pleased on the sidelines. Still, the game's definitely not over here at White Hart Lane. Just over 20 minutes left to play.
66' Marković feeds Sterling who tries to find Sturridge, but after Vertonghen's interception, the England striker regains the ball, cuts past him and fires a shot towards the near post which Lloris fumbles out of play. Gerrard delivers in the corner and Lovren rises above the rest but his glanced header flies wide of the goal.
65' Henderson's ball is teasing and after a melee in the box, it falls to Sturridge but his effort is poor and curls out of play for a goal-kick.
64' Liverpool win a corner after looking to counter through Marković and Manquillo. Henderson comes over to deliver it in and receives a rousing applause from the following fans in that corner.
63' Moreno does superbly to see out Townsend, after his overhit ball. Pace, passing, defending and attacking - he's more than made up for his error at City today.
62' Not quite out of the game yet Spurs, but it looks difficult for them to take any points from this now. Liverpool seemed to have switched to a 4-3-3 now, with pace on the wings through Sterling and 20-year-old Serbian Marković.
61' Subs for the Reds - Emre Can on for Allen and Marković replaces debutant Balotelli.
60' An hour in and Liverpool now have a three goal advantage. Moreno does well to win the ball off of Townsend after a poor touch, he runs forward with pace and unleashes a low left-footed effort past Lloris and off the inside of the far post. Magnificent goal for the Spaniard.
60' GOAL! 3-0 Liverpool!
59' Changes for Tottenham - Townsend replaces Eriksen, and Dembele comes on for Bentaleb.
58' Kaboul finds Lamela, but his touch is poor and it goes out of play. The ex-Roma man hasn't been as exciting as in his first two English games so far today.
57' Manquillo does well to intercept a smart ball, as does Moreno on the other flank, until the former Sevilla man hacks away at Lamela's feet and gives away a costless-kick.
56' Eriksen tries a shot from range but Allen closes him to see it out for a corner. They play it short but the Dane's ball from the edge of the area is poor and falls straight into Mignolet's grasp.
55' Good chance as Lovren's tackle is poor, and Spurs almost fashion a chance in the box but Moreno is there to clear the danger. Spurs still looking capable of getting back into this.
53' Balotelli gives away an unneccessary costless-kick after trying to take possession from Lamela. The Argentine whips one in but Dier's header at the first man is poor.
52' Spurs almost take advantage of some slack defending, when a poor back pass gives Chadli the chance to cross but his ball across the six-yard box is cleared by Manquillo. From the throw, they burst into the box and Adebayor wins a corner. Eriksen whips it in but Gerrard gets rid from the near post.
50' Spurs look a little downhearted from conceding that, whereas Liverpool look hungry to go on and increase their lead.
49' Gerrard steps up and strikes the ball into the bottom left and despite Lloris getting a hand to it, it's too powerful and the Reds double their lead.
48' GOAL! 2-0 Liverpool.
48' PENALTY to Liverpool! Sturridge and Balotelli link up but the Italian's ball is underhit. Henderson rescues the ball and seconds later Allen goes down in the box under an outstretched arm from Dier. Gerrard steps up.
47' The Reds win a costless-kick just seconds after the restart, Rose fouling Sterling. Gerrard puts the ball in towards the box but the ball is poor and cleared by the first man.
46' We're back in action. Liverpool kicking from right to left this time around.
14:30. Liverpool are unbeaten in the 60 straight Premier League games when they have been leading at half-time (50 wins, 10 draws). Their last loss after going into the break with the advantage? at Tottenham in November 2010.
14:28. Stats so far: Spurs - Liverpool - Possession: 52%-48%, Shots: 4-8, Chances created: 4-5, Crosses: 7-6, Pass accuracy: 81%-80%.
14:25. Good half overall for the Reds. First things first, Mario Balotelli has shone up front - working hard to track back and help out at the back, whilst also getting involved in a number of attacks. In fact, the Italian could have had a hat-trick by now - but should the chances keep coming, Mario may crown his debut with a goal. Elsewhere, Joe Allen and Steven Gerrard have been poor in the middle, whilst Sakho has also had a few shaky moments at the back. In general, the club's defence has been a bit hot and cold - sometimes appearing strong and sturdy and other times fragile and easily penetrable. There's plenty more to come in this game.
14:20. So, Liverpool still lead through that early Raheem Sterling finish after Henderson and Sturridge's work down the right flank. Tottenham have certainly tested the Reds' defence, with Chadli's powerful effort testing Mignolet but the away side have also had their other chances. There should be more goals in this, and we could just see more in the second half.
HT: Spurs 0-1 Liverpool.
45' Lovren dispossesses Adebayor, until the striker works back to put it out for a throw. Liverpool win a costless-kick after Sterling goes down, but they play it short rather than put it into the box and Eriksen reads it and seizes upon it before losing the ball further down the flank. That looks like it may be that for the first half.
44' Henderson tries to find Sturridge on the inside channel, and forces a corner after a poor clearance. Gerrard fires a low ball to Balotelli after he runs away from his man and he tries to curl one towards goal but it bounces before he shoots and consequently flies over the bar.
42' CLOSE! After Lovren and Sakho get sucked in to a long ball, neither them or Adebayor get to it and it falls to Chadli who is one-on-one, he fires a powerful effort which is firmly palmed out for a corner by Mignolet. Great save, and nothing comes from the corner. Poor communication between the Reds' centre-back pairing though, and they get away with that.
40' Lovren makes a mess of a simple pass before charging back and sliding across Adebayor. Terrific tackle, but Spurs switch play before Eriksen tries to find Adebayor in the area. Henderson is there to head clear. There's definitely mistakes waiting to be pounced on in that visiting back-line though.
39' Great ball by Balotelli takes possession away from pressure and Henderson looks to break but there's too many bodies back and Liverpool have to settle for spraying the ball across the field. Sterling does well to win a foul having lost a tackle against Adebayor.
38' Gerrard however, has been poor. His passing has been noticably bad and his defensive positional sense has sometimes come into question.
37' Really exciting game here. Both sides looking good going forward and a little susceptible at the back, with the flanks playing a huge part. Balotelli has been impressive so far, showing a very good work ethic and Lovren too, has been commanding and marshalling at the back.
35' Henderson picks up the pieces after Lloris' poor pass and he fires a ball to Moreno but his shot is poor and falls back to the midfielder on the other side. The Reds pass with extreme pace and look to revive a move until Bentaleb outmuscles Allen in the box. Phil Dowd goes back to book Manquillo for his poor tackle.
34' Liverpool spray the ball about with confidence in the midfield, toying with a few Spurs players until Rose is axed down by Manquillo, The home side look dangerous until Lovren rises to power a header away. The Croatian has been monumental at the back so far, constantly calming the play.
33' Moreno and Sterling overlap before combining with Sturridge. He probes towards the corner before trying to feed Moreno out wide, but the pass goes out of play. Pochettino not particularly impressed with his side's defence as of yet.
32' Lovren comes high to pick out a pass and the space behinds him could have been exposed if not for a perfectly timed Gerrard sliding tackle that takes possession away from Spurs.
30' Half-an-hour in and the visitors still lead 1-0, but they'll have to remain wary as Dier and Rose both over hit crosses before Balotelli defends well. He gets back to win the ball and hold it up, before chipping Sterling through. Lloris comes out of his box and from 35-yards and an open net gaping, it seems as if the Italian will net his first but his shot is well off target. Nevertheless, Rodgers smiles emphatically in the background - in sheer delight at his defensive work. Great start so far.
29' Rodgers' side haven't got forward in a while but after Allen retrieves possession and plays in Balotelli, his back heel finds Sturridge on the edge of the box who curls an effort towards the inside of the far post but Lloris can get onto the end of it. Promising signs.
28' Liverpool's new look back four soaking up the pressure and playing Rose off successfully. They've used the offside trap well so far.
27' Spurs asking some question of the Reds back four, with Sakho looking as though he's struggling a bit here. The home side have enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure and Rose tries an effort after some smart build-up ply but his right-footed shot flies well, well wide of the goal.
26' Sturridge and Dier entangle before the Liverpool forward wins a throw, but in the centre of the park - Spurs' pressing is too much after Sakho's ill-minded pass to Allen, and the Welsh midfielder is forced to pull back Lamela and earns a yellow.
25' Great play by Henderson to nick possession and play Balotelli down the flank, but Dier recovers to put a crunching tackle through the 24-year-old. Great challenge.
24' Almost close again for Liverpool, as the Reds counter after Capoue's poor touch from a dropping clearance. Sterling finds the ball but with Moreno busting a gut to get into the box, the 19-year-old's through ball is poor and the attack comes to nothing.
23' Fantastic defending from Lovren, to make up for an error from his partner Sakho after Adebayor nearly goes through on goal. The subsequent corner is cleared by Sturridge.
22' Great work from Balotelli to come deep and dispossess a Spurs player, unfortunately the ball doesn't quite bounce for him but Vertonghen's long ball to Adebayor is fruitless with the forward flagged offside.
21' Gerrard hits another pass into the stands, after trying to find Moreno who pushed forward. Disappointing final pass, but they've got plenty of space to take advantage of down the wings.
20' Lovren and Henderson defend well to quell Chadli's threat, but Spurs looking to take advantage of the Reds' hesitancy at the back and it's hard not to see them conceding today.
18' Gerrard's teasing ball tries to find Balotelli down the flank, but the Italian slips and has to settle for a throw-in. Liverpool certainly looking full of verve going forward, in contrast to their performance in the final third against City.
17' Sterling flies down the left, looking lively before he actually outskills himself and loses possession to Dier in the box. Unfortunate for the diminuitive winger.
16' Manquillo dispossesses Rose well and Liverpool burst forward down the other flank. The two Spanish full-backs are looking good here, as Gerrard tries a long ball to Manquillo but it's overhit and goes out of play.
15' It's a good delivery from the Dane but Sturridge is at the near post to flick it away. On the counter, Liverpool do well between Moreno and Sterling until the Spaniard is adjudged to have brought Rose down. Harsh call.
14' Balotelli certainly causing problems here, particularly from the air and he's also looking lively with the pressing too. Up the other end, Dier wins a corner and Eriksen will have a second attempt at trying to conjure something up.
12' Liverpool win a costless-kick after Dier brings down Sturridge on the flank, pulling his shirt. Good opportunity for Gerrard to deliver a ball in, and it's almost inch-perfect as it falls to Balotelli - he directs a header towards goal but it goes wide of the post.
11' It's nearly two! Out of nothing, Sterling wriggles between a few white shirts before feeding Sturridge who deceives Rose, pulls onto his left and fires a curling effort from range but it goes wide of the post.
9' Liverpool defending suspiciously so far here, with Spurs looking fully capable of taking them apart. Saying that, Balotelli, Sturridge and Sterling look like a frightening front trio for the Reds.
8' Close for the home side! After a lovely through ball, Adebayor races through one-on-one and the Togo striker tries to lift an effort over the outcoming Mignolet but his effort can only find the top of the net.
8' Spurs enjoying the lion's share of the possession here but the Reds looking dangerous on the counter. Henderson recovers possession, links well with Sturridge in the box before the midfielder crosses to Sterling at the far post who slots coolly past Lloris to give the away side the lead. Fantastic goal.
7' GOAL! Liverpool 1-0.
6' It's crossed in by Eriksen and Chadli meets it but his flick across the box is unmet. Spurs recover possession, and look dangerous coming forward so far here.
6' Great play by Spurs, until Moreno races in to flick the ball out of play. Eriksen almost raced away down the flank there had it not been for the Spaniard's pace at coming across to cover. The home side continue to probe, with Dier forcing a corner out of Gerrard.
5' Balotelli wins a costless-kick after Rose hauls him down. Gerrard whips in towards the box, and it's a great delivery but Capoue beats it away.
4' Mignolet races off his line to latch onto a Lamela ball, but he thwarts the pass before Chadli can get onto the end of it.
3' CLOSE! Sturridge fires a cross into the box and Balotelli rises to head towards goal, but Lloris gets down to it and the follow-up shot goes wide. Almost got off to the perfect start there.
3' Balotelli's first pass is poor, gifting possession to Adebayor and Liverpool recover until Mignolet's wayward kick gies it away. Both teams finding their feet still.
2' Kaboul launches a ball forward which Mignolet easily gathers. The Belgian fires a long ball towards Balotelli, but he can't get a head on the end of it. Seconds later, Manquillo intercepts a loose Chadli ball with some smart defending.
1' The game has begun. Spurs get us started, with Liverpool kicking from right to left.
13:28. Stay tuned as the match gets underway in just a few minutes. as Liverpool take on Tottenham live from White Hart Lane in the Barclays Premier League.
13:25. The players are on their way out of the tunnel. Kick-off is closing in now. Mario, in typical fashion, misses the walk-out and comes out late.
13:21. Pochettino says he expects a tough game and that today is a challenge for his team. He hails Balotelli as one of the best in the world and says his return is good for the Premier League, but seemed unfazed when asked about Spurs against Liverpool last season. Can he be the right manager to restore the Lilywhites to the form they enjoyed a few years back?
13:18. It has been confirmed that Soldado's absence is down to a neck and back issue, while Kyle Walker and Michel Vorm are also out through injury.
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13:15. Ahead of the game, Poch has insisted his side will approach the encounter as they have any other. "For me, all games are a big a test. It is true that Liverpool were second last season and they have invested a lot of money on buying different players. Yes, it is a big test but we need to put in place a mentality to get three points. We need this mentality for Sunday like we had in the last games."
13:13. No Federico Fazio for Spurs today. He has been brought in to replace Michael Dawson, who has moved to Hull City, but has not been brought into the squad with Pochettino seemingly deeming today not the right game to hand him a debut.
13:10. Some more stats - Liverpool have lost back to back league games only once under Rodgers - City away, Chelsea away (December 2013). Is that a good omen? Who knows, but it's a huge game for the Reds today - and they won't be keen to see a repeat of that.
13:08. “I think he [Mario] has learnt a lot from his mistakes and now he is another guy,” he said.“Balotelli is a good footballer and a good finisher. And if he has changed like he says he has, he will be a bonus for them this season.”
13:06. "You can’t stop a thief from stealing a wallet and you can’t stop Balotelli from doing something crazy. That’s Mario, he always believes 100 per cent in what he says or does, no matter how crazy it is"
13:03. Adebayor has been having his say about Balotelli before the game. The Spurs striker and ex-teammate of the Italian at City believes that despite the Italian’s wild side, he can be a real asset for the Reds this season.
13:00. Half-an-hour until kick-off now. What are your predictions for today's game? Have your say in the comment box below.
12:55. Interesting stats - Brendan Rodgers' side haven't kept a clean sheet in their last 8 Premier League games, but haven't conceded a goal versus Spurs in 227 minutes. Liverpool's last clean sheet came way way back on March 30, against Tottenham.
Liverpool Spurs Live
12:52. Liverpool's back line also arouses both some concern and anticipation. They're a new-look back four, but are they the right combination to cut out the silly individual mistakes that the Reds have suffered from over the past few months?
12:47. Kick-off closing in now. Balotelli makes his first appearance for his new club alongside Sturridge, will the pair be as successful as Suarez and Sturridge last season?
12:45. Meanwhile, no changes from Pochettino. The same side that took QPR apart last week, but no Roberto Soldado on the bench - as Andros Townsend replaces him. Also no Aaron Lennon in the Spurs squad.
12:42. Experimental team from Brendan Rodgers, a new-look back four who have never played together - with none of them being at the club longer than 12 months. Mario Balotelli is handed a debut, but Adam Lallana doesn't make the bench. Philippe Coutinho drops to the bench.
12:39. Spurs Bench: Friedel, Chiriches, Davies, Dembele, Holtby, Townsend, Kane.
12:38. Liverpool Bench: Jones, Touré, Enrique, Coutinho, Can, Marković, Lambert.
12:36. The benches are also in.
12:35. Spurs XI: Lloris; Dier, Kaboul (c), Vertonghen, Rose; Capoue, Bentaleb; Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli; Adebayor.
12:34. Liverpool XI: Mignolet; Moreno, Sakho, Lovren, Manquillo; Gerrard (c); Henderson, Allen; Sterling; Sturridge, Balotelli.
12:32. The line ups are in!
12:30. We're just an hour away from kick-off now. Stay tuned for more match build-up and live match commentary.
12:28. Rumours suggest that Liverpool fans may see the eagerly-awaited defensive line-up of Alberto Moreno, Mamadou Sakho, Dejan Lovren and Javier Manquillo after it was revealed Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel may spend some time out of action after sustaining injuries against City last week.
12:27. Talking of Pochettino's former players - Adam Lallana returns to the Liverpool bench today, having been on the sidelines due to an injury picked up in pre-season. We'll have the full line-ups for you shortly.
Liverpool - Tottenham Hotspur Live Inline
12:25. Pochettino himself, has welcomed a number of fresh faces to White Hart Lane. Most recently, Tottenham signed defender Federico Fazio from Sevilla on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee. He follows Swansea pair Ben Davies and Michel Vorm and defender Eric Dier from Sporting Lisbon, with Montpellier midfielder Benjamin Stambouli soon set to join them. Spurs have also confirmed the signing of defender DeAndre Yedlin from Seattle Sounders on a four-year contract. The young right-back, who impressed at the World Cup with the USA will stay with MLS club Seattle until the start of the 2015-16 season before moving to London.
12:24. Pochettino, ahead of today's game, has said: "Liverpool are a very good team and fast on the offensive. We need to be careful." The Argentine also spoke about some of his old players at Southampton, who have made the switched to Anfield this summer. "Ricky [Lambert], Adam [Lallana] and Dejan [Lovren] are unbelievable players. Liverpool were right to sign this type of player."
Liverpool - Tottenham Hotspur Live Inline
12:22. Under Pochettino, the North London club have began to adopt a similar tactics and playing style to the way that Southampton played under him last season. Pace, pressing and attacking football has seen the likes of Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen really begin to flourish under his leadership.
12:20. Mauricio Pochettino, new Spurs boss, has led his new side to two victories so far. A late Eric Dier strike against West Ham saw them take the three points in the last few moments on the opening day, before they thrashed promoted QPR 4-0 at home last weekend - with Nacer Chadli (x2), Dier and Emmanuel Adebayor helping themselves to goals. Not to mention, their two victories over AEL Limassol in the Europa League, beating them 2-1 away and 3-0 at home to progress to the groups.
12:18. This is Brendan Rodgers's 100th match in charge of Liverpool in all competitions - victory on Sunday would match Bill Shankly and Rafa Benitez's records of 56 victories in their first 100 fixtures, Only Kenny Dalglish (62) has won more. Will they take the three points, or will they fall victim to a rejuvenated Spurs?
12:15. Speaking of the club's group draw, Steven Gerrard has said: "It's a tough group and there are some tough games in there, but it's an exciting group and certainly a group that we can progress from. That's the key. The first challenge is to get out of the group. We welcome the champions to Anfield and that will be a special occasion. But over the six games, we can accumulate enough points to get out of the group. I've got confidence and belief in the team."
12:13. That game will come a week after Liverpool mark their return to Europe's elite with an opening Champions League game at home to Ludogorets on September 16th.
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12:11. It was also revealed the other night that Liverpool will take on Derby's league rivals Middlesborough in the Capital One Cup third round, with the Reds drawing the Championship side at home - where they will face Boro on Tuesday 23rd of September.
12:09. McClaren added: "Jordon is someone who we've been aware of for quite a while and have been impressed whenever we've seen him in action. He has a lot of potential and we believe that we can help his career development."
12:06. Rams head coach Steve McClaren said: "He is a direct player with plenty of ability and he will certainly strengthen the attacking options. We're delighted that Liverpool have again chosen to loan us one of their promising young players."
12:03. In other Liverpool news, Derby County have signed Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe on a season-long loan. The 18-year-old joined the Reds from Wycombe in January 2012 and has made three first-team appearances, but has gone out for a second successive loan spell after joining Birmingham City for the end of the 2013-14 season.
11:57. "I’m looking forward to seeing what reaction he gets from the Liverpool supporters because, for me, they’re the best in the world. Suarez has gone now so Mario and Daniel [Sturridge] have got to keep that tradition going. That is the position the fans cling on to. If they start well and start scoring goals, there is a massive army waiting to show them so much adulation." the 34-year-old defiantly claimed.
11:54. "He has certainly got the talent to keep the trend going at Liverpool for top front men" said Gerrard. "You go back and there [Roger] Hunt, [Kevin] Keegan and John [Toshack], on to Dalglish, Rush and Fowler, [Michael] Owen, [Fernando] and Suarez. All the names are there. I hope he goes for it because it will be the making of him. I have told him that. It was the first conversation I had with him. This is his chance. It's down to Mario now. We will back him and work as hard as we can for him and he has got to do the same for us."
11:53. Going back to the Balotelli move, which was dominated headlines recently, Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has spoke of his hope to see the Italian become a star at Anfield. "The support is waiting to get behind him [Balotelli] and push him and it’s all about whether he wants it or not. I believe he’s capable."
11:51. Recently, Liverpool have also seen the departure of Daniel Agger. The experienced Dane has gone to his homeland with an emotional return to Brondby in a cut-price £3 million deal. Despite offers from bigger clubs, Agger turned them down out of respect for the Reds and decided to move back to the Danish Superliga side where he grew up. The 29-year-old centre-back will be sorely missed at Anfield.
11:50. Brendan Rodgers' men have also found out their 2014-15 Champions League Group Stage opposition - they will face Real Madrid, FC Basel and Razgrad Ludogorets in Group B. You can read more about their Group Stage opposition and how Liverpool might fare against by clicking on the link here: https://www.vavel.com/en/football/premier-league/liverpool-fc/385591-champions-league-group-stage-how-will-liverpool-fare.html.
11:49. The Ulsterman continued: "He will make mistakes, but so will everyone else. He’s got wonderful charisma, a presence on the field and a great touch. When I brought Fabio Borini to Swansea he told me Mario, a team-mate from Italy Under-21s, was the best player he had ever come across. He’s a genuine world-class talent, and when you look at some of the other valuations at the moment £16m is an absolute steal. Of course, there are other aspects to the package apart from his ability, but that’s where I have to try and do my work."
11:48. Recently, the Liverpool boss has been speaking of his excitement of being able to manage the troublesome striker. "It is a challenge, and I relish it," Rodgers said. "My eyes were totally wide open when I went for the player. I knew there would be loads of questions but I also knew I could knock them away. Just as with Luis Suárez, Mario will play wherever he is asked to play, and that will be wherever the team needs him. We just need to keep things simple and take away all the background noise that surrounds him. He might have been over-indulged in the past, but he wouldn’t be the only one. You see the same with British kids too, you can give players too much too early. The difference with Mario is that he’s a proven talent. He’s got a winning mentality. He has scored goals at the highest level and already won quite a lot."
11:47. Balotelli has brought quite an excitement with his arrival, with fans confident that Rodgers can coax the 24-year-old's potential out of him. Balotelli could make his debut for the Reds today, after Rodgers revealed he is in peak fitness, and he will be hoping the Italian can help boost the club after two wholly underwhelming performances so far this season.
11:46. This week, the Reds started with the announcement the signing of Mario Balotelli in a £16 million agreement with AC Milan. The Italian forward will add depth to the ranks with Rickie Lambert, Daniel Sturridge and perhaps even Fabio Borini, Rodgers' previous only available options for the upcoming season.
11:45. It's been a busy week for the Reds, with today also marking the deadline day of the 2014 transfer window. You can follow it all live from VAVEL, with coverage beginning at 12:00GMT and finishing at 23:00GMT.
11:44. Earlier the same season, in the last meeting at White Hart Lane, Liverpool humiliated Spurs once more, as they won 5-0. Suarez opened the scoring, rounding off Henderson's hard work with a good finish. The industrious midfielder scored himself, finishing after Coutinho had hit the woodwork. Paulinho was then sent off for a high kick on Suarez before goals from Jon Flanagan and two late strikes from the Uruguayan and Raheem Sterling completed the scoring in what was a night to remember for the Reds. You can see highlights of that game here:
11:42. Back to today's two teams though, the last time they met - Liverpool won 4-0 as they embarked on a hunt for the title. A second-minute Younes Kaboul own goal, following Glen Johnson's low cross, put the Reds on course for an eighth successive league victory. Not long later, Luis Suarez magnificently made it 2-0 after Michael Dawson's error, and the Uruguayan then had a header pushed onto the post when it had looked to be 3-0. It was Philippe Coutinho who added a third goal from 25 yards after Jon Flanagan's superb roulette turn and Jordan Henderson's low costless-kick sealed the rout as the Reds outclassed their opposition. You can see highlights of that win here:
11:40. In other results, Crystal Palace's 95th minute dramatic equaliser earned them a point in a 3-3 thriller at St James' Park against Newcastle United, whilst Swansea thrashed West Brom 3-0, QPR earned their first points with a 1-0 win over Sunderland and Southampton came from behind to beat West Ham 3-1 at Upton Park.
11:38. Yesterday's results were quite good in terms of how they help Liverpool, even so early on in the campaign, as Manchester City surprisingly lost 1-0 at home to Stoke City and Manchester United drew 0-0 with Burnley, and Chelsea beat Everton 6-3 at Goodison.
11:36. Elsewhere, the Premier League table currently looks like this after yesterday's results:
11:35. Spurs latest result, was a comfortable 4-0 win over Queens Park Rangers. You can see the highlights of that here:
11:34. You can look the highlights from last Monday's game against City here:
11:32. This is the Reds' third Premier League game of the season, after they kicked off the campaign against Southampton on the opening day - winning 2-1, before losing 3-1 away at Manchester City - where they put in a disappointing performance. The Reds' defeat at the Etihad was their first loss away from home in the Premier League in 2014 (W7, D2).
11:30. Hello and welcome to VAVEL's LIVE coverage of Liverpool's third Barclays Premier League game of the season as they visit White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham Hotspur. Stay tuned for live match commentary from myself, Charlie Malam, on VAVEL UK. Kick-off is in two hours time.