Liverpool may have beaten Tottenham on Super Sunday, but Jamie Redknapp feels Brendan Rodgers' side have a way to go before they'll start competing with them on a more consistent basis.
Goals from Luis Suarez, Stewart Downing and a Steven Gerrard penalty were enough to secure a 3-2 home win at Anfield, but Spurs dominated for long spells and enjoyed more possession, passes, shots and corners in the game.
Sky Sports pundit Redknapp was pleased to see Liverpool's home form improving, but felt they benefitted from some Tottenham errors - a miscued pass from Kyle Walker set up the second goal and Jermain Defoe's error led to Benoit Assou-Ekotto giving away a late penalty - and they still have work to do if they are to challenge for the top four next season.
"I still think they have a bit of a distance to go and that showed today," he said.
"Tottenham looked a little bit more powerful at times. At set pieces it looked like there was a little bit more physicality about their play.
"And they had more possession. We hear all about Liverpool's passing game, but they were outplayed at times by Tottenham today, who had more of the ball. It showed they still have a bit of a way to go.
"They've now won more games this season than last season at home and you have to start doing that.
"Anfield should be a fortress. I played here for many years and when you're at Anfield you feel like you've got 12 men with the crowd on your side, but it's something they've found difficult to deal with."
Showdown
The Super Sunday fixture was billed as a showdown between two of the players of the season, Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale, and while the former got on the scoresheet, the latter created both of Tottenham's goals.
But Redknapp was eager to praise Liverpool's team performance - both in the way the contained the threat of the Spurs winger and for giving their own star man the room to shine.
He said: "It helps when you've got players to take the load off Suarez and I think that's why he's finding a bit more space. Teams are not just having to worry about him and are having to worry about Sturridge and Coutinho.
"I was disappointed in Sturridge today, I don't think he did enough for me and Philippe Coutinho showed one or two glimpses of absolute brilliance, certainly for the first goal.
"I thought they did a good job on Bale, probably the best any team has done for a while, and Lucas and Gerrard rattled him at times.
"He still had an influence and made one of the goals with a brilliant cross and the other with a free-kick, but they did as well as anybody has done on Gareth Bale in the last four or five weeks."
The result brought Tottenham's 12-game unbeaten run to an end and with the side still involved in the Europa League Redknapp believes they face a tough task to hold on to a Champions League spot.
But he said they shouldn't be too disappointed with the defeat because they played well for long periods and were let down by mistakes.
He added: "Andre Villas-Boas didn't want to blame anybody, but they were poor individual errors; Defoe and Benoit Assou-Ekotto for the third goal and Kyle Walker for the second.
"On the way home on the coach he'll be thinking they were exceptional at times, but individual errors cost them.
"There are a lot of games and they haven't necessarily got the biggest squad in terms of depth up front and they need Emmanuel Adebayor back to take the weight off Defoe.
"The problem is the games are coming thick and fast whereas Arsenal are just playing Premier League because it looks like they are going to go out of the Champions League against Bayern Munich.
"It's opened up for Arsenal now and has given them a lifeline and they've got to try and win their games, but with the way they're playing at the moment it looks like they can't put a run together either."













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