New Delhi: Spurs have done it again - beaten Liverpool at the Lane, and this time with real conviction. They ripped the Reds apart in the first-half of a pulsating Carling Cup tie, eventually winning 4-2 to maintain Harry Redknapp's unbeaten record as Tottenham boss.
It is only 18 days since Harry Redknapp took over at Tottenham, and 11 since the remarkable revival he wrought saw Spurs come from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at White Hart Lane in the Premier League.
On Wednesday night the same opponents visited the Lane in the Carling Cup, but any thoughts they had of exacting revenge for their only defeat of the season were blown away in six sensational minutes at the end of the first-half as Harry's Hotspurs scored three times against some uncharacteristically flimsy 'defending' from Liverpool's back-four.
True, it was a somewhat makeshift-looking Reds team - manager Rafael Benitez made 10 changes from the side that beat West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, with Daniel Agger the only man who kept his place.
Fernando Torres started after his hamstring injury, taking his place in a starting line-up that featured no English players. (And we thought Arsene Wenger was the anti-Christ).
As for Redknapp, he brought Roman Pavlyuchenko and Frazier Campbell in to lead the line, and rested Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate, David Bentley, Jermaine Jenas, Luka Modric and Darren Bent. But his line-up played with verve and panache, and Pavlyuchenko and Campbell terrorised the Liverpool rearguard.
Early on, Aaron Lennon created half-a-yard to get in a cross from the right that was just too high for Pavlyuchenko, whose header flew away from goal.
For the first-half hour Tottenham were winning nearly all of the individual battles, and Liverpool just hadn't got going; too many in red shirts seemed unwilling or unable to grasp their first-team opportunity.
Yet for all Tottenham's good football, they had no reward to show for it - until, on 37 minutes, they took a deserved lead.
Campbell, on loan from Manchester United, sprinted on to a ball down the left and got to the byline before pulling the ball back to the edge of the six-yard area for Pavlyuchenko to sweep it through the legs of Liverpool keeper Diego Cavalieri.
Ryan Babel was yellow-carded for a show of dissent and Pavlyuchenko followed him into the book for an unnecessary late challenge on Daniel Agger by the touchline.
Spurs doubled their lead thanks to a comical mix-up as Brazilian Cavalieri came to collect a high Jamie O'Hara ball into the Liverpool area but, as Campbell chested the ball down, the keeper took both himself and Andrea Dossena out, leaving Campbell to roll the ball into the empty net. The young United striker was booked for celebrating with the crowd.
But he hardly cared as the mayhem continued with a third goal in six minutes, Campbell netting his second when O'Hara cut the ball back to Lennon on the left, whose cross eluded the entire, shambolic Liverpool defence, leaving the unmarked Campbell to head home.
Benitez presumably had a few points to make to his players at half-time, and early in the second-half the Reds wiped the smiles off a few Tottenham faces by capitalising on the trepidation of Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes at corners. The Brazilian only half-came for Babel's flag kick, got stranded in no-man's-land and saw Damien Plessis head home.
Three minutes later, though, Spurs re-established their three-goal lead. Didier Zokora stormed down the left wing at pace and sent in a cross that was deflected by Sami Hyypia into the path of Pavlyuchenko, who had the easiest of tasks to slot the ball into the net.
Another three minutes and there was Campbell heading the ball against the post, though he was flagged offside. Benitez responded by taking off top striker Torres for Emiliano Insua.
However, Gomes hadn't finished yet - and as Babel swung over another corner from the left, he again showed how not to deal with a cross, allowing Hyypia to climb high to head home for 4-2.
Five minutes later the hapless Gomes was in the thick of it again, this time showing great bravery as he raced from his line to dive low and deny Philipp Degen, taking a boot in the face as the pair collided. He needed a lot of treatment on the pitch before being stretchered off it. Cesar came on in his place for his first Spurs appearance.
The emerging potency of the Campbell - Pavlyuchenko partnership was underlined again when Campbell played the Russian through, and his shot was beaten away by Cavalieri.
Liverpool had a good shout for a penalty when Degen went down under Gareth Bale's challenge in the Spurs area, but referee Mike Riley wasn't having any of it.
Darren Bent came on for Campbell, who left the pitch to a standing ovation.
So holders Spurs march on, and Benitez is left to ponder the concept of strength in depth.
Tottenham: Gomes, Hutton, Dawson, Corluka, Bale, Lennon, Zokora, Huddlestone, O'Hara, Pavlyuchenko, Campbell. Subs: Cesar, Bentley, Bent, Modric, Gunter, Boateng, Rocha.
Liverpool: Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Agger, Degen, Babel, Leiva Lucas, Ngog, Plessis, Torres, El Zhar. Subs: Gulacsi, Riera, Alonso, Benayoun, Insua, Carragher, Darby.
Referee: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).
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