Liverpool closed the gap to the top four in the Premier League table to three points this evening courtesy of a dramatic 3-2 victory over Champions League rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

The hosts broke the deadlock through Lazar Markovic but found themselves level at half time after Harry Kane had netted his 23rd goal of the season to restore parity.

Steven Gerrard's penalty was then cancelled out by a Mousa Dembele strike, before Mario Balotelli came off the bench to score the winning goal - his first for Liverpool in the Premier League.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at a thoroughly entertaining 90 minutes of action on Merseyside.

Match statistics

LIVERPOOL
Shots: 16
On target: 7
Possession: 49%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 13

TOTTENHAM
Shots: 14
On target: 5
Possession: 51%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 17

Was the result fair?

First things first, this was a superb game of football. Both sides approached the match with an attacking mindset and played the entire 90 minutes at a great tempo, looking to get on the front foot whenever possible. It was an open game, which contributed to the spectacle, and both teams were clearly full of confidence and swagger given their recent good form.

Spurs will feel that a draw may have been a just reward for their efforts, and they most certainly played their part in the game. However, Liverpool just edged it in terms of chances created and the overall balance of play, so their slender victory is a fair result. The Reds squandered a number of decent opportunities in the first half especially, with Daniel Sturridge hitting the post and being denied by a fine save from Hugo Lloris.

In fairness to Spurs, they also forced Simon Mignolet into a world-class stop but, aside from that and their two goals, there weren't many other instances in which they looked like scoring. There was also a question mark over offside for their second goal which Liverpool would point to. A draw would not have been particularly harsh on either side but if anyone deserved to win tonight then it was the hosts.

Liverpool's performance

It was in the second half of last season that Liverpool really kicked on, and they look like doing the same again this time around in their quest to finish in the top four. It was a performance worthy of last season tonight, with the hosts pressing really well off the ball and launching quick, incisive and dangerous attacks when in possession. They played with such pace that they often found space in the final third, and Brendan Rodgers may feel that his side should have scored more than the three they managed this evening.

A couple of their chances in the first half did come from sloppy Tottenham passing, but the likes of Jordon Ibe, Markovic and Sturridge all looked bright when coming forward and combined to set up a few openings as well. The defence did, at times, look a little shakier than it has in recent weeks, but that was a by-product of a match where the main emphasis was very much on attacking football. Sturridge's first start since August brought a renewed energy to the Liverpool team that even continued when Balotelli replaced the England striker.

Playing Spurs seems to bring the best out of Liverpool. By far their best performance of the first half of this season came in the reverse fixture, while they have now scored 18 goals in their last five meetings home and away. This match wasn't quite a 'must-win' for Rodgers's side, but any more dropped points would have given the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Southampton the chance to move even further clear of them. As it is, this is a very important victory that puts them right in the mix for a Champions League spot having played catch-up for most of the season.

Tottenham's performance

As well as Liverpool played, Tottenham matched them for large parts of this match. The visitors were clearly still buzzing from their derby victory over Arsenal on Saturday and, with the same starting XI taking to the field, that momentum ensured that there was no sign of tired legs. They, like their hosts, were keen to attack at every opportunity and often looked dangerous when coming forward.

Kane was a constant danger yet again and picked up a goal and an assist for his work, while Erik Lamela was also a creative threat between the lines. You could perhaps criticise Spurs for not creating more good chances having built a number of good attacking platforms, but they still managed to score twice at Anfield and were only denied a third by a fabulous save from Mignolet. At the other end of the pitch, however, things could have been better, with a number of loose passes creating chances for Sturridge and too much space afforded to Liverpool's attackers at times.

To have failed to build on the win over Arsenal will be a major disappointment for Mauricio Pochettino, but he will take plenty of positives from this defeat at the same time. His side twice came from behind away to the league's most in-form team and played some lovely football in the process. They will play worse than this in their remaining 14 games and come away with all three points, but tonight was just not their night.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Daniel Sturridge: There were a number of good individual performances today without anyone really standing head and shoulders above the rest, but Sturridge gets the nod in part for the impact he had on the rest of the team. In his first start since the reverse fixture at the end of August, he constantly chased things down and threatened on numerous occasions. Liverpool lacked that sort of energy from a striker for large parts of the season, but for Sturridge to have come through 74 minutes unscathed is a major plus for the club.

The disappointment for him tonight will be that he was unable to find the back of the net, but he still managed to have a big say on the result. He did well in the build-up to the opening goal, providing the assist for Markovic, while it was him who won the penalty that Gerrard stuck away. Sturridge also hit the post with a cheeky back-heel and drew a fine stop from Lloris, so it was a successful return for the lively striker.

Biggest gaffe

Lloris won't have been mentioned in this section too often as he is usually pulling off world-class saves, but the Tottenham skipper was at fault for the opening goal this evening. Markovic did not catch his shot too well but it still crept past Lloris, who could only get a hand to it without keeping it out. He will know that he should have saved it, but he has made enough important contributions this season to be forgiven that mistake.

Referee performance

Phil Dowd was a busy man this evening, handing out no fewer than nine yellow cards. In truth, that was far too many and, having produced one relatively early in the contest, that set the tone. He ended up booking players for a minor foul when he could have easily kept his cards in his pocket. The game had such a good ebb and flow in spite of Dowd's refereeing tonight rather than because of it.

The big decision regarded the penalty and the officials got that right, although it looked to be assistant Scott Ledger who made the call, with Dowd seemingly about to wave the claims away. The officials did, however, miss an offside against Kane in the build-up to Tottenham's second goal, while the tackle that led to that free kick also seemed to be a fair one.

What next?

Liverpool: Liverpool turn their focus back to cup competitions as they continue their bid to reach Wembley against Crystal Palace in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Tottenham: Having already been knocked out of the FA Cup, Tottenham's next match comes in the Europa League on February 19 as they host Fiorentina at White Hart Lane.