Roman conquest ends Liverpool´s unbeaten run

Substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko's stoppage-time goal lifted Tottenham Hotspur off the bottom of the table with a 2-1 victory that ended Liverpool's unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

Rafael Benitez's men dominated after Dirk Kuyt had given them an early lead at White Hart Lane here Saturday.

But an own-goal from Jamie Carragher set the home side up for a comeback on a day when Liverpool also hit the woodwork three times.

The result was the latest chapter in Spurs' remarkable, unbeaten, resurgence under new manager Harry Redknapp, who has overseen a win over Bolton, a 4-4 draw against Arsenal and this victory in his three games in charge since arriving from Portsmouth.

It also prevented Liverpool from regaining top spot, which is now occupied on goal difference by Chelsea, 5-0 winners over Sunderland earlier Saturday.

Tottenham had to make a hasty change to the starting line-up when Jermaine Jenas pulled out during the warm-up with a toe injury, with Didier Zokora taking his place.

Redknapp had already made changes to the side that had come back from 4-2 down against Arsenal.

Captain Ledley King, forward Darren Bent and midfielder Jamie O'Hara were recalled, with Pavlyuchenko, Alan Hutton and Gareth Bale dropped to the bench.

Benitez also rotated his squad ahead of Tuesday's Champions League fixture with Atletico Madrid, with five men who started in the 1-0 win over Portsmouth on Wednesday missing out.

Back came Robbie Keane, the man who left Spurs for Anfield in a 20 million pounds pre-season deal, along with midfielders Javier Mascherano and Albert Riera plus defenders Daniel Agger and Andrea Dossena.

But Fernando Torres was told to wait for his comeback from injury.

It took Liverpool just three minutes to take the lead when Keane set up Kuyt on the right of the box where the Dutchman drilled a rising drive across goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and into the top corner despite a tight angle.

Spurs' best moment of the half came via Luka Modric's 40th-minute snap-shot which goalkeeper Pepe Reina scrambled away.

Redknapp made two changes at the break with Hutton and Pavlyuchenko coming on for Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Jamie O'Hara.

Pavlyuchenko immediately fired just wide from the edge of the box but Spurs were once again finding possession hard to come by.

Liverpool almost doubled their lead in the 50th minute when Kuyt saw a shot blocked and Gomes managed to tip Gerrard's follow-up effort, which had been diverted off King's arm, on to a post.

Three minutes later Gomes almost gifted Liverpool a second when his throw found Keane instead of King, the intended target. Keane quickly played the ball to Gerrard, who chipped the goalkeeper from a tight angle on the right only to see the ball bounce off the bar.

Kuyt was only just off target seconds later as he stretched to meet another cross from the right and Xabi Alonso then headed a Gerrard free-kick wide with the goal at his mercy.

Tottenham equalised in bizarre fashion when Carragher, who had just been booked for a foul on Bent, headed Bentley's corner into his own net – the third time he had done so for the Londoners in his career.

Then Pavlyuchenko, who blazed over following Reina's poor punch, won it for Spurs in stoppage time after Reina could only parry Bentley's shot.

Bent was first to the loose ball and set up the substitute, who flicked home a winner to set the seal on a memorable week for Spurs.