24.5.09  BARCLAYS PREMIERSHIP
Liverpool 3 Tottenham 1 (www.lfc.tv)


Liverpool wrapped up second spot with a 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on a day when Anfield bade farewell to a legend.

Goals from Fernando Torres, Alan Hutton (OG) and Yossi Benayoun ensured the Reds finished the league season unbeaten at home.

Robbie Keane claimed a consolation but couldn't stop Liverpool tallying 86 points, which, as well as being a club record in the Premier League, would also have been enough to win 12 of our 18 titles.

Before all this, the Kop honoured departing legend Sami Hyypia with a 'Sami' mosaic bookmarked by two Finnish flags. Typically, the man himself looked ever so slightly embarrassed from the substitutes' bench, where he began the match before coming on for his 464th and final Liverpool appearance.

Those who were selected by Benitez quickly set about subduing one of only two teams to beat Liverpool in the Premier League this season.

Within seconds, Steven Gerrard skimmed the roof of the net with a 25-yard snapshot. Minutes later, Martin Skrtel nodded down a Fabio Aurelio corner only for Yossi Benayoun to mis-time his bicycle kick.

Torres was unlucky not to net his 50th Liverpool goal after waltzing around three Spurs defenders before Jermaine Jenas intervened as the Spanish hitman readied his famous right foot.

Never mind, for on 31 minutes Torres did reach his milestone after ghosting between Hutton and Vedran Corluka to head a Dirk Kuyt cross in off the bar.

All the visitors could muster during the first half was a 30-yard stab from Benoit Assou-Ekotto which Reina gathered after initially spilling. On the one occasion Keane looked dangerous against his former employers, Skrtel was there with a well-timed challenge.

The second half began with a Xabi Alonso party trick, one of those from-your-own-half punts which only the Spaniard seems capable of scoring in the modern game. Not this time, though, as Heurelho Gomes recovered position to catch the ball on his line.

At the other end, Gareth Bale forced a save from Reina with a curling free-kick, but still Harry Redknapp's side seemed determined to end 2008-09 with a whimper.

Skrtel again came close to breaking his Liverpool duck with an angled volley which ricocheted off several players before trickling wide.

The second finally arrived on 64 minutes when Benayoun and Dirk Kuyt combined, with the latter firing goalwards before a wicked deflection from Hutton sent the ball beyond Gomes.

Gerrard almost made it 3-0 minutes, but was denied by the post after some improvised control in the box.

With victory seemingly guaranteed, the Kop begged Benitez to bring on Hyypia, but their chants were temporarily silenced on 77 minutes when Keane evaded Liverpool's offside trap before sending Reina the wrong way. The Irishman then showed a touch of class by not celebrating.

It took the Reds just four minutes to regain their two-goal margin when Gerrard sliced a delicate ball to the onrushing Benayoun, who sidefooted beyond Gomes to take his tally for the season to nine.

Then Anfield erupted as Hyypia finally entered the fray, replacing Gerrard and taking the captain's armband for five final minutes.

Each touch by the Finn was greeted by raucous cheers from the home faithful, who know they're losing one of the club's finest ever centre-backs.

Hyypia almost bagged a picturebook Kop end goal on 90 minutes only to have his header cleared off the line by Gomes.

The final whistle brought a few tears from the 35-year-old before he was held aloft by his teammates.

And with that, another season was over. A season full of dramatic highs at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and the Bernabeu, as well as occasional lows at unlikely venues such as the Riverside and, too often, here at Anfield. Most of all, though, 2008-09 has been a season in which Liverpool have re-established themselves as genuine title contenders. Amen to that, and roll on 2009-10.