Liverpool’s manager is a stickler for detail – telling his players where to stand for crosses almost to the centimetre and painstakingly analysing opponents’ strengths and weaknesses.

On the other hand, Redknapp, who has inherited a £30million strike partnership in Darren Bent and Pavlyuchenko, whom the previous management claimed ‘couldn’t play together’, told his Russian match-winner (through an interpreter) ahead of his half- time introduction to “just f---ing run about.”

Benitez made five changes from the side that defeated Portsmouth three days earlier with Daniel Agger, Andrea Dossena, Javier Mascherano, Albert Riera and Robbie Keane replacing Sami Hyypia, Fabio Aurelio, Lucas, Jermaine Pennant and Ryan Babel.

Keane was given a mixed reception from the home fans on his White Hart Lane return – receiving some applause both before the game and on his substitution mostly from the main stand – but also being booed with every touch by significant sections of the Tottenham support.

But the Irishman temporarily silenced his old employers just two minutes in when he spun between Ledley King and the hapless Benoit Assou-Ekotto to pick out Dirk Kuyt on the right- hand side of the area.

Despite the tight angle, the Dutchman had no problem in converting his chance as he forced a powerful drive into the roof of Heurelho Gomes’s net.

Moments later, Tottenham enjoyed a massive let off when Darren Bent totally mis-hit a clearance from a Gerrard corner- kick and struck Gomes’s left-hand post but for over an hour it just looked like ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ Liverpool would score again as the side who were league leaders at the start of the day’s programme, tore open the bottom club’s defence at regular intervals.

After the break, Gerrard rattled Tottenham’s woodwork on another two occasions.

Firstly, in a penalty box melee, King blocked a shot by Kuyt but the rebound fell to the Liverpool skipper’s feet only for the Tottenham captain to make another vital interception which Gomes pushed onto his post.

However, the Brazilian then showed the flip side to his game as an under-hit pass to King was intercepted by the razor sharp Keane who fed Gerrard but his effort struck the crossbar.

Continuing to press, Liverpool went close as Kuyt shot wide following a deft Keane touch from an Alvaro Arbeloa right-wing cross while Alonso somehow missed with a free header from point-blank range when played in by a Gerrard free-kick.

After a string of lucky escapes, it was almost as though Tottenham’s fans knew that their time had come and a large roar shook around White Hart Lane when they earned a 70th minute corner.

Sure enough, David Bentley’s cross ended up being headed into the Liverpool net but not by King, whom the delivery was aimed for, but by Carragher.

And for Liverpool there was more misery to come.

Just as the game entered stoppage time, a first defeat of the season arrived courtesy of the striker Tottenham used the funds raised by the sale of Keane to recruit.

Pepe Reina could only parry a shot by Bentley and Bent knocked the rebound back into the six yard box towards Pavlyuchenko who pounced for the most unlikely of winners.

Last season’s first Premier League defeat to Reading in December sparked a period in which Liverpool took just 10 points out of 27 on offer until the end of January.

But once the initial pain of losing has gone, Benitez’s side will not be unduly worried on this occasion with West Brom and Bolton on the horizon.

And if all else fails, the Spanish manager can always just hope to tempt Lady Luck back from the clutches of Spurs new messiah ‘Arry.