Torres and Voronin strike late to give Liverpool victory at White Hart Lane

Torres sealed Liverpool's win with his 24th league goal, having set up Andriy Voronin for their opener, to replace Ruud van Nistelrooy as the highest scoring overseas player in his debut season.

Just as Spurs fans drooled of the skills of Berbatov following arrival from Bayer Leverkusen two season's ago, so Liverpool supporters have witnessed Torres justify every penny of the £26.5million paid to Atletico Madrid for his services.

"Sometimes when you get a player for free he can turn out to be a bad signing," reasoned Rafa Benitez afterwards. "He (Torres) has been good for us, the best for us, so everybody is happy. Was he expensive? Nohe was a bargain!"

But the satisfaction Liverpool fans have gleaned from watching Torres in action must still be tempered by yet another season in which their side have once again failed to make any impression on the title race.

Having finished 11 points behind winner's Manchester United, Benitez is once again faced with a summer of rebuilding in an attempt to recruit players who can match the performances of Torres and captain Steven Gerrard.

'The only thing wrong with our season was that we did not win any silverware,' said Benitez with a contender for truism of the season. 'We are working hard to improve the squad and are watching players every week of the year.'

With an uneasy truce called between Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Benitez can at least make a start on a wish list which boasts the names of Blackburn's David Bentley, Aston Villa's Gareth Barry and Barcelona's Eric Abidal.

Gate-crashing the top four is the focus for Benitez's countryman Juande Ramos. Tottenham's Carling Cup final victory over Chelsea cannot paper over the cracks of an 11th placed finish.

It is certainly not high enough up the table for a man of Ramos' ambitions and the £30m Spurs hope to generate from the sale of Berbatov will be used to fund a large scale overhaul of the playing staff.

"Maybe we did suffer after winning the Carling Cup," admitted Ramos. A record of just three wins in 12 since then certainly backs up that argument.

"Maybe we achieved our objectives of winning a trophy too soon," he added. "The most important thing for us is the balance of the team."

The capture of Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb for £16.5m represents a good start, but a goalkeeper, centre-back, holding midfielder, left-winger and a replacement for Berbatov must all be found if Spurs are to habour realistic ambitions of Champions League qualification.

Just how far Tottenham are away from achieving that aim was exposed when Liverpool finally stepped on the gas in an encounter that hitherto had defined the phrase 'nothing to play for'.

The deadlock was broken in the 69th minute when Alvaro Arbeloa's high ball was flicked on by Torres for Voronin, who calmly tucked the ball past Radek Cerny. Torres then rounded matters off five minutes later, turning Michael Dawson inside out before rolling the ball into the net from close range.

Tottenham: Cerny, Hutton, Dawson, Woodgate, Gilberto, Malbranque, Jenas, Zokora, O'Hara, Berbatov, Keane.

Subs: Robinson, Chimbonda, Tainio, Huddlestone, Bent.

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua, Kuyt, Gerrard, Mascherano, Babel, Torres, Voronin.

Subs: Itandje, Finnan, Hyypia, Benayoun, Lucas.

Referee: Uriah Rennie (S Yorkshire)