Alec Lindsay scored the only goal as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on 10 April 1973. It was a useful first step towards the UEFA Cup final, though a smaller advantage than Bill Shankly had wanted to take to London.
Tottenham arrived as the holders. Bill Nicholson's side had won the competition the previous season, and Liverpool had been reminded only ten days earlier how difficult they could be to beat. In the league meeting at Anfield, Pat Jennings had saved penalties from both Kevin Keegan and Tommy Smith to help Spurs leave with a point.
This time Liverpool found a way past him in the seventeenth minute. Lindsay's goal established a lead which lasted for the remainder of the match, but the early breakthrough did not develop into the two-goal cushion Shankly had sought.
Liverpool continued to create opportunities without finding a second. The balance of the evening favoured the home side; the score left Tottenham very much in the tie. For all the attacking work, Liverpool would have to travel to White Hart Lane knowing that a single Spurs goal could cancel out their lead.
Shankly's starting side included Brian Hall alongside Peter Cormack in a team captained by Smith. Keegan and Steve Heighway supplied attacking options, with Ian Callaghan also in the eleven. Phil Boersma replaced Heighway late on, but there was no change to the score.
The other part of the result was Liverpool's clean sheet. Tottenham had no away goal to carry into the second leg, a distinction which would matter when the teams met again on 25 April. Liverpool lost that return 2–1, but Heighway's goal in London took them through on away goals after a 2–2 aggregate draw.
Lindsay's strike therefore stood as Liverpool's entire Anfield contribution to the semi-final score. It had not settled the contest, but it gave them an advantage they ultimately made count.