Rafael BenÍtez described Fernando Torres as a hungry young player, and if proof were needed that this is true, it came with the determined fashion in which the Spain forward made sure that he became the most prolific overseas signing in a debut season in the Premier League.

Torres scored Liverpool’s second to break the record of 23 goals set by Ruud van Nistelrooy during the 2001/2002 season. BenÍtez said that they discussed the record, and Torres wanted to break it.

Torres cost £21.5 million. “Sometimes when you get a player on a free he can turn out to be a bad signing,” BenÍtez said. “Torres has been the best for us. Was he expensive? No.” Even Juande Ramos, Tottenham’s head coach, said: “He’s had a great season.”

Both Liverpool’s goals came in the second half, with Andriy Voronin connecting with Torres’s neat pass to open the scoring in 69th minute, and the Spaniard making history shortly afterwards.

BenÍtez, while acknowledging that “the most important thing is that we couldn’t win a trophy”, was at pains to highlight “a lot of positive things”. He pointed to Liverpool’s 119 goals in all competitions, which makes them the most prolific club and offers evidence that they do not play defensively. He called the team’s 76 points “a good figure” and said that the club would “try to buy the players we need” by “doing the right things at the right moment”. He did not discuss his future. “I can’t talk about other things,” he said.

Ramos said that his priority after seeing the club finish in the bottom half was to build a balanced team. “We must compete as well as we can but the important thing is balance; that’s what we are looking for,” he said.

In the dying minutes Yossi Benayoun attempted to score a backheel. It was the sort of flourish the home fans expected from Dimitar Berbatov but, if this was his final match in a Tottenham shirt, it was a quiet one. “At present we have received no offer,” Ramos said of the striker few expect to stay.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): R Cerny 5 – A Hutton 5, M Dawson 5 (sub: D Bent, 75min), J Woodgate 5, Gilberto 4 – S Malbranque 4, D Zokora 4, J Jenas 4 (sub: T Huddlestone, 46 5), J O’Hara 4 (sub: T Tainio, 46 4) – D Berbatov 4, R Keane 5. Substitutes not used: P Robinson, P Chimbonda. Booked: Hutton.

Liverpool (4-2-2-1-1): J M Reina 6 – Á Arbeloa 6, J Carragher 6, M Skrtel 6, E Insúa 6 – S Gerrard 6, J Mascherano 6 – D Kuyt 5 (sub: Lucas Leiva, 81), R Babel 5 (sub: Y Benayoun, 59 5) – A Voronin 6 (sub: S Finnan, 72 5) – F Torres 7. Substitutes not used: C Itandje, S Hyypia.

Referee: U Rennie
Attendance: 36,063

End-of-term report

Tottenham Hotspur

Season’s summary: Optimism for next season – no change, then.
How to improve: Solve Ledley King’s injury problems.
Player of season: Robbie Keane.

Liverpool

Season’s summary: 18 seasons without one strong title challenge.
How to improve: Central midfield is formidable, but more talented wingers are needed.
Player of season: Fernando Torres.