TOTTENHAM VS LIVERPOOL: PREVIEW

Liverpool travel to London tomorrow to take on Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur. The Reds lie 2nd on 40 points, one behind Manchester City, whilst Spurs sit 7th on 25 points with three games in hand. Read on for a preview of the game.

Spurs enjoyed a brilliant start to the season under Nuno Espirito-Santo, winning their first three games of the season. It was all downhill from there though, and Daniel Levy took the decision to relieve the Portuguese of his duties after just four months in charge. Levy turned to Conte after talks broke down in the summer.

The Italian was available after leaving Inter Milan due to differences with the ownership. Having impressively led the Nerazurri to their first Serie A title in a decade, Conte belatedly took charge of Spurs in November. He’s taken in six games so far, winning 4, drawing 1 and losing the other.

That defeat came in embarrassing circumstances away to NS Mura in the UEFA Conference League. To their credit, they bounced back well from that loss, beating Brentford and Norwich 2-0 and 3-0 respectively. That win over Norwich on December 5th is the last game they played before a slew of postponements.

Games against Rennes, Brighton and Leicester City have been called off in the last ten days due to the outbreak of Covid amongst several Premier League clubs. Spurs have recovered from the outbreak and should have most of their squad available for this game.

Whether the relatively long break in action will work in their favour or go against them remains to be seen. They remain a work in progress under Conte, with the Italian still instilling his 3-4-3 system and his methods. They have seen an uptick in form under the former Chelsea boss.

They are just 4 points behind North London rivals Arsenal in 4th, having played three games less. If Conte can get Harry Kane firing again (the striker has just 1 league goal this season), Spurs can make a real charge for top 4. Whether they keep hold of Kane in January or sell and replace him will also be a factor.

Jürgen Klopp will come into this clash with problems of his own. Fabinho, Van Dijk and Jones were all ruled out of the last game with possible positive Covid tests. Liverpool now face the prospect of going away to one of the top six clubs without two key players.

That kickoff here comes less than 70 hours after the win over Newcastle poses its own challenge. They come into this against a side that has not played for two weeks. It will be interesting to see which side shows better rhythm and which tires out as the game wears on.

Liverpool are in great form as they currently ride the wave of an eight match winning streak (all competitions). They’ve scored 48 league goals this season, at least 8 more than any other side. At the same time they’ve kept the most clean sheets in the division (10).

They’ll hope to break down a Spurs side that has conceded just 17 league goals this season. Only four teams have conceded less goals than Conte’s side. Expect Conte to set his side up to hit on the counter with the pace of Son and Moura. How Liverpool defend those counter attacks will determine who comes out on top.

Jürgen Klopp has an excellent record against Spurs, losing just one of the 14 encounters in all competitions against the Lilywhites. That defeat is remembered for Dejan Lovren’s horrendous performance which saw him hooked before halftime.

There’s been nine victories, including each of the last seven, with the most significant coming in the 2019 Champions League final. Seven straight victories over Spurs sounds crazy to imagine, but such is the excellence the German has fostered at the club since his 2015 arrival. He’ll be pushing to make it 8 in a row tomorrow.

Team News

For Liverpool, Harvey Elliot (ankle), Nat Phillips (cheekbone), Fabinho, Van Dijk and Curtis Jones (Covid) are all out. Origi remains a doubt with a sore knee. For Spurs, Cristian Romero is out but Lo Celso and Reguilon are back in training. Almost all the players who had Covid have recovered and should be available.

Key Players

Mohamed Salah

He scored his 15th league goal of the season last time out, putting his side ahead after tucking home on the rebound. His tally of nine assists means he’s been directly involved in more goals (24) than any player in Europe’s top five leagues. The man is absolutely flying and will take some stopping.

Heung-Min Son

The 29 year old remains a huge threat for the North Londoners. With Harry Kane struggling with his form, Son has stood out, scoring 6 goals and providing 2 assists in 13 league appearances. His sheer pace and unerring finishing ability makes him a dangerous weapon for Spurs.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

The 23 year old scored a thunderbolt against Newcastle on Thursday night as he enjoys another impressive season. His ridiculous attacking output is through the roof. He’s already registered 15 goals and assists in 21 matches for club and country this season, creating a whopping 101 chances in the PL this calendar year.