Tottenham Hotspur make the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash on Wednesday night.
Spurs have been in superb form during the first 12 games of the campaign and they are currently top of the table with 25 points, just goal difference ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The club were recently in derby action at Crystal Palace where they were denied the win after some heroics from goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, who had gifted the opening goal.
Harry Kane scored in the 23rd minute after a howler from the Palace keeper, but Hugo Lloris’ poor judgement of a free-kick saw the hosts equalise through Jeffrey Schlupp late in the game.
Still, they managed to preserve the top spot of the table after Liverpool failed to beat relegation-threatened Fulham (1-1). The Reds were somewhat lucky to avoid a defeat.
Spurs have a poor record record against the Premier League holders and they have been on the losing end during the previous five meetings across all competitions.
With the multiple injury setbacks for the hosts, they have the chance to end the wretched run with a victory and take at least a one-point lead at the top of the standings.
Key Stats:
Spurs have lost their previous four league meetings against the Reds. A 2-1 defeat has been the common outcome in three of those matches.
The north London giants have beaten the Reds on just occasion since 2012 and that came via a 4-1 triumph at White Hart Lane in October 2017.
Since 2011, Spurs have not won at Anfield. They have picked up just three points from the previous nine trips to the stadium.
Their last point at Anfield came in February 2018 when they drew 2-2. Harry Kane was the man of the moment as he converted a 95th-minute penalty.
Prior to that, Kane squandered a penalty to put Spurs ahead. Mohamed Salah’s stellar solo effort put the Reds 2-1 up in the 91st minute, but Spurs eventually equalised.
The England international has an excellent scoring record against the Reds with six goals from his previous 11 meetings in all competitions.
Salah has similarly enjoyed his encounters against Spurs and he has bagged seven goals from his 12 appearances against them.
This will be the ultimate test for Tottenham’s title credentials, and with attendance at games still not an option for most fans, you can watch this and other Spurs games live online.
Team News:
Tottenham:
Jose Mourinho has an almost fit squad to choose from for the Reds clash. Erik Lamela is the only long-term absentee for the capital outfit. The Argentine is still working his way back to fitness after a foot injury. Gareth Bale missed the weekend game with an illness, but he is likely to make his comeback for the Merseyside trip.
Liverpool:
The hosts are missing a number of high-profile players due to injuries and they have suffered a further setback with Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas sidelined for a couple of months. Alongside the duo, Virgil van Dijk (knee), Joe Gomez (knee), Thiago Alcantara (knee), Xherdan Shaqiri (muscle) and James Milner (hamstring) are out of contention. Joel Matip remains doubtful for the game with a back spasm.
Predicted Lineups:
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Hugo Lloris; Serge Aurier, Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier, Sergio Reguilon; Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Moussa Sissoko; Heung-min Son, Tanguy Ndombele, Steven Bergwijn; Harry Kane
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Fabinho, Andrew Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Curtis Jones; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane
Predicted Score:
The Reds have a stunning home record in the Premier League and they are unbeaten in 65 matches. During this period, they have won 31 of their previous 32 matches.
Hence, they are a difficult opposition to face at Anfield, but Spurs have the best chance to outwit them with the injury crisis which has made the Reds vulnerable at the back.
Mourinho is likely to stick with the counter-attacking approach on Wednesday night and we are fancying Spurs to end the Reds’ home league dominance since April 2017.
Liverpool 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
