HomeFeatured ArticlesTottenham Hotspur v Liverpool Preview: Team News, Stats & Key Men

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool Preview: Team News, Stats & Key Men

Tottenham Hotspur will take on Liverpool this weekend at the National Stadium – The Wembley, in what promises to be an exciting football game as one could imagine – between two sides managed by Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp.

Spurs, in recent years, have developed a knack of winning games of football – ever so quietly and their presence in the top four; top three in fact, is now almost taken for granted. Tottenham Hotspur have once again managed to accumulate the most points in the calendar year without never really getting a taste of what it means to be leading the pack, at the top of the Premier League pile.

With 5 wins and 2 draws in the opening 8 games and an impressive performance against the European Champions, the North London outfit have made a solid start to their campaign and are placed third in the league with only 3 points separating them and Manchester United. But it remains to be seen whether they will legitimately challenge the Manchester clubs who, at the moment, look the most likely to take the crown back to the North West of England.

Liverpool, on the other hand, after a shaky start and a rough defeat – do seem to have dusted themselves off, raring to go again – like they always tend to do. A rather disappointing result overshadowing a positive performances against their biggest rivals in the weekend paved the way for a rout in Europe, against Maribor in midweek – a 7-0 win which put some confidence back in the side.

The Reds enter this game with the right kind of momentum and in addition to the recent history between the two clubs – Jurgen Klopp will be all the more upbeat to further their already impeccable record against the fellow ‘Big Six’ sides in the country.

Team news

Ben Davies is still sidelined through illness and will have to be assessed before the weekend, while key midfielder Mousa Dembele is also a doubt ahead of Liverpool’s visit. Danny Rose made his first appearance in a Spurs shirt since January with a 10-min cameo and could make the bench again. Victor Wanyama and Erik Lamela remain a few weeks from a return. Georges-Kevin N’Koudou could miss the game after suffering a concussion.

Liverpool appear to have no fresh injury concerns however two of their main men – Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana remain on the sidelines. However, Philippe Coutinho looks back to his best after pushing for a summer move and will be chasing his fifth consecutive away game on Sunday.

Predicted line-ups

Tottenham starting XI: Lloris; Sanchez, Dier, Alderweireld; Trippier, Sissoko, Winks, Eriksen, Vertonghen; Son, Dele; Kane

Liverpool starting XI: Mignolet; Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno; Wijnaldum, Henderson, Can; Salah, Firmino, Coutinho

Interesting Numbers 

  1. After a run of four wins and a draw between 2010 and 2012, Tottenham Hotspur are winless in their last nine Premier League matches against Liverpool (W0 D3 L6).
  2. There have been a Premier League record of nine own goals scored in this fixture.
  3. Harry Kane has not scored in either of his PL home appearances v Liverpool (173 mins); the only side he has faced more often without finding the net at home in the competition is Crystal Palace (three apps, 269 mins).

Key Men 

Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur 

It’s got to be Harry Kane. The fact that Kane has not scored against Liverpool as often as he has done against the other sides in the Premier League may indeed be one of the primary reasons behind Spurs’ poor record against the Reds. The 24-year old is undoubtedly world-class and he’s showed it consistently in the last three seasons  – but it is time Spurs won these games to take points off fellow contenders.

Phillipe Coutinho – Liverpool 

Phillipe Coutinho is Liverpool’s most important player – and on his day he can destroy most teams on his own. But the streak of inconsistency and poor decision-making from the Brazilian has often been Liverpool’s undoing, particularly in the games against lesser sides, although Spurs are far from one.

Liverpool, under Klopp this season, have been finding it difficult – rather uncharacteristically so – to convert chances and the 25-year old could prove vital to the visitors in improving that record.

Prediction 

I think this is the week when Spurs finally break the Liverpool curse.

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Liverpool 

Aashish Murali
Aashish Murali
I can bore you to tears.
More News

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here