Sunday, 27th October 2019
Time: 19:30
Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to be the team to end Liverpool’s unbeaten league start to the season when they make the trip to Anfield this Sunday.
Spurs have endured a sluggish start to their Premier League campaign, which has left them in seventh in the table, a far spot from where they feel they ought to be. The North London side are a pale shadow of last season’s success that saw them reach the final of Europe’s elite club competition.
Revenge and restoring lost pride will feature heavily on their minds after they were brushed aside in June’s Champions League final by their Sunday opponents.
10 games into the new season they have managed a measly 12 points from their opening nine games and a fog of negativity has gripped the club. So much so that the players had to organize a team dinner on Thursday night with manager Mauricio Pochettino and the coaching staff invited to address key issues that have plagued their season
Sitting 13 points behind the league leaders and with the memory of the 7-2 home humiliation against Bayern Munich still fresh on our minds, Pochettino’s position at the club has been called into question, though the coach insists his players are united behind him – and they have the perfect chance to prove it at Anfield.
Their confidence will be boosted after bouncing back to winning ways with a crushing 5-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday night after winning just one of their seven matches before then.
In contrast Liverpool are not just European champions but sitting pretty at the top of the league with eight wins from nine.
The Reds’ perfect record was brought to an end when they drew 1-1 against Manchester United at Old Trafford, though Adam Lallana’s late goal made the result feel more like a win as Jurgen Klopp’s men lead the table by six points.
Liverpool’s not-so-hidden secret to their offensive prowess, their fullback play, is in serious doubt for contention with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson seemingly short.
Alexander-Arnold is a doubt after coming down ill just before Liverpool’s match against Genk in yesterday. He’s being assessed but might not be fit in time to play on Sunday. Robertson also picked up a knock against the Belgians, though Klopp has said that he will be okay for the match. However, both fullbacks already have a lot of miles on the tires, and considering their importance to Liverpool’s team they don’t have a lot in terms of cover for their positions.
The visitors have stagnated going forward, especially in the more attacking midfield roles, with the fall of talisman Christian Eriksen’s form compounded with Dele Alli’s inconsistencies and Erik Lamela’s injury woes. He will however be looking to supply striker Harry Kane with scoring chances after missing out on Tuesday’s match.
All in all, if Klopp’s side turn in another performance like the one against Manchester United, Spurs could sneak a result.
Head to head:
The Reds have won the last three meetings between the two.
Tip:
A draw, most probably a high scoring one
Odd:
2.78
Stake:
Large