Third-placed Tottenham will be looking to turbocharge their challenge at the top of the league table when they welcome out-of-sorts Liverpool, who are languishing 9th on the table, to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday at 17:30 GMT.
Match Preview
Can Tottenham Make a Statement with a Home Win Against Liverpool?
Antonia Conte’s side bounced back to their winning groove last weekend with a come-from-behind 2-3 win at Bournemouth. They followed that up with another comeback win at Marseille to ensure qualification in the Champions League.
Tottenham will be looking to extend their good form when they face Liverpool on Sunday. Conte will expect his side to be disciplined in their structure and aggressive in hunting the ball.
Defensive solidity will be important to keep Liverpool out, while the Italian tactician will hope that his side will be at their slaloming best in attack in front of the home fans.
Can Liverpool Regain the Elusive Consistency with an Away Win at Tottenham?
Jurgen Klopp has been searching for the Reds’ winning formula for the better part of the season. Liverpool have been inconsistent in their performances, which has led to their patchy results in the league.
Klopp will be hoping for improved performances from his charges compared to when they lost 1-2 against Leeds at Anfield last week. The German coach will hope for an upturn in intensity, solidity, discipline, and offensive incision and precision against Tottenham on Sunday.
The Reds will take confidence from their 2-0 triumph over Napoli at Anfield as they seek to kick-start their stop-start their season.
Form Guide
Tottenham
Tottenham have had a decent start to the season. They have won eight times, drawn twice, and lost three times, in the opening 13 EPL rounds. They have scored 26 times while conceding 16 goals in the process.
Conte’s men have hauled 26 points and they sit third on the table, 5 points behind league leaders Arsenal.
In their last five fixtures in the league, Tottenham have won three times and lost twice. They have collected 9 points and dropped 6 in the process. The two losses have seen a gap emerge at the top, with the chasing pack closing on.
With 2 assists and 3 goals this season, Heung Min Son has been a key player and his loss to injury will be felt in the squad. The South Korean national will be out for the foreseeable future with surgery scheduled to address the fracture in his left eye.
Liverpool
Liverpool have been underwhelming this season, compared to the levels of performance they have set in recent seasons. In the opening 12 rounds of fixtures, Liverpool have won four times, drawn four, and lost four in the process.
The Reds have scored 23 goals and conceded 15 in the process. They have collected 16 points. They currently sit 9th on the table, 15 points behind league leaders. They are only 5 points away from the drop zone.
In their last five outings, Liverpool have won twice and lost three times. They have hauled six points and dropped nine in the process. Klopp will be looking for an improvement in consistency and performance levels to improve their standing on the log.
Possible Starting Lineups
Tottenham
H. Lloris; B. Davies, C. Lenglet, E. Dier; I. Perisic, R. Bentancur, P. Hojbjerg, R. Sessegnon; Y. Bissouma, H. Kane, Lucas
Liverpool
Alisson; T. Alexander-Arnold, I. Konate, V. van Dijk, K. Tsimikas; J. Milner, Fabinho, T. Alcantara; M. Salah, R. Firmino, C. Jones
Players to Watch
H. Kane
The England striker and captain has scored 10 times in 13 appearances for Tottenham this term. To top this up, he has another goal in the Champions League. The 29-year-old is pivotal to Antonio Conte’s charges.
Apart from a constant goal threat, Kane also offers a creative spark that allows other attacking players and late runners from midfield to thrive in the Tottenham team.
Kane will be important and potentially decisive in the clash with Liverpool.
M. Salah
The Egyptian international has picked up good form in recent matches. He has four goals in 12 appearances for Liverpool in the league while notching seven times in six matches in the Champions League.
The 30-year-old is a crucial part of Liverpool’s attacking trident. At the same time, he is important in implementing the Reds’ high-pressing game and squeezing the opposition.
Salah will be important for Klopp’s men on Sunday against Tottenham.
Prediction
Tottenham will be pragmatic in this match. They will look to defend deep and in numbers. Their defensive shape will turn into a back-six to deny Liverpool any spaces to exploit.
Liverpool will look to be proactive, dictate the tempo of the match, and dominate possession and the middle of the pack.
Liverpool will bounce back with a win.
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