Mauricio Pochettino’s men finally emerged victorious at the national stadium in a top-flight fixture last time out, squeezing past Bournemouth by a goal to nil thanks to Christian Eriksen’s strike shortly after half-time. It was an important victory for a team who had previously been denied by Chelsea, Burnley and Swansea City at the national stadium, and who could not really afford to slip further behind Pep Guardiola’s rampant Manchester City outfit at the summit of the standings. Spurs played well without ever getting anywhere near their best, but the all-important three points – on a weekend in which Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and upcoming opponents Liverpool all failed to come out on top – leave them in a promising position heading into Sunday’s encounter.
Liverpool, as previously mentioned, were unable to emerge victorious, as they struggled to break down Manchester United’s deep and compact defensive unit at Anfield in the early kick-off on Saturday. Jurgen Klopp’s side did much of the attacking in a rather dull stalemate, but they were unable to land a decisive blow against their bitter rivals; it was a disappointing outcome for the Reds, who have now won only one of their last five outings in the Premier League and already find themselves 11 points adrift of the league leaders, by whom they were thrashed 5-0 in September. A top-four finish rather than the title is probably the aim for Liverpool this term, but they certainly need to turn their form around sooner rather than later.
Tottenham will have to make do without Victor Wanyama (knee) and Erik Lamela (hip), but Ben Davies and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou should be available for selection following illness and concussion respectively, while Mousa Dembele could shake off an ankle injury in time to feature. Pochettino has switched between three-man and four-man backlines so far this term and is likely to opt for the former here, with Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez set to play behind either Danny Rose or Davies on the left and Serge Aurier or Kieran Trippier on the right. Further forward, Harry Kane will be supported by Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli in the inside-forward roles in Tottenham’s 3-4-2-1 formation.
Klopp will be unable to call upon the services of Sadio Mane (hamstring), Adam Lallana (thigh), Nathaniel Clyne (back) and Adam Bodgan (knee) for Sunday’s trip to the capital. Mohamed Salah will become even more important for Liverpool in Mane’s absence, providing speed and direct running at the top of the pitch, with Philippe Coutinho set to continue as part of a front three alongside the Egypt international and Roberto Firmino. Joe Gomez is likely to get the nod ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, with Alberto Moreno favourite to start on the other side of the defensive line of four.
Taking everything into account, it is probably worth backing a draw with both teams to score on Sunday. For all of their recent woes, Liverpool tend to be at their best when facing their fellow big-six sides, who are more likely to defend high up the pitch and play out from the back – tactics which suit the Reds’ counter-pressing style. Spurs, though, are a tough nut to crack and do not lose very often, while their own attacking quality has been evident in the last few years. In terms of the anytime goalscorer market, Liverpool’s Salah looks as good a choice as any.
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