Gary Neville and Roy Keane have made contrasting predictions for Tottenham’s clash against Liverpool on Saturday.
Tottenham beat Brentford 2-0 in their last Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, although discontent remains among fans after the embarrassing 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Thomas Frank is under intense pressure as Spurs sit 11th in the Premier League table after 16 matches, and fans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the style of play on show.
However, he has the perfect opportunity to ease any discontent by beating Liverpool, which would see them close the gap on the top four.
Ahead of the match, Keane demanded that Neville make a more exciting prediction for the game.
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Roy Keane expects goals in Tottenham vs Liverpool
Tottenham have won just two of their last 18 meetings with Liverpool, although Saturday’s clash could go either way, given how Arne Slot’s side have performed this season.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast on 18 December, Keane was disappointed with Neville’s prediction.
The ex-Man United defender said: “It probably is a 1-1 match,” before eventually claiming the Reds will win 2-1.
Keane responded by saying, “Do something a bit crazy with that,” alluding to the fact that this fixture guarantees goals, and predicting it would finish 2-1.
Tottenham versus Liverpool is the highest-scoring fixture in Premier League history, with 206 goals scored in their 66 matches.
The last three league matches between the pair have seen 21 goals, while there have been at least three goals in 14 of their last 16 Premier League meetings.
Thomas Frank should go more direct against Liverpool
Despite their struggles, Liverpool are still one of the most effective pressing teams in Europe.
Guglielmo Vicario’s abysmal mistake against Nottingham Forest made it clear that Spurs are still uncomfortable with the ball in their own half.
Tottenham’s 2-0 loss to Fulham on 29 November also showed how nervous the Italian goalkeeper looks, and there is a clear solution.
Liverpool have looked shaky from long balls, and they’ve failed to deal with direct, counter-attacking play throughout the season.
Their defending from set-pieces has been atrocious at times, and Spurs have a big area that they can exploit.
However, if they concede another self-inflicted goal early on in the match, then the atmosphere could become toxic once again in N17.