Tottenham Hotspur visit Anfield this Sunday in a game that feels very different from a few seasons ago.
On paper, Liverpool should be expecting an easy win against a Spurs side that have struggled for form and consistency this season. The pressure of an unexpected relegation battle is piling on the team.
Liverpool have also underperformed this season. Following a loss to the bottom club Wolves, their title challenge is gone, and attention now turns to maintaining their position among the European places.
A few seasons back, this was a top-of-the-table fixture, but now it is a must-win game for both sides eager to keep their seasons alive.
Liverpool’s wobble at the wrong time
Despite spending over £400 million this season, including around £315 million on attacking players, Arne Slot’s side have struggled to become the dominant force many had predicted at the start of the season.
With the final straight of the season ahead and the race for Champions League qualification heating up, Liverpool can ill afford another wobble. Despite enjoying a recent run of good results, including a 5-2 demolition of a resurgent West Ham side, Liverpool’s loss to bottom-of-the-table Wolves highlights their frailties. They will be keen to ensure it remains an isolated loss.
Liverpool have the quality and squad depth to end the season strongly; however, confidence can be a fragile thing. As pressure grows on Slot, he will need to keep the dressing room support to ensure Liverpool doesn’t end the season outside of the European qualifying places.
Spurs in the danger zone
Tottenham are another club that have struggled to build any momentum this season. After changing managers in February, they have continued to flounder near the relegation zone. With confidence low and the prospect of potentially falling out of the Premier League worryingly real, Spurs will want to capitalise on Liverpool’s confidence crisis and pull themselves closer to guaranteed safety.
Spurs have shown flashes of quality, but with both Kane and Son playing elsewhere, the club have struggled to replace their talismanic leaders.
Yet to win a game this year (at the time of writing), Spurs currently sit one point above the drop zone and have arguably the worst form out of all clubs within reach. Defeat at Anfield could see them pulled into the bottom three and dangerously close to the unthinkable.
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Potential line-ups and key players
With both teams needing a win, expect Liverpool to run with their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Despite off-field problems this season, Mohamed Salah continues to be one of Liverpool’s core attacking threats on the right-hand side. At the same time, top scorer Hugo Ekitiké will fancy his chances of adding to his 11-goal tally. At the back, the Reds will need their centre-back duo of Konaté and van Dijk to be vigilant and nullify the Tottenham front line, easing pressure on Alisson in goal.
Spurs will likely start with a classic flat back 4-4-2. All hopes will be pinned on top scorer Richarlison, who will be eager to reach double figures for the season. Centre back Micky van de Ven, the club’s second top scorer, is suspended for the clash in a big blow for Tudor. With no one player stepping up to fill Son and Kane’s shoes, Tottenham will need to rely on all 11 men putting in a great performance if they expect to leave Anfield with any points.
Liverpool will be the more attacking side in the early stages, with their pressing and high-energy front line eager to test the shaky Tottenham defence early.
What’s at stake?
This game carries a weight that far exceeds traditional expectations. Both sides are in a state of flux, and a loss would be catastrophic to both teams’ season ambitions. Liverpool might not be in the title race. Still, they will want to get back to their winning ways, mount a charge back into the top three, and secure that automatic Champions League qualification for next year.
Tottenham will be desperate for a win to put some distance between them and the relegation places. With only nine games left in the season, Spurs will be keen to end on a high note and climb as high as they can. Having been knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round, Spurs will not be in Europe next season. A poor finish to the season might drive their top players away from the club in the offseason, further weakening the team.
Verdict
Liverpool are the favourites to win, even with their shaky form of late. Anfield remains a formidable place to play, and the atmosphere alone is enough to tip the tide in Liverpool’s favour. Once the Kop starts to find its voice, the crowd can drag a performance out of them when complacency threatens to creep in.
Tottenham do not have the luxury of a league position to let them coast in this game. They need to go for the win from the kick-off. While this will leave them more susceptible to the counterattack, the knowledge that failure is not an option will ignite the Spurs players.
With so much at stake, fans should expect a scrappy game that does not befit the calibre of the clubs playing. Still, when things get critical, both teams understand that getting the win is more important than how it was done.
