The Independent

Jamie Carragher has questioned whether Arne Slot remains the right man to lead Liverpool following their “awful performance” in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

The reigning champions squandered an opportunity to move up to fourth in the Premier League table after Dominik Szobsoszlai’s first-half free-kick was cancelled out by Richarlison’s late equaliser.

It was the third late equaliser Liverpool have allowed this season, in addition to five injury-time winners conceded, as relegation-threatened Spurs avoided defeat for the first time in six matches. Home supporters booed at full-time, a reaction that the head coach said was “completely normal.”

Liverpool’s latest dropped points mean they are now 21 behind leaders Arsenal with eight league games remaining and on Wednesday they host Galatasaray in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie having lost the first meeting 1-0 in Istanbul.

Carragher was not pointing the blame solely at Slot’s feet, however, with the former defender suggesting last summer’s transfer business – when six new players arrived at a cost of more than £400m - has meant an imbalanced squad containing too many players possessing similar skillsets and few capable of doing the dirty work required late in close games.

"Awful performance, considering the opposition,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. "That’s not trying to be disrespectful to Tottenham, but they have been the worst team in the Premier League for the last couple of months.

"Exactly who you want to be playing, playing at home as well, the incentive of the other results this weekend - then to put in a performance like that. But it’s been like that all season and the big question on everyone’s lips is, ‘Is that down to the manager or the make-up of the squad?’

"Could a new manager revitalise these players and bring that energy and intensity back into this team? I’m not sure. I think a lot of it goes back to what happened in the summer, the profile of the players coming in.

“There are just too many players wanting to play when the ball’s at their feet. They don’t want to dig in when the opposition have got the ball and make it difficult. That’s why it’s so easy to play against this Liverpool team."

Roy Keane, meanwhile, described them as “bad champions” while calling on both decision-makers and players to “have a good look in the mirror” before Wednesday’s potentially season-defining game against Galatasaray.

"There’s definitely something missing at Liverpool, obviously. They are way off it,” the former Manchester United captain said. "There’s definitely tension in the stadium. There’s something amiss, whether it be players, issues with the manager, recruitment hasn’t panned out how they hoped.

"Liverpool have got to have a good look in the mirror. They’ve been bad champions. They’re now 21 points behind Arsenal. What a drop-off that is. That is so bad."

Literally and figuratively, Igor Tudor is no longer pointless. The Tottenham manager lost his unwanted 100 per cent record, got his first result to savour and, just perhaps, brought the first signs of a revival that may save a beleaguered club. Spurs’ club-record run of defeats is over, halted at six after their first draw in six weeks. For Liverpool, an inability to beat a club seemingly in crisis could come at a cost. They are stumbling when they could have strolled back towards the Champions League.

Their scorer feels they could be sleepwalking into a rather lesser competition. “We have to wake up because if we carry on like this, we should be happy with the Conference League,” said Dominik Szoboszlai. “In the last minute, again, I don't know how many times this season already.” That was one theme. Another was that Liverpool have failed to beat four of the bottom six at home this season. They were thwarted at the last by a familiar foe. For the fifth time in his career, Richarlison scored at Anfield.

Liverpool led for 72 minutes but Tottenham’s best performance under Tudor meant this was no smash-and-grab raid. “We can say it was deserved,” said the Croatian. “They showed fight.” His side had seven shots on target, a spirit and a resourcefulness that meant they scarcely looked a team in freefall. At the fifth time of asking, Tudor, the supposed relegation firefighter, appeared a man putting out a blaze, rather than adding fuel to the flames. “This is something really big,” said Tudor.

After the embarrassment against Atletico Madrid, there was also a shift in the narrative. This time, Tudor did approach his goalkeeper when his involvement ended. He had been at fault for a goal, too, but there had been an appreciative tap. There was no early substitution, but it was no career-defining mistake. The recalled Guglielmo Vicario probably should have saved Szoboszlai’s free kick; but Tudor did not panic and, later, there were redemptive saves from Cody Gakpo, tipping his drive on to the near post, and Mohamed Salah, turning a half-volley wide, that kept Tottenham in the game. If Vicario’s initial inability to deal with Szoboszlai’s shot underlined why goalkeeper has been a problem position for Spurs this season, the Italian had coped well after being summoned in the Metropolitano. After the 18th minute, he excelled. “Vicario was good today,” said Tudor.

Antonin Kinsky, meanwhile, watched on from the bench, one of two goalkeepers there; had Vicario got injured, it would have been instructive if Tudor turned to him. Instead, he did make an influential substitution. It felt an indictment of Spurs’ summer business that, shorn of 13 players, the only two senior outfield players who did not start were Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani. Tudor brought both on and the France forward outmuscled Virgil van Dijk to square for Richarlison to finish.

The goal had been coming: for Tottenham in general and the Brazilian in particular. He had come close three times earlier; twice with headers, with Alisson saving the latter, and once with a shot his Brazil teammate saved after he had wriggled away from Van Dijk, claiming the Liverpool captain fouled him. The former Everton forward can take pleasure from annoying Liverpool; but until he struck, only goal difference was keeping Tottenham out of the drop zone. As Liverpool missed the chance to go fourth, there was an importance at either end of the table.

“Of course it is damaging,” said Slot; that damage extended to the relationship with the supporters who booed at the end. “I think it's understandable for fans to be frustrated,” Slot said. Liverpool’s latest underwhelming performance suggested his decisions backfired. He could have been forgiven for assuming that Spurs’ plight was such that they were very beatable and starting with Hugo Ekitike and Ibrahima Konate in reserve suggested they were being rested for a rematch with Galatasaray, though there was a greater case to say Salah, out of sorts in Istanbul on Tuesday, was dropped.

Yet while Gakpo hit the post and Rio Ngumoha sparkled on his first Premier League start, Liverpool’s front three comprised a winger operating as a striker, a teenager and a full-back, in Jeremie Frimpong. Liverpool had too little creativity, too little firepower, too poor decision-making. Indeed, the teams who finished third and fourth in the Champions League group stage lost the ball with alarming regularity.

But, not for the first time, Liverpool could be grateful for the increasingly remarkable Szoboszlai. Now only David Beckham and Laurent Robert have scored more free kicks in a Premier League campaign. This was not as superlative as the specials against Arsenal and Manchester City, not hit with the same velocity or finding the top corner. Vicario got his hand to it, but tipped it in.

Yet Liverpool could not get a second. Once again, they conceded late on. “Every time it happens in the last minute it is an enormous frustration,” said Slot. For Tottenham, frustration was replaced by jubilation. Just a fifth point in 12 games got Tudor off the mark and means he will not leave with nothing to show for his time in London. “I was never thinking one second about my future,” said Tudor. “Future is just imagination, future don't exist.” But the manager who seemed to have no future now looks likelier to survive at least another week.

Liverpool take on Tottenham in the Premier League this afternoon, with the hosts hoping to climb into the top five as the visitors look to try and stave off the threat of relegation.

Arne Slot’s side begin the day in sixth, level on points with Chelsea in the battle for top five, and while some of their recent performances – including in the losses to Wolves and Galatasaray – aren’t filling fans with hope, it is still all to play for after the Blues lost to Newcastle yesterday.

At the other end of the table, things are threatening to unravel at Spurs, with the remarkable 5-2 loss to Atletico in midweek the latest episode in a scarcely believable saga that could end in relegation.

Igor Tudor’s side sat just one point above the drop zone at the beginning of the weekend, but with club reportedly looking at targets to replace the Croatian, it could all get so much worse before it gets better in north London.

Igor Tudor is hoping for a drastic change in fortunes to save his and Tottenham’s skin as the relegation-threatened giants travel to Liverpool.

Both sides return to domestic action off the back of Champions League disappointment, with the Reds succumbing to a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in their last-16 first leg, while Spurs were once again embarrassed in a 5-2 thrashing by Atletico Madrid.

Liverpool will see the visit of a Spurs side devoid of inspiration as the perfect chance to get back to winning ways, while Tudor will know the walls are already closing in on his interim tenure.

Defeat at Anfield could see Tottenham, winless in 2026, finally drop into the drop zone, having gone into the weekend a mere point ahead of Nottingham Forest and West Ham below them.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Liverpool vs Tottenham?

Liverpool’s meeting with Tottenham kicks off at 4:30pm GMT on Sunday 15 March at Anfield.

How can I watch it?

Fans in the UK can watch the clash on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 4pm GMT. The match can also be streamed on Sky Go. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

Team news

Alisson could return for Liverpool after missing the defeat at Galatasaray through injury, while Arne Slot also added that Federico Chiesa could also return to contention following illness. Slot also provided an update on Alexander Isak, who is still managing his rehabilitation and is hopeful of a return in the coming weeks.

Tottenham’s injury list remains extensive, not helped by Micky van de Ven’s silly red card against Crystal Palace which sees him suspended for this clash. Cristian Romero and Palhinha’s availability is up in the air after a clash of heads against Atleti, forcing both off the pitch. Destiny Udogie is also a doubt with a thigh problem, while Guglielmo Vicario will surely return to the starting XI after Antonin Kinsky’s disaster in Madrid.

Predicted line-ups

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Ekitike.

Liverpool vs Spurs betting tips

Things don’t get any easier for Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, when they travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool, desperate for a win to ease their relegation fears (4:30pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

Spurs are just one point and two places outside the relegation zone at the time of writing, but their situation could be a lot more perilous by the time they kick off against the reigning Premier League champions.

Things have gone from bad to worse since Igor Tudor replaced Thomas Frank, with the Croatian having lost all four of his games in charge.

He was brought in because of his reputation for getting an immediate response, but if anything, Spurs are worse now than they were under Frank.

They have conceded 14 goals in those four games and scored five, in the defeats to Arsenal, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Atletico Madrid last time out.

Many felt he wouldn’t survive the aftermath of that defeat in Spain, which saw him make a surprise change in goal, giving Antonin Kinsky his first start since October, only to replace him after 17 minutes with Spurs already 3-0 down.

His side are now 15/8 with the football betting sites to be relegated, and 39/5 to get a win at Anfield, which would be their first in 15 years!

Liverpool vs Tottenham betting preview: More woe for Spurs

It’s not been a good season for Liverpool with their title defence falling flat. This season started ok but a run of nine defeats in 12 games between the end of September and November put pay to their chances of retaining the title.

They now sit 19 points behind Arsenal in sixth place, but know the only thing that matters this season is to ensure they qualify for next season’s Champions League, especially after their recent spending.

Arne Slot bought in eight new players in the summer for fees of over £400m, but it’s fair to say they’ve not settled as he would have hoped. Alexander Isak has made just 16 appearances, scoring three times before breaking his leg against Spurs in the reverse fixture.

Jeremie Frimpong has had an injury-interrupted start to life at Anfield, while fellow fullback Milos Kerkez has struggled to find the form he showed at Bournemouth last season.

The big bright sparks have been Hugo Ekitike, who has scored 16 goals in his first season, and Florian Wirtz, who is finally showing why the Reds were willing to spend £116m to bring him in from Bayer Leverkusen.

They go into the game with four wins in their last six in the League, but they were beaten last time out against the bottom side Wolves, going down 2-1.

They did follow that up with a 3-1 win over the same side in the FA Cup just three days later, but were beaten away at Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Mario Lemina scored the only goal of the game in Turkey, although Liverpool will be confident of overturning the deficit at Anfield on Wednesday.

Spurs were in action that same night, losing heavily to Atletico Madrid to extend their losing run to six straight defeats in all competitions.

Tudor’s side have conceded three or more goals seven times so far this season, including three of their last four, while Liverpool have scored three or more 12 times; their problem has often been at the other end of the pitch.

The Reds have conceded 39 goals in the league so far, which is only two fewer than in the whole of the last campaign, and betting sites are offering 7/4 on both teams to score and Liverpool to win.

Liverpool vs Spurs prediction 1: Liverpool to score over 2.5 goals - 11/10 BetMGM

Can Salah punish Spurs again?

Mo Salah’s form has been hit and miss for Liverpool this season, but he has struggled in the main to reach the form and incredible numbers from last season.

He has 16 for the season, but seven of those have come for his country, including four in the Africa Cup of Nations.

After scoring two in his last three games, he will be hoping he can get back to some sort of form against a team where his record is exceptional.

The forward has scored 16 goals against Spurs, with 12 of those coming in the Premier League, including three in his last three appearances against them.

He also has five assists in his 24 appearances against Tottenham, which is why the best price you can get on a goal or assist on betting apps is just 13/20 .

Liverpool vs Spurs prediction 2: Salah to score at any time - 7/4 BetVictor

Liverpool vs Spurs team news

Liverpool vs Spurs predicted lineups

Liverpool: Allison; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Ekitike

Spurs: Vicario; Danso, Romero, Dragusin; Porro, Gallagher, Gray, Spence; Kolo Muani, Solanke, Tel.

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These are free tools to help punters stay in control and they are available at various gambling sites, including the best bingo sites, casino sites, casino apps, slot sites and poker sites.

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Alisson Becker could return for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend after missing the Champions League trip through injury.

The Brazil shot-stopper was missing in the 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray, with Arne Slot’s side left with a last 16 deficit before next week’s return leg at Anfield.

Giorgi Mamardashvili deputised for Alisson, but Arne Slot has provided an update on his No 1’s condition and the chances of facing relegation-threatened Spurs.

“He felt something when he passed the ball in one of his muscles but after we checked it, it was minor,” Slot said.

“So it didn't take long, but games follow up so fast he had to miss Galatasaray, but hopefully he is ready to play Sunday.

“If not then definitely Galatasaray on Wednesday.”

While Slot added that Federico Chiesa could feature on Sunday, too.

“Chiesa, I expect he feels better; he is able to train with us today, Slot confirmed.

While Alexander Isak is still managing his rehabilitation with the Sweden striker hopeful of a return in the coming weeks.

“[Isak] is with the rehab team still not with the team yet,” Slot added.

The Dutch coach also expects a different Spurs test, despite their struggles, including a midweek thrashing at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

“You have to look at how those other games went, playing style, managers,” Slot said. “Ange was there last two times, known for different style than we mainly see in the Premier League now.

“So yeah, games are more open, as PSG v Chelsea was, two teams want to attack and press and that is not so common anymore that two teams want that style against each other. I expect a different Spurs setup than a year ago."

The article below is an excerpt from the Miguel Delaney: Inside Football newsletter.

Members of Inside Football and Independent Premium subscribers get the full column – alongside more bonus reporting from inside the Premier League – every Friday. Become a member for just £3 a month here.

Football history repeats itself a lot, especially as farce, which was particularly true of goalkeepers this week. Take a story from one of the vintage English Champions League ties, in Manchester United’s famous quarter-final against Real Madrid in 2002–03. Everyone wanted to talk about Ronaldo’s hat-trick afterwards, which was what one golfer apparently tried to do on seeing Sir Alex Ferguson play a round. The United manager’s great’s response? “Yeah, but what about the goalie?”

Apocryphal or exaggerated as such stories may be, Ferguson did jettison Fabian Barthez the very next window: summer 2003.

Many Premier League coaches might have felt the same over the past few days – “what about the goalie?” – except they had just picked them, in huge decisions.

Igor Tudor and poor Antonin Kinsky set an unfortunate theme, picked up by Rosenior and Filip Jorgensen, and surprisingly perpetuated by Gigi Donnarumma. The Italian, widely seen within the game as a “Robin van Persie signing” from Pep Guardiola in terms of specifically buying a player to win now, had some bad moments in that defeat to Real Madrid.

The repercussions – and they’re not necessarily all negative – are likely to go way beyond the Champions League. They may influence relegation, the title race and who actually gets back into the competition.

The obvious importance of your goalkeeper has always occupied an odd place in football, since there are many coaches who privately admit that this most exposed of positions is the one they understand the least. Some of the greatest managers are notorious for having blind spots about goalkeepers. And that is logical. Look how few goalkeepers become managers. The position has long been seen as something separate from the rest of football, a different aspect of the game.

Their increased integration into general play, however, is part of the issue here.

Unlock the rest of this article

To unlock the rest of this exclusive Inside Football column click here to become a member. You’ll also get access more bonus reporting in this week’s members-only newsletter, including:

After you join, you will receive the full, Friday edition of Miguel Delaney: Inside Football in your inbox.

The newsletter is sent at midday every Friday, with a free edition also landing on Monday evenings.

Tottenham have pushed back the deadline for supporters to renew their season tickets because of the threat of relegation from the Premier League.

Spurs sit only one point above the bottom three and are without a win in their last 11 league games, while boss Igor Tudor is under intense scrutiny after just four matches in charge.

In a communication to supporters, the club announced the period to renew season tickets will run until June 7, having initially been set to close two days after the end of the 2025-26 season on May 26.

“We recognise the seriousness of the current league position of our men’s team and, following discussions with our Fan Advisory Board and the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, can confirm the renewal window for 2026-27 will now remain open for an extended period until Sunday, June 7 to ensure fans have full clarity on next season before renewing,” read the notice.

“Everyone at the club remains absolutely steadfast in our collective commitment to improve our Premier League position and finish the current season as strongly as possible.”

Meanwhile, former England defeated Gary Neville has branded Tudor’s brief tenure a “car crash” that needs to be brought to an end.

The Croatian’s position was weakened significantly by Tuesday’s debacle against Atletico Madrid, where Tudor selected reserve keeper Antonin Kinsky only to substitute him 17 minutes in after his two errors contributed to Spurs falling 3-0 down.

They went on to lose 5-2, all but ending their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals, and, speaking to The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Neville said of the treatment of Kinsky: “I thought it was brutal.

“I thought the whole thing of the last few weeks and then that, the whole thing is just a car crash, a shambles.”

Tudor was only appointed four weeks ago following the sacking of Thomas Frank but Neville believes Tottenham must act again immediately.

“If you’re going to make another change, that for me needs to be today or tomorrow, because you don’t wait,” he added.

Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright agreed: “You don’t want to see anybody get sacked but, when you see somebody who’s blatantly out of their depth, it’s uncomfortable.

“For him to make that decision, for that poor goalkeeper, for him to go into a game like that at a club like that to start, I don’t know what he’s seen in training. For me, (Guglielmo) Vicario is the number one, he plays in that game.”

Tudor did not acknowledge the 22-year-old after hauling him off, but Roy Keane described the outcry as an overreaction, saying: “He (Kinsky) has made a couple of mistakes, huge mistakes.”

Former England striker Wayne Rooney added: “He’s tried to protect him but it looks horrendous. I think the biggest issue was starting him. I’ve no problem with him taking him off.

“Should he hug him? If I got brought off after 20 minutes, I wouldn’t want a hug off my manager. He can speak to him after the game.”

Former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, who is currently in charge at Hungarian side Ferencvaros, was cited as a possible replacement along with Sean Dyche.

Spurs forward Dominic Solanke spoke to Sky Sports ahead of Sunday’s trip to Liverpool, saying: “Obviously we as players know we haven’t been good enough, but we’re trying desperately to turn it around.

“We need everyone, the fans included, to help us, give us that extra boost and hopefully we can turn it around as soon as possible.”

Tottenham Hotspur have extended the deadline for fans to renew season tickets beyond the end of the season after acknowledging the “seriousness” of the club’s relegation threat.

Spurs are sat just a point above the drop zone with nine Premier League games to play and could very realistically succumb to one of the biggest humiliations in the history of English football.

The club have not won a league game in 2026 and currently look the most doomed out of the teams fighting for survival, which include Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Leeds United.

Spurs have now reached out to their season ticket holders to inform them that they will have the chance to learn the club’s fate before splashing out on a season ticket renewal, which can range from £850 to over £2,000.

In an email sent out to supporters, the club wrote: “We recognise the seriousness of the current league position of our men’s team and, following discussions with our Fan Advisory Board and the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, can confirm the renewal window for 2026/27 will now remain open for an extended period until Sunday 7 June to ensure fans have full clarity on next season before renewing.”

The club have frozen ticket prices for next season and also expanded the Young Adult age category - which carries a 25 percent discount from adult tickets - from 18-21 to 18-25.

While not referencing their potential relegation directly, Tottenham reiterated the commitment and desire to salvage their season, sparing themselves of the most high-profile demotion arguably since Manchester United’s drop over 50 years ago.

“Everyone at the club remains absolutely steadfast in our collective commitment to improve our Premier League position and finish the current season as strongly as possible,” the club continued.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank your incredible support during this time.”

Igor Tudor’s job is already under intense scrutiny after less than a month as interim boss, overseeing four dismal losses in his first four games. The Independent understands Sean Dyche is being considered as a potential replacement.

Spurs’ domestic woes crossed over into the Champions League this week, with Tudor watching his side fall 3-0 down at Atletico Madrid in the space of 15 minutes before replacing goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, whose inclusion in the starting line-up dramatically backfired. His side went on to lose 5-2 in the Spanish capital.

And while Tottenham’s European campaign is now all but over, it’s the Premier League run-in that really matters, with Spurs facing nine games to save their skin.

That begins with a tough trip to Liverpool on the weekend before a crucial relegation six-pointer with fellow strugglers Forest.

Meetings with Sunderland and Brighton then follow before travelling to Wolves, who despite being glued to the bottom of the table all season have found life at Molineux in recent weeks, taking points off leaders Arsenal before beating Champions League-chasing Aston Villa and Liverpool.

They’re back in the West Midlands to face Villa a week later before another pivotal relegation clash against Leeds, by the end of which their fate could be all but decided.

Their final two outings consist of a trip to Chelsea, who will dream of inflicting relegation on their London rivals, before ending the season at home to Everton.

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Who could replace Igor Tudor? Tottenham consider shock appointment as relegation fears grow

Miguel Delaney

Thursday 12 March 2026 10:43 GMT

Tottenham Hotspur are planning a significant club revamp and have approached Dougie Freedman for a sporting director role, with Bournemouth's Tiago Pinto also a candidate.

The club is currently in crisis, teetering on relegation, and are considering Sean Dyche as a potential replacement for manager Igor Tudor.

Tudor's abrasive approach and worsening results are deemed unsuitable for the current situation, leading to an acceptance that his tenure is not working out.

Dyche, known as a 'survival specialist', is being considered for his defensive order, but is reportedly reluctant to take a short-term role and faces complications from his recent sacking at Nottingham Forest.

The need for a summer overhaul is essential regardless of the season's outcome, though relegation would significantly alter the club's plans and budget.