Liverpool Echo

Our ECHO Jury have their say on the latest goings on at Anfield ahead of Saturday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool have enjoyed a relatively quiet week after back-to-back victories over Inter Milan and Brighton saw the Reds' season shift back towards the tracks, and Arne Slot will now have Tottenham Hotspur in his sights this weekend.

The Reds head to North London on a five-match unbeaten run and no doubt recalling last season's fine 6-3 victory over Spurs which cemented their position at the top of the table.

Liverpool remain a long way from such lofty heights now, but spirits are high among our Reds jury as they survey the scene ahead of another big weekend.

Here's what they think about the latest goings on at Anfield.

Rhys Buchanan

Have Liverpool turned a corner? After the season we’ve had with many false dawns, I think even the most optimistic of Liverpool fans will need a few more performances and results to truly believe the tide has turned.

With that being said you can’t not take enormous heart from our respective wins against Inter Milan and then Brighton last weekend. Not only have obvious names like Dominik Szoboszlai and Hugo Ekitike stepped up and delivered, I’ve been equally excited by the likes of Curtis Jones who had backed up his comments a few weeks ago with positive performances on the pitch.

Overall there seems to be a fluidity and flow about our play which is what seems to be a huge positive. I think the Reds have every reason to feel buoyed and confident heading into tomorrow’s clash against Spurs in what looks like a good time to play the North London side.

Yet in front of a home crowd with speculation about the manager’s future, they’re also a team needing results fast so it should be a gripping and fun encounter to watch.

Andrew Cullen

There is a bit more Christmas cheer in the air. A sturdy, gritty win against Inter, followed by a convincing win against Brighton has lifted spirits. The Salah tempest has settled, for now at least. It is still worrying though that the issue has been brushed under the carpet; it feels like a storm which could appear as quickly as it disappeared.

In a strange season with more failings than successes so far, there have been some small success stories. Szoboszlai continues to underline his leadership qualities, performing in an underperforming team.

Ekitike too has been a bright spark. Although he has been brought into a turbulent, changing, and chaotic front line, his quality hasn’t dimmed. He has a Torres-like quality to his play. The quandary for Slot is that Isak cannot be a luxury bench player.

But what can you do you when Ekitike continues to produce? Slot needs to be bold and lead with Ekitike as his star player. Competition for places should ignite the talent that we have, and once our talent ignites, we should start to see some stability and then success.

This season has felt like one step forward, 12 steps back. It would be uplifting if we could now get some momentum building, so we can salvage what has been a stuttering start to the season.

James Noble

Football, and its accompanying noise, changes quickly. That’s not exactly news, but hey. There are almost always broader patterns and trajectories, though, which can offer an overarching sense of direction.

Liverpool’s direction of travel this season has often appeared tough to read. It will, almost certainly, continue to fluctuate somewhat, but there’s now evidence of relatively sustained headway. Five unbeaten, featuring three wins and three clean sheets, is something for Arne Slot’s team to work from.

First and foremost, clearly, a collective effort. Yet, as ever, there are notable individual storylines weaved in.

Hugo Ekitike, rightly, took much of the acclaim at Anfield on Saturday, as his superbly taken double secured a valuable 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion and capped another rounded display from the 23-year-old. 10 goals in all competitions now, and so much encouragement.

Curtis Jones is another who has acted as a driving force, in and out of possession and on and off the pitch, while Miloš Kerkez continues to grow into the left-back role.

Dominik Szoboszlai has epitomised consistency, and Joe Gomez has stepped in classily recently– the concern around their respective injury issues reflects the level of their contributions, but the early indications appear quietly encouraging.

While seemingly ongoing, the situation around Mohamed Salah developed promisingly prior to his AFCON departure, too. Hopefully, that broader upward trajectory can continue at Tottenham on Saturday evening.

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.

Latest on Dominik Szoboszlai's hopes of being declared fit for Saturday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur

Dominik Szoboszlai is facing a race against time to be declared fit for Liverpool's trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

And a decision will now likely be taken on Friday ahead of the trip to North London the following day as Arne Slot's men look to make it six unbeaten in all competitions.

Szoboszlai has been one of the standout players of a difficult campaign so far for Slot's Premier League champions and has started all 16 fixtures of the Reds' league term, filling in as a right-sided full-back on occasion due to injuries and suspension to the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and most recently Joe Gomez.

However the Hungary captain picked up an ankle injury during Saturday's 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion and was withdrawn in the second period for Federico Chiesa. Prior to that late substitution at Anfield, Szoboszlai had played every minute for Slot in the league.

A decision is now expected to be taken over his inclusion for the travelling squad on Friday, with Slot set to speak to the media to preview the game from 9.45am at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby.

A fit Szoboszlai would be a significant boost for Slot given the form of the former RB Leipzig midfielder. The 2023 signing has arguably been the Reds' most consistent performer and the hope is that he will be able to declare himself ready for the trip to face Thomas Frank's side in the capital.

Joe Gomez is expected to miss the game after suffering what was feared to be a hamstring issue in the first half of Saturday's victory over Brighton but Conor Bradley is once more available for selection after serving a one-match ban against the Seagulls.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been tipped as the ideal candidate to take over at one major Premier League rival

Jurgen Klopp has been touted for an unexpected Premier League comeback, with Tottenham Hotspur being encouraged to appoint the ex-Liverpool manager. The rallying call was made by the club's former chairman, Lord Alan Sugar.

Klopp has been away from management since departing Anfield at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, following nearly nine years at the helm of Liverpool. He has since taken on a position as Red Bull's head of global football, though rumours of a return to the touchline continue to circulate.

Most recently his name has been mentioned in connection with the Real Madrid vacancy as Xabi Alonso faces mounting pressure following a difficult spell at the Bernabeu, but now a surprising return to England has been mooted.

Lord Sugar called on the Reds' next opponent, Spurs, to pursue Klopp as their next manager, with current head coach Thomas Frank coming under increasing scrutiny after an inconsistent start to the campaign.

The north Londoners are languishing in 11th place in the Premier League following a 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday - their sixth league loss of the season so far, fuelling questions about Frank's position.

Writing on X after the match, Lord Sugar proposed that the club should make a determined effort to bring in Klopp as the Dane's successor.

"With the massive fortune of the Lewis family it would be a win-win situation if they hired Jurgen Klopp in January," the star of The Apprentice said.

"Loads of money for players and a great manager. Who agrees?"

However, Klopp himself appears to be amongst those who wouldn't be in agreement. The 58 year old has displayed minimal appetite for returning to management, though he hasn't entirely dismissed the possibility.

What he has categorically rejected, however, is any chance of managing another Premier League club besides Liverpool.

"If you ask me, 'Will you ever work as a manager again?' I would say now no," Klopp remarked following his announcement to depart the Reds.

"But I don't know obviously how that will feel because I never had the situation. What I know definitely – I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 per cent. That's not possible. My love for this club, my respect for the people is too big. I couldn't.

"I couldn't for a second think about it. There's no chance. This is part of my life, we are part of the family, we feel home here. There's no chance to do that. But all the rest, will I ever work again? Of course, I know myself, I cannot just sit around."

For the latest news and breaking news, visit liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter @‌LivEchoLFC - the official Liverpool ECHO LFC Twitter account - for all the latest LFC news as it happens in real time.

We're also on Facebook/LiverpoolEchoLFC - your must-see LFC news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.

Listen to our podcasts by searching for 'Blood Red' wherever you get your podcasts.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has opened up on playing alongside Virgil van Dijk for Netherlands and named Alexander Isak as his toughest Premier League opponent

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has discussed what it's like playing alongside Virgil van Dijk for the Netherlands and revealed his most challenging opponent. The Dutch international has established himself as one of the Premier League's finest defenders since his move to north London from Wolfsburg in August 2023.

Van de Ven has built a rock-solid centre-back partnership with Christian Romero that played a crucial role in Spurs lifting the Europa League last season - the club's first major silverware in 17 years.

Speaking to the Overlap, the 24-year-old reflected on his time in English football so far - including his bond with Liverpool's Van Dijk. The duo are expected to anchor the Netherlands' backline at next summer's World Cup finals.

He said: "We have a good relationship – we speak on the pitch, and I also speak with him off the pitch. Everybody can see he's an unbelievable defender.

"It's always good to play next to him because you always know what he can do. You trust him and you know what he can do, and what he can bring into the game – I have a good relationship with him."

Van de Ven has also singled out Liverpool's Alexander Isak as his toughest adversary. The Swedish striker has found life difficult following his £125m transfer to Anfield, though he established himself as one of the world's elite forwards during his time at Newcastle.

He added: "Last season, we played against Newcastle in the game we lost and I slipped, Alexander Isak was different level.

"At this point, I knew he was a top player. I always knew he was good, but this game was when I saw it first-hand.

"His movement, he's technical, he's fast and he's a top finisher, and he's just an all-round top player."

Amid fierce criticism of how he handled his move to Merseyside - Isak said in September that people do not have the "full picture" on the details of his transfer.

Speaking to the Swedish media, he said: "Not everyone has the full picture, but that's something for another day.

"That's part of football. I can't control everything that is said or written but I'm glad I became a Liverpool player. That's what I wanted and I'm happy about that.

"There is a lot to discuss, and it can be discussed for a long time. It has been educational, and I'm happy with the final result.

"I'm happy and proud to be a Liverpool player. I don't want to go into details or talk about that situation too much.

"It is a closed chapter, but I have never had any problems."

The latest Liverpool news, views and transfer rumours as Arne Slot's side prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon

Following a victory over Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League, Arne Slot is now focusing on this Saturday's match against Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool are currently on a five-game unbeaten streak in all competitions and have a full midweek to prepare for their clash with Spurs.

Dominik Szoboszlai and Joe Gomez were the unfortunate casualties of the match against The Seagulls, with Slot confirming that Gomez is likely to be absent from this weekend's game against Thomas Frank's team. However, there's a glimmer of hope for Szoboszlai, who may still play despite an ankle injury.

After 16 matches in the league, Liverpool sit in seventh place with 26 points. They're just two points shy of the top four, with Chelsea currently occupying that spot ahead of Crystal Palace, Manchester United and the Reds.

Ahead of the festive fixture on Saturday, Mirror Football provides an update on the latest news from Anfield.

Marc Guehi transfer update

The Manchester Evening News has reported that Manchester City have added Marc Guehi to their transfer shortlist, putting Liverpool under pressure to secure his services in the January transfer window.

The centre-back was on the brink of joining the Reds in the summer window, but the £35million deal fell through on deadline day. His current contract with Palace expires in the summer and he won't be renewing his agreement with the club.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish pulled the plug on the transfer after Palace couldn't line up a suitable replacement, which would have been vital for their European campaign this season.

Alongside Liverpool and City, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich are also said to be monitoring his situation. Guehi is undoubtedly amongst the most coveted defenders on the planet at present.

Reflecting on the failed transfer earlier this month, Guehi commented: "I think everyone has this perception that it was difficult. Actually, it wasn't difficult. It wasn't difficult at all. Because when you're focused on what's the most important thing, it becomes easy.

"I know that God has a plan for me, and whatever that plan will be, will come into fruition at some point. But the goal and the focus has always been playing football and trying to do the best I can. And fortunately for me, I get to to it with people like Max (Lacroix)."

Goalkeeper sets sights on European glory

Liverpool's Ajax loanee Vitezslav Jaros harbours ambitions of returning to Merseyside and establishing himself as a key player for the club.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper also dreams of lifting the Champions League trophy with Liverpool, though he's currently Ajax's first-choice keeper after being third in the pecking order under Slot last term. "If I say I'm satisfied, how can I improve?" he questioned in an interview with De Telegraaf.

"When I'm ready to become Liverpool's first-choice goalkeeper - especially with two formidable competitors like Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili - is difficult to say.

"Because taking their place isn't easy. But that's ultimately the goal. And once I succeed, I want to win the Champions League. I'm 24 years old, but I've moved around a lot and - partly due to a few loan spells as a Liverpool goalkeeper - I've already played for eight clubs.

"The path to the top is simply different for goalkeepers than for outfield players. Especially in England, when you play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, you don't get that chance until you're eighteen or nineteen. So I felt I needed to gain experience elsewhere, and the club agreed. It's made me stronger and better.

"I'm really pleasantly surprised (about the quality in the Netherlands). There are many great and big clubs in the Netherlands with quality players, which means many matches are close and difficult to win. And the stadiums may not be as impressive as in the Premier League, but they're still very nice. And you hardly see any empty seats."

Liverpool have unhappy memories of a particular Premier League referee, whom they will meet again in their clash with Tottenham this weekend.

John Brooks has been appointed to referee Liverpool's Premier League clash with Tottenham on Saturday. Liverpool have unhappy memories of Brooks, who sent off Virgil van Dijk during their match against Newcastle United at St James’ Park in August 2023.

Van Dijk was dismissed for denying his now teammate, Alexander Isak, a goalscoring opportunity. The Liverpool skipper received an automatic one‑match ban before being handed an additional suspension and a £100,000 fine by the Football Association after refusing to leave the pitch and remonstrating with Brooks and fourth official Craig Pawson.

The Reds went on to win 2-1 despite playing with ten men for more than an hour, with Darwin Nunez coming off the bench to score twice. In February, Brooks was previously dropped from VAR duties for Liverpool's derby with Everton and Arsenal's clash with Manchester City, following his controversial decision to rule out Brighton's goal in their 1‑1 draw with Crystal Palace.

Brooks has since refereed four Liverpool matches, most recently the 2-1 Premier League win over Chelsea in October.

For the match against Tottenham, Anthony Taylor will act as the fourth official, with Stuart Attwell on Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duty.

Last month, Attwell was criticised for a major decision in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Aston Villa.

Amadou Onana avoided a red card after he appeared to grab Alexis Mac Allister by the throat as Villa prepared to take a corner.

"The fact they were pushing and shoving each other and all right, he's raised his arm, probably a bit higher than he wanted, but he's pushing," said former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher on Sky Sports' Ref Watch programme.

"Stuart's [Attwell] got to decide, is it violent? Is it an act of brutality?

"He said: 'No,' he's obviously relayed to the VAR what he's seen, VAR has checked it back. The referee said, yellow card only."

On another occasion, during the League Cup semi-final first leg at Tottenham in January 2022, Attwell angered the Liverpool camp by failing to dismiss Lucas Bergvall, moments before that player scored the winner.

The 18-year-old was booked midway through the second half for a late challenge on Luis Diaz.

He then escaped a second yellow card moments before scoring after lunging in on Kostas Tsimikas.

Ahead of Saturday, it is another must‑win game for Liverpool in north London, with Slot's side aiming to secure back‑to‑back victories after recent draws against Sunderland and Leeds United.

Liverpool are set to be without a number of players when they take on Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday

Liverpool could be left without as many as seven senior players when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Arne Slot bemoaned only having 13 available outfield players ahead of the Reds’ clash with Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.

And while a Hugo Ekitike brace was enough to see Slot's side run out 2-0 winners, the victory came at a price as the Dutchman also saw his options depleted further.

Joe Gomez was forced off midway through the first half with a hamstring injury, while Dominik Szoboszlai limped off late on after injuring his ankle. And while Mohamed Salah came on to replace the former, Liverpool will now be without the Egyptian, too, after he departed for Africa Cup of Nations duty.

Slot was only able to name an eight-man bench rather than the maximum permitted nine against the Seagulls. And even then, his reserve options included two players who are yet to feature in the Premier League in Wellity Lucky and Calvin Ramsay.

Liverpool will at least be able to welcome Conor Bradley back for the trip to North London in the Reds’ final outing before Christmas after he missed the win over Brighton through suspension.

But Slot will likely have to turn the club’s academy again to fill his matchday squad due to his side’s ongoing injury woes.

He has already confirmed that he expects Gomez to miss the trip to Tottenham, while Szoboszlai is also a doubt.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Jeremie Frimpong will be available as he closes in on a return, having been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the end of October.

"If I have a player who goes off with a muscle injury like Joe (Gomez), that's normally not a positive thing,” Slot told the club after beating Brighton. "I would not expect him to be in the squad next week [at Tottenham Hotspur]. But sometimes you get a positive surprise.

"People now maybe understand a bit better why I was always so cautious not to play him so many games. I assume many people thought, 'If you have a defender, if you have a right full-back, why don't you play him?'

"And Dom (Szoboszlai), it was his ankle. It didn't look great when I just saw him. But he has unbelievable mentality so let's hope for the best.

"The good thing is that Conor Bradley comes back from a suspension and normally Jeremie Frimpong will train with us also.

"But we're also going to miss Mo (Salah) because he is going to go to the Africa Cup of Nations."

Liverpool are already without Cody Gakpo and Wataru Endo after Slot confirmed last week they are both set to be sidelined for a number of weeks with muscle and ankle injuries respectively.

Elsewhere, Giovanni Leoni remains a long-term absentee after being ruled out for the season after undergoing surgery on an ACL injury suffered during his debut for the club back in September.

Meanwhile, it is unclear why Trey Nyoni was not included in the matchday squad to face Brighton, while the likes of youngsters Stefan Bajcetic, Jayden Danns (both hamstring) and Kaide Gordon (meniscus) are also still sidelined because of injury.

Szoboszlai, Gomez, Gakpo - Liverpool injury latest and return dates ahead of Tottenham

Liverpool injury news and return dates including updates on Dominik Szoboszlai and Joe Gomez following Saturday's 2-0 win over Brighton at Anfield

Anfield was overcome with joy on Saturday afternoon as Liverpool recorded their first home victory in over a month against Brighton. However, in doing so the Reds saw two more players added to their injury list in the process.

First, it was Joe Gomez who was forced off only 26 minutes into the action. The defender - after assisting Hugo Ekitike's 46-second opener - was struck down with a muscle injury and replaced by Mohamed Salah.

"If I have a player who goes off with a muscle injury like Joe, that's normally not a positive thing," Arne Slot stated after the full-time whistle. "I would not expect him to be in the squad next week [at Tottenham Hotspur]. But sometimes you get a positive surprise.

"The good thing is that Conor Bradley comes back from a suspension [next week] and normally Jeremie Frimpong will train with us also."

The Dutchman has not featured since October's Champions League meeting with Frankfurt due to a hamstring injury, but looks set to ease Slot's right-back problem ahead of Liverpool's trip to Spurs on Saturday, December 20.

On Dominik Szoboszlai, who carried on with an injury suffered in before 70 minutes against the Seagulls until he was substituted in the 83rd minute, Slot added: "It was his ankle. It didn't look great when I just saw him. But he has unbelievable mentality so let's hope for the best."

Liverpool came to host Brighton already in the knowledge they would be without Cody Gakpo and Wataru Endo at their disposal.

Gakpo last featured in the 3-3 draw with Leeds United at eight days ago, playing 83 minutes. He was replaced by Endo for the final stint of the match at Elland Road.

The former had suffered a muscle issue and it eventually proved costly for the latter too, who came away with a knee problem. Slot confirmed ahead of Brighton that both will be unavailable for a number of weeks, thus ruling them out until after Christmas.

The Reds host last-placed Wolves on Saturday, December 27, before welcoming Leeds to Anfield on New Year's Day.

Meanwhile, central defender Giovanni Leoni is out with a long-term knee issue and will likely miss the remainder of the season. This was suffered on his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup back in September.

For the latest news and breaking news, visit liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter @‌LivEchoLFC - the official Liverpool ECHO LFC Twitter account - for all the latest LFC news as it happens in real time.

We're also on Facebook/LiverpoolEchoLFC - your must-see LFC news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.

Listen to our podcasts by searching for 'Blood Red' wherever you get your podcasts.

Former Chelsea defender Khalid Boulahrouz has urged Liverpool to target Micky van de Ven as a long-term replacement for captain Virgil van Dijk

Khalid Boulahrouz believes Liverpool should look to sign Micky van de Ven, labelling the Dutchman as the ‘ideal successor’ to Reds captain Virgil van Dijk. The 24-year-old joined Tottenham Hotspur in a move worth up to £43m from VfL Wolfsburg in the summer of 2023.

However, he had also repeatedly been linked with a move to Anfield at the time, having previously been signed by then-Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke for the Bundesliga outfit in the first place.

The centre-back has impressed for Spurs this season under Thomas Frank, bouncing back strongly after an injury-plagued campaign last term. Scoring six goals from 16 appearances, the Dutchman has also helped his side keep seven clean sheets so far this season.

And with Van Dijk not getting any younger, former Chelsea defender Boulahrouz insists that Van de Ven would be the perfect long-term replacement for the 34-year-old for both club and country.

“I think he's the ideal successor to Virgil van Dijk, both in the Dutch national team and at Liverpool,” the former Netherlands international told ESPN NL. "And Liverpool aren't crazy: if you're looking for a world-class left centre-back and you have the money, you'll quickly end up with Van de Ven.

"The same goes for the Dutch national team. I think Koeman has long since realized that Van Dijk's successor is already out there.

"He's (Van de Ven) really outperforming them. He's physically strong and incredibly quick. Opponents know that, so they don't even try to get past him anymore.

“He could still do better on the ball; he makes the occasional blunder. But overall, I think he's fantastic.”

Van Dijk signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool back in April before captaining the Reds to the Premier League title, but has come in for criticism this season as Arne Slot’s side continue to struggle.

Boulahrouz has defended his compatriot though, insisting he is still world class. But he concedes that after so many years at the highest level with Liverpool, Van Dijk might be nearing a time when he starts to slow down.

"Virgil is still undisputed in the Dutch national team,” he said. “Even though Liverpool haven't been performing quite as well lately. Diogo Jota's passing has had a huge impact on the squad.

“In addition, many new players have joined. That has an impact, and you can see that with Van Dijk. But despite that, he remains a world-class player.

“The question, of course, is what Virgil will do after the World Cup. Playing in the Premier League for years has taken its toll. You might long for a bit of a break.”