Sports Mole

Manchester United are reportedly preparing to go head-to-head with Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of Lyon attacker Rayan Cherki during this summer's transfer window.

Cherki has been in outstanding form for his French club during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 12 goals and registering 19 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions, including eight goals and 10 assists in 27 Ligue 1 matches.

The 21-year-old also managed four goals and eight assists in 12 Europa League outings, as Lyon reached the quarter-finals of the competition before being spectacularly eliminated by Manchester United.

There is currently a host of speculation surrounding Cherki's future, as his contract is due to expire in June 2026, and Les Gones are said to be willing to sell him for the right price during the upcoming market.

According to CaughtOffside, Man United and Spurs are currently leading the race for Cherki, with the pair potentially battling for his signature during the summer market.

Man United, Spurs 'battling' for Cherki deal

The report claims that Bayern Munich are also showing an interest, but the expectation is that he will make the move to the Premier League.

Lyon allegedly want in the region of €35m (£30m) for Cherki, who has also been linked with AC Milan, Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen.

The Frenchman starred during both legs of Lyon's Europa League quarter-final against Man United, scoring in the first match in France before finding the back of the net in the reverse game in Manchester.

Man United head coach Ruben Amorim is believed to have been impressed with Cherki's performance against his side, and his affordable price tag has made him a genuine target for the 20-time English champions this summer.

Where would Cherki fit into Amorim's XI?

It is not difficult to understand why Man United are keen on Cherki considering that he is perfect for one of the number 10 spots in Amorim's 3-4-3 system, with huge changes planned in the attacking department this summer.

Antony, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford are all set to leave, while Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho could both be sold for the right price, with Amorim looking to bring in system players ahead of next season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Cunha is viewed as the leading target, with Man United extremely confident when it comes to signing the Brazil international, while Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze is also admired.

Arsenal will have to take a leaf out of Tottenham Hotspur's book if they are to turn their Champions League semi-final with Paris Saint-Germain around next week.

After all the pre-game hype and raucous atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, Gooners left disappointed as Luis Enrique's side earned a precious 1-0 first-leg win.

Ousmane Dembele's early strike - his 33rd goal of the season in all competitions - was decisive for a PSG side who could have easily scored more in the opening exchanges, although Mikel Arteta's men soon began to get a foothold in the tie.

However, delight turned to despair when Mikel Merino's header was ruled out for offside, while Gianluigi Donnarumma made some crucial saves from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard in North London.

The Italy international has been lauded for his displays throughout the tournament so far and made five saves in total tonight, the most for any PSG goalkeeper in a Champions League knockout game on record.

Arsenal must emulate Tottenham to progress to Champions League final

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Arsenal will now head to the Parc des Princes next week as huge underdogs to turn the tie around, as only two teams have ever prevailed in a Champions League semi-final battle when losing the first leg away from home.

One of those sides was none other than Arsenal's arch-nemesis Tottenham, who memorably advanced to the 2018-19 Champions League semi-final after a tremendous comeback job against Ajax.

The Lilywhites lost 1-0 at home in the first leg and then fell 2-0 down in Amsterdam in the return fixture, only for Lucas Moura to conjure up a heroic hat-trick to send Mauricio Pochettino's team to the final.

Coincidentally, Ajax were the first and only other side to overturn a Champions League semi-final deficit away from home, doing so in the 1995-96 tournament against Greek giants Panathinaikos.

Again, the Dutch titans were slain 1-0 on their own patch before progressing with a 3-0 victory in Athens, where legendary Finnish playmaker Jari Litmanen struck two of Ajax's three goals on the night.

Arsenal's David Raya: 'We dominated the game'

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The statistics told the story of a closely-fought contest, as Arsenal had 48% of the ball and one fewer shot than PSG, although their Expected Goals (xG) total of 1.65 bettered that of their opponents' 1.14.

In David Raya's opinion, Arsenal were on the front foot for the majority of the match, telling Amazon Prime: "They started quick with a goal and they dominated the first 15-20 minutes but after that we dominated most of the game, created the chances.

"I've not seen [disallowed] goal back but we needed that lift and we showed from the 25th minute of the first half that we can win against any team. We have showed in the season we can win away games too so we'll go to Paris next week trying to win.

"It's only half-time, we take positives. They are a top team but credit to the players for the effort - we could've won the game. We played well, we put them on the back foot, hurt them and we created a lot of chances as well. We know we can win against any team."

Before thoughts of a trip to Paris take precedence, Arsenal must welcome Bournemouth to the Emirates on Saturday in the Premier League, where they are yet to wrap up a top-five finish.

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Looking to salvage their season and win a first European trophy in 41 years, Tottenham Hotspur host Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday night.

Spurs are aiming for some success on the continent following a battering at the base of Liverpool on the weekend, with Superlaget providing unique opposition for the Premier League side in this final-four clash.

Match preview

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Requiring only a point to lift the Premier League title in front of their passionate Merseyside crowd on Sunday afternoon, Liverpool were unsurprisingly too strong for an out-of-sorts Tottenham, who succumbed to their third straight defeat on the domestic scene in sobering style.

There was a four-minute spell of hope for the travelling Spurs after marquee signing Dominic Solanke netted a shock opener at Anfield for the visitors, however Arne Slot's winning machine soon got back on title-clinching track, with the Reds ending the afternoon as 5-1 victors and 20-time English champions.

With four matches remaining of a woeful top-flight campaign, Ange Postecoglou's troops are languishing down in 16th spot in the league standings, meaning that they are on course to match their worst-ever Premier League campaign, spared of a relegation battle by the weakness of the newly-promoted sides this year.

Lifting trophies in his second seasons at Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F Marinos and Celtic, 59-year-old Postecoglou has a glorious opportunity to add a further honour to his CV despite a stuttering campaign, hoping to end the Lilywhites' 17-year wait for a major piece of silverware.

Despite their well-documented struggles in the Premier League, Spurs have been a formidable force in this season's Europa League and provided a memorable night for supporters at Deutsche Bank Park on April 17, when a Solanke penalty was enough to squeeze past 2021-22 winners Eintracht Frankfurt at the quarter-final stage.

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Despite representing a surprise name in the final four of this season's Europa League, Bodo/Glimt have been shaking up the Scandinavian scene ever since their maiden Eliteserien title in 2020, so it should not be a massive shock that Kjetil Knutsen's troops have become the first Norwegian side to reach the semi-finals of a senior UEFA's men's club competition.

Superlaget have clinched their domestic crown in back-to-back terms between 2023 and 2024, entering the current 2025 calendar as favourites to retain the title, starting their Elitserien campaign unbeaten, winning three and drawing one of their opening quartet of matches.

Bodo/Glimt enjoyed an ideal warm-up ahead of Thursday night's blockbuster trip to N17 on Sunday afternoon, when a Kasper Waarts Hogh brace and a late strike from Ulrik Saltnes was enough to secure a comfortable three-goal success over strugglers KFUM Oslo in the top flight.

Bagging a brilliant double off the bench on the weekend, Danish marksman Hogh is the leading light for Superlaget at the top end of the pitch, netting seven goals across 12 Europa League appearances this term to date, meaning that he is tied at the summit of the competition's Golden Boot race with Ayoub El Kaabi of Olympiacos.

The Norwegian champions have lost all three of their previous meetings with English opposition ahead of Thursday's semi-final first leg, although Knutsen's men were competitive during their latest trip to the British Isles during the League Phase in November, when they snatched a surprise lead at Manchester United before losing 3-2.

Tottenham Hotspur Europa League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Bodo/Glimt Europa League form:

Bodo/Glimt form (all competitions):

Team News

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After making eight changes for their slaughtering at Anfield on Sunday, Tottenham boss Postecoglou should revert to a full-strength XI on Thursday night as his side chase down much-needed silverware.

As a result, centre-back pairing Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero will be restored to the team, replacing Ben Davies and winter arrival Kevin Danso.

There are also set to be alterations in the midfield, with Rodrigo Bentancur preparing to start the first leg after sitting out of the Anfield defeat.

South Korean sensation Heung-min Son remains a doubt for the hosts after missing the last four matches, however Spurs are hopeful that the attacker will be fit to feature during the all-important second leg next week.

The Lilywhites are unable to call upon the services of defender Radu Dragusin (knee), whilst Antonin Kinsky and Timo Werner are not registered for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Bodo/Glimt are speeding towards an availability crisis as they approach their first-ever European semi-final, with Andreas Helmersen, Patrick Berg and Hakon Evjen all suspended for the trip to North London.

Superlaget suffered another major blow to their hopes of victory in England on Sunday, when ever-present defender Odin Bjortuft was forced off with a groin injury during the victory over KFUM.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Tel

Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:

Haikin; Sjovold, Nielsen, Gundersen, Bjork; Fet, Auklend, Saltnes; Blomberg, Hauge, Hogh

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Bodo/Glimt

Despite coming into this two-legged affair as favourites to progress, Tottenham are unlikely to get the job done the easy way, starting with the hosting of Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night.

Superlaget are searching for their first win over English opposition, and although they are unlikely to claim that triumph in North London, they should still be in tie ahead of the second leg at Aspmyra Stadion.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly had a request to move their Premier League match with Aston Villa 'strongly opposed' by Unai Emery's side.

The Villans and Lilywhites are due to lock horns in the top flight at Villa Park on Sunday, May 18, three days before the Europa League final takes place at San Mames in Bilbao.

Spurs could be contesting the continental final against either Athletic Bilbao or Manchester United if they can get past Bodo/Glimt in their semi-final, with the first leg taking place on Wednesday.

If Ange Postecoglou's men do reach the showpiece match, they would currently only have two full days between their game with Villa and the final to recuperate and travel to Bilbao.

As a result, the Birmingham Mail claims that Tottenham have asked to move their meeting with Villa from May 18 to May 15, giving them ample time to recover for a potential Europa League final on May 21.

Aston Villa 'emphatically oppose' Spurs request

However, Villa are said to be strongly opposed to Tottenham's request, and the Lions have written to the Premier League to make their feelings clear on the matter.

Aston Villa apparently believe that rescheduling the fixture for Spurs' preferred date of May 15 would be unfair, as the Lions have often had to play with only two or three days' rest this season due to their Champions League commitments.

Emery's men have played eight times across all competitions in April - five Premier League games, two Champions League ties and one FA Cup fixture - and they have never had longer than three days in between fixtures this month.

Fatigue from such a gruelling season appeared to be evident in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace, where Emery's men were played off the park in a 3-0 loss to Oliver Glasner's side.

Tottenham did not fare any better in a 5-1 Premier League pummelling at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday, a result that secured the Reds the title with four games to spare.

Comparing Aston Villa and Tottenham's end-of-season run-ins

With their European and FA Cup dreams dashed, Aston Villa's sole focus between now and the end of the season is the frantic fight for Champions League football, as they lie seventh in the Premier League table and three points off the top five.

Emery's side will at least now enjoy longer breaks in between matches, facing Fulham on May 3, Bournemouth on May 10, Spurs on May 18 - for now - and Manchester United on May 25.

Fulham are just one place and six points below Villa in the rankings, while Bournemouth are three places and seven points worse off, so dissatisfactory results in those games could significantly harm their European aspirations.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have a date with West Ham United pencilled in for May 4, either side of their two clashes with Bodo/Glimt on May 1 and May 8, the latter of which comes three days before a top-flight battle with Crystal Palace.

The Europa League final on May 21 also comes just four days before their last game of the season at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, so one cannot knock the Lilywhites for requesting to have the game moved, nor can they bemoan Aston Villa for opposing it. body check tags ::

Liverpool slaughtered a sorry Tottenham Hotspur side 5-1 to clinch their second Premier League title and 20th English top-flight crown, equalling Manchester United's all-time record in the process.

Simply needing to claim a point to avoid waiting any longer, Arne Slot's holders-in-waiting did not follow the script in the first 15 minutes, as former flame Dominic Solanke stunned the Kop with a brilliant header from a corner.

However, the response from the Reds was the response of champions, as Luis Diaz's leveller, Alexis Mac Allister's latest thunderbolt and a tidy Cody Gakpo finish saw normal service resume and leave the hosts just 45 minutes away from stardom.

Not content to declare at three, Liverpool went for the jugular against their abysmal visitors and did not end the afternoon without a couple of goals in front of the Kop, as Mohamed Salah notched Premier League goal number 28 for the season before Destiny Udogie's own goal capped off a five-star afternoon.

Slot and Ange Postecoglou embraced on the touchline a couple of minutes before the full-time whistle, which triggered the best kind of Merseyside mayhem as red smoke engulfed the ground.

As Liverpool revel in a guaranteed first-placed finish, Tottenham remain down in 16th spot in the Premier League table, and the perennially serene Slot finally allowed himself to let loose when the party started.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

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The race for the crown is mathematically over today, but it was realistically over a long time ago, and a jam-packed Anfield can finally soak up the glory of a Premier League title win.

COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 did not stop thousands of supporting breaking social distancing regulations to gather outside the stadium, but Liverpool players lifting the trophy aloft in front of empty seats inside the ground was surreal in the worst sense of the word.

However, following a near-seamless transition into a post-Jurgen Klopp world, Liverpool are officially the best team in the land once again, and their fans could hardly have wished for a more emphatic way to rubber-stamp such a status.

Amid all the Liverpool delight, however, there is Tottenham despair, and Postecoglou has now equalled Ossie Ardiles's record for the most Premier League defeats by a single Spurs head coach in one season.

The Europa League of course takes precedence for Tottenham, but the manner in which they capitulated against the champions was nothing short of embarrassing, and even continental glory may not be enough to earn Postecoglou a stay of execution after Sunday's horror show.

Today belongs to the men in red, though, and with the evergreen Virgil van Dijk and Salah staying on to keep the Slot machine whirring next season, who knows what the Liverpool luminaries could achieve next.

LIVERPOOL VS. TOTTENHAM HIGHLIGHTS

Dominic Solanke goal vs. Liverpool (12th min, Liverpool 0-1 Tottenham)

Something about cats and pigeons.

Tottenham sew the smallest seed of doubt into Liverpool fans' minds, as James Maddison's corner is bang on the money for ex-Reds striker Solanke, who easily evades Diaz and heads into the far corner past a stranded Alisson Becker.

Luis Diaz goal vs. Tottenham (16th min, Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham)

Never in doubt.

Salah slips in Dominik Szoboszlai down the right-hand side of the Tottenham box, and the Hungarian squares for Diaz to scramble home the equaliser on his 100th Premier League appearance.

The linesman initially believed that Szoboszlai was just ahead of the last defender, but a VAR review shows that Kevin Danso just played him on, and Liverpool have their champions status back.

Alexis Mac Allister goal vs. Tottenham (24th min, Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham)

Death, taxes, and Mac Allister scoring screamers.

Tottenham have not helped themselves whatsoever since Solanke's opener, and the Lilywhites get caught playing out from the back as Ryan Gravenberch gets his body in the way of Archie Gray and the ball.

Mac Allister picks up the pieces, shifts the ball onto his left and rifles a wonderful 20-yard strike into the top corner; it was past Guglielmo Vicario in a flash, and that aforementioned seed of doubt has surely now been extinguished.

Cody Gakpo goal vs. Tottenham (34th min, Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham)

The trophy engraver can probably get a head-start right about now.

Mac Allister stands over a corner on the right-hand side, and the wind prevents him from launching a cross into the box a few times before he finally gets his delivery in.

Lucas Bergvall can only half-clear to Gakpo just inside the box, and the Dutchman works a yard of space before picking out the far corner with a wonderful finish through a sea of bodies.

He gets a yellow card for removing his shirt and showing off his "I belong to Jesus" vest - the same message Kaka famously sported - but that might be the most trivial booking of the season.

The perfect end to a near-perfect afternoon.

A Tottenham attack is stopped in its tracks and Liverpool break away through Szoboszlai, who has Salah free to his right and lays off the Egyptian just outside the Tottenham penalty area.

Udogie is powerless to stop Salah cutting inside onto his left foot, and the Golden Boot leader ends a four-game Premier League goal drought with a thunderous finish inside Vicario's near post.

A selfie with the Kop to celebrate a new contract, a second Premier League title, and a goal that makes him the competition's highest foreign goalscorer of all time.

Destiny Udogie own goal vs. Tottenham (69th min, Liverpool 5-1 Tottenham)

That Solanke header feels like an age ago for Tottenham now.

A deflected Diogo Jota effort falls into the path of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose low ball across is intended for Salah, but Udogie accidentally taps into his own net in his attempts to deny the Egyptian a second.

MAN OF THE MATCH - ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER

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If Arsenal got Declan Rice half price, what did Liverpool get Mac Allister for?

Not just adding to his collection of wonder strikes, the Argentine fulcrum put in an energy-zapping display that typified his astounding season, also putting in six tackles, registering three shots and creating two chances for his teammates.

Team of the Season worthy? Hard to argue against it.

LIVERPOOL VS. TOTTENHAM MATCH STATS

Possession: Liverpool 63%-37% Tottenham

Shots: Liverpool 25-8 Tottenham

Shots on target: Liverpool 8-3 Tottenham

Corners: Liverpool 8-2 Tottenham

Fouls: Liverpool 16-9 Tottenham

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WHAT NEXT?

Party time.

And once that is over, Liverpool complete the formalities of their triumphant Premier League season, firstly heading to Chelsea on May 4 before hosting Arsenal seven days later.

Meanwhile, all Spurs eyes are now on the first leg of their Europa League semi-final with Bodo/Glimt on Thursday, which precedes a Premier League London derby away to West Ham United on May 4.

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Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed their starting lineups for Sunday's Premier League clash at Anfield, where the Reds need just a point to win the title with four games to spare.

Arne Slot has made just two changes to the side that edged out Leicester City 1-0 last Sunday, and the match-winner from that clash - Trent Alexander-Arnold - has unsurprisingly been recalled to the XI in place of Conor Bradley, who misses out due to a knock.

On the opposite side of defence, Andy Robertson has taken Kostas Tsimikas's place, but it is otherwise the same side that saw off the Foxes over the Easter weekend.

Slot has kept faith with Luis Diaz in the number nine position over Darwin Nunez, who recently seemed to hit out at his lack of game time amid claims that he is not playing due to one more start triggering a £4.2m payment to Benfica.

On Tottenham's side, Ange Postecoglou has made a whopping eight changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Nottingham Forest on Monday, evidently prioritising Thursday's Europa League semi-final first leg with Bodo/Glimt.

Only Guglielmo Vicario, Djed Spence and Mathys Tel retain their places in the starting lineup, as the latter lines up alongside the recalled Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson in the final third.

Archie Gray is a notable inclusion in a rejigged midfield alongside Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison, while Kevin Danso and Ben Davies will line up in the heart of defence as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are rested.

Liverpool starting lineup: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz

Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Jones, Elliott, Jota, Quansah, Tsimikas

Bournemouth vs. Man Utd (Sunday, 2.00pm)

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Aiming to become the sixth different team to complete the double over Manchester United this season, Bournemouth host the Red Devils at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Andoni Iraola's men are still fighting for European nights next season, whereas Ruben Amorim's squad could be forgiven for taking their foot off the pedal in the Premier League amid their pursuit of Europa League glory.

We say: Bournemouth 1-0 Manchester United

While the likely return of Bruno Fernandes should aid Man United on the creativity front, it remains difficult to pinpoint just where the goals might come from on the visitors' end, Lyon aside.

A settled Bournemouth squad can therefore limit the visitors to few chances and capitalise on the Red Devils' defensive deficiencies to succeed on Sunday, where Man United's thoughts may already be on their next Europa League mission.

> Premier League preview: Bournemouth vs Man Utd

> Surprise attacking starter: Predicted Man United XI vs. Bournemouth

> Semenyo watch and Cook concern: Predicted Bournemouth XI vs. Man United

> Amad, De Ligt, Zirkzee updates: Man United injury, suspension news vs. Bournemouth

Liverpool vs. Spurs (Sunday, 4.30pm)

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April 27, 2025 should be a date that goes down in Liverpool folklore, as the Reds need just one point against Tottenham Hotspur to be absolutely sure of the 2024-25 Premier League title.

Arne Slot's men will be crowned champions so long as they do not suffer a shock Anfield defeat to the Lilywhites, who have bigger fish to fry in Europe and cannot end the top-flight season soon enough.

We say: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Any Gooners pledging allegiance to Tottenham for a couple of hours should not get their hopes up, although all those associated with Arsenal surely gave up any chance of a phenomenal title comeback a while ago.

As Spurs are prioritising the Europa League and have been nothing but abysmal domestically this term, a full-strength Liverpool should have no problem easing to the win that will confirm what has been inevitable for some time.

> Premier League preview: Liverpool vs Spurs

> Son injury status confirmed: Predicted Spurs XI vs. Liverpool

> Three changes for the title: Predicted Liverpool XI vs. Tottenham

> Two out, any doubts? Liverpool injury list for Spurs clash

> Is Son's return a-foot? Spurs injury list for Liverpool clash

A full Anfield crowd could finally witness a Premier League-winning moment on Sunday afternoon, where Liverpool need just a point against Tottenham Hotspur to wrap up a first-placed finish.

Arne Slot's side hold a 12-point advantage over Arsenal with a game in hand, while the Lilywhites are a whopping 42 points worse off in the Premier League table, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news from both clubs.

LIVERPOOL vs. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

LIVERPOOL

Out: Joe Gomez (hamstring), Tyler Morton (shoulder)

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Son Heung-min (foot), Radu Dragusin (ACL)

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Johnson

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou will be at risk of matching an unwanted club record when the Lilywhites face Premier League champions-elect Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

While the Reds only need one point on April 27 to confirm their status as 2024-25 top-flight champions, the curtain cannot come down on the domestic season quickly enough for Tottenham.

After coming agonisingly close to Champions League qualification under Postecoglou last season, Spurs have regressed remarkably in the current campaign and enter the weekend in a shocking 16th place in the Premier League table.

Such a ranking would represent Tottenham's worst league finish of all time - eclipsing their 15th-placed standing from 1993-94 - and Monday's 2-1 loss to Nuno Espirito Santo's Nottingham Forest was their 18th of the campaign.

Should Tottenham also come out on the wrong end of the scoreline on Sunday, Postecoglou will equal the record for the most amount of Premier League defeats for a single Spurs manager in one season.

Postecoglou could match unwanted 31-year feat in Liverpool fixture

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In the aforementioned 1993-94 season, Tottenham suffered 19 Premier League defeats under the tutelage of Ossie Ardiles, and they have never been beaten as many as 20 times in one campaign in the competition.

Spurs were also condemned to 19 losses in the 2003-04 campaign, but the Lilywhites had two different head coaches that year, as Glenn Hoddle was sacked in September before David Pleat took control of the reins.

The one consolation Tottenham can take heading into the weekend is that it is no longer possible for Spurs to be relegated, as they sit 16 points above 18th-placed Ipswich Town with five games left to play.

London rivals West Ham United are only one point back from Tottenham in 17th, though, and Spurs are a whopping 42 points below Liverpool, their second-highest deficit against a team whom they are facing next.

The only time Tottenham were further behind an opponent in the Premier League was in 2003-04, when they hosted an Arsenal side 43 points clear of them and witnessed their North London rivals win the league at White Hart Lane that day.

The omens are therefore extremely positive for Liverpool in that regard, and Arne Slot's men have also prevailed in two of their three meetings with Spurs so far this season, the outlier being a 1-0 loss in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final.

Tottenham could break club record with five-goal Liverpool thrashing

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The Reds turned the tide in that two-legged battle with a 4-0 win on home soil, though, having already triumphed in a nine-goal spectacular 6-3 earlier on in the Premier League campaign, meaning that they have struck 10 times against Spurs this term.

If Tottenham concede at least five goals to the league leaders on Sunday, they will also break an unwanted club record for the most goals shipped against a single team in one season, which was set in 2001-02.

That year, Tottenham conceded 14 times to Chelsea alone, losing 3-2 and 4-0 to the Blues in the Premier League and 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals but prevailing 6-3 on aggregate in the League Cup semis.

However, Tottenham's Premier League transgressions will be forgiven if Postecoglou can lead the Lilywhites to Europa League glory, as Sunday's trip to Anfield precedes the first leg of their semi-final with Bodo/Glimt on Thursday.

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Liverpool should comfortably see past Tottenham Hotspur and win the Premier League title on Sunday, Reds expert David Lynch has insisted.

Arne Slot has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp and become the second manager in the club's history to win the Premier League should his team earn at least a point against Spurs at Anfield.

Tottenham are currently in 16th place with just 37 points after 33 matchweeks, and they have lost 18 of their fixtures this term already.

Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch argued that Liverpool should prove far too strong for the Londoners, saying: "They're about as obliging an opposition as you could pick for a home game at Anfield this season to go and win the title because you can see goals. They give you a chance - they're not coming to try and ruin the party.

"They not going to try and sit in and make it a bore fest. It's a game that Liverpool should have real confidence in. It's a strange one because it'll still feel like a big event because on paper it's Tottenham, it's a big game at Anfield and yet you look at their league position, you look at recent performances and Liverpool should be wiping the floor with them.

"The fact is Spurs have partly checked out of this Premier League season anyway because all their eggs are in the Europa League basket given how important that is. That's the position they're in, so you couldn't have hand-picked better opposition for Liverpool to face."

Tottenham will play the first leg of their Europa League semi-final clash against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday, and there is a possibility that boss Ange Postecoglou rotates his side on Sunday.

What could the game against Spurs be like?

Liverpool have faced Tottenham 32 times in the Premier League era at Anfield and have emerged victorious on 21 occasions while losing just twice.

The Reds have already beaten Spurs 6-3 and 4-0 in two of their three encounters this season, and they have not lost at home against the Londoners in the league since May 2011, a period encompassing nine victories and four draws.

Lynch pondered whether the likes of Mohamed Salah could enjoy a fruitful afternoon against Spurs when he told Sports Mole: "If there are goals, there's an opportunity for Salah to lay on some assists. That would be really nice, but it's been a while since Liverpool comfortably dispatched someone, so that would be nice if they could do that to seal the title.

"Because it's Tottenham you'd like to think that they're not going to want to make it hard either because it's Arsenal that Liverpool are up against. All the ingredients are there for Liverpool to put on a show and they're more than capable of beating this Tottenham side three or four nil.

"What a great day at Anfield that would be - that would be one that would go down in the history books. I'm sure there'll be tears and joy in the stands, so hopefully it's a straightforward one. I wouldn't like any late drama if possible because I'm getting a bit sick of that."

Slot's side scored a 76th-minute winner against Leicester City last Sunday and an 89th-minute winner against West Ham United on April 13, but supporters will hope that no heroics will be needed this weekend.

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How will winning the Premier League rank against Liverpool's other achievements?

When Liverpool won the title in 2019-20, fans were not able to celebrate in the manner that they wanted to due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Reds won the Champions League in 2018-19 under Klopp in the previous season, and that was the first trophy won by the club under the legendary German manager.

When asked about about where Slot's title win would rank among the Merseysiders' achievements in the modern era, Lynch insisted that it might mean more for the fans off the pitch than the players on it, telling Sports Mole: "In terms of the the overall impact when you think about the club winning the Premier League title in 2019-20, it was was hugely significant in what it meant for Liverpool.

"It re-established them and showed that the Champions League win the season prior wasn't a fluke. They won it at an absolute canter - they had it [practically] won before Covid. If Liverpool had stopped playing at that point they would have won it anyway and absolutely deserved it. The impact of it was a hugely significant moment, but I would say for fans this is going to be on a completely different level.

"Knowing that a draw gives Liverpool the title - it's been 30 years of dreaming of that moment. Then on the final day when they actually lift the trophy, that dream's been there for so long, so it's absolutely massive. In terms of what it means for fans, people are going to be taken aback by the scenes of celebration that we see around the parade because [fans did not] have a chance to do that in 2019-20."

Having almost certainly won the Premier League in his first season despite no major incomings in either the summer or January transfer windows, perhaps supporters will have the chance to celebrate more than one league title before Slot's time at Anfield is finished.