Sports Mole

Thomas Frank has denied that he has lost the dressing room despite the turbulence that has marred the club's recent results.

The Lilywhites sit 11th in the Premier League table after 16 matches, having registered just one victory in their previous seven outings.

Following a successful tenure at Brentford, Frank was appointed as Ange Postecoglou's replacement to build on the club's Europa League triumph, but the transition has been far from seamless.

The North London side recently suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, heightening the pressure ahead of a daunting clash against defending champions Liverpool.

Frank insists Tottenham players are "still with me"

Ahead of Liverpool's visit, Frank has dismissed suggestions that he is losing the dressing room, insisting that the squad remains fully committed to his tactical vision despite facing setbacks.

"No, I think it has been a good buy-in," said Frank via BBC Sport. "You could say that from the beginning of the season we started quite well without being sensational.

"I thought we were very good in some games and good in other games. Like in every season, you have some setbacks and spells where it is maybe not going the right way, but I don't see anything that they're not with me or going in the same direction."

Frank emphasised that his project is not a "quick fix" and requires long-term alignment to achieve sustained success.

"This is not a quick fix. This will take time," continued the Spurs boss. "That's not to say that we're not going to do everything we can to beat Liverpool.

"I'm very comfortable and confident that I will, how can I say, fix it, but just to make sure it's not me. When this club comes out on top, there will be a lot of good people working together, aligned at the same time through the years."

Reported tactical friction and managerial pressure at Spurs

Frank's defiant stance comes in the wake of candid comments from Micky van de Ven, who recently praised former boss Postecoglou.

"He was a really good manager. I still really like him," Van de Ven told The Overlap podcast via BBC Sport.

"I liked the offensive play [under Postecoglou]. At the beginning [under Postecoglou], no team was used to playing against our system. We were playing unbelievable football."

Yet, the Dutch defender lauded Frank's approach, noting that the backline is less exposed.

"I like what we have now with Thomas Frank," he said. "We are more secure at the back. I don't like getting exposed every game on the counter-attack."

The Dane has won six, drawn four and lost six of his Premier League matches since arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, illustrating the inconsistency that has plagued his early tenure.

The highest-scoring fixture in Premier League history takes centre stage this weekend, as Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool lock horns in North London on Saturday evening.

The champions lead the Lilywhites by four points and four places in the top-flight rankings, and here Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest injury and suspension news for both clubs.

TOTTENHAM vs. LIVERPOOL

TOTTENHAM

Out: Pape Sarr (AFCON), Yves Bissouma (AFCON), Dominic Solanke (ankle), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Destiny Udogie (thigh), James Maddison (ACL)

Doubtful: Radu Dragusin (fitness), Kota Takai (thigh)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Simons, Kolo Muani; Richarlison

LIVERPOOL

Out: Joe Gomez (muscle), Mohamed Salah (AFCON), Wataru Endo (ankle), Cody Gakpo (muscle), Giovanni Leoni (ACL)

Doubtful: Dominik Szoboszlai (ankle)

Liverpool are confirmed to be receiving a double selection boost for Saturday's tantalising Premier League battle with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The Reds endeavour to extend their unbeaten sequence to six games in all competitions at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they will be without Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah due to his involvement in Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The 33-year-old came off the bench to set up Hugo Ekitike's second goal in last weekend's 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, a result that took Liverpool to within just two points of fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table.

Right-back Conor Bradley was suspended for that game on account of picking up five yellow cards, but the Northern Ireland international will be one of two returning defenders for the Reds on Saturday evening.

Delivering a quadruple fitness update in his pre-match press conference, Arne Slot also confirmed that Jeremie Frimpong - who has missed the last 12 matches with a hamstring injury - will also be back in the squad in North London.

Liverpool in double boost as Arne Slot gives Tottenham team news update

Frimpong was one of four players whose conditions were discussed on Friday, the others being Dominik Szoboszlai (ankle), Joe Gomez (hamstring) and Cody Gakpo (muscle), the former two of whom came off against Brighton.

Neither Gakpo nor Gomez will be involved, although the former's scan results were pleasing, and Slot refused to rule Szoboszlai out of contention for the showdown with the Lilywhites.

"He [Gakpo] had a scan that looked promising so that means that we are not that worried anymore, as we were maybe one or two weeks ago," Slot said. "So that means he might come back a bit earlier than expected two weeks ago, but that’s definitely not tomorrow and also not next week.

“Joe is not in the squad as well for the weekend and Dominik trained yesterday, parts of the training [session], for the first time so let’s see where he is today and how he is tomorrow. Jeremie is in the squad again as well."

Slot was also quizzed on whether Szoboszlai will be fit to start in Salah's place tomorrow, but he insisted that he would not know the answer until the Reds have had their final training session.

How could Liverpool line up without Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai?

If Szoboszlai is not given the green light to make the first XI at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Slot will face an unenviable dilemma on the right-hand side, especially with Frimpong only just back from a serious injury.

The ex-Bayer Leverkusen man did feature in an advanced right-sided role against Galatasaray in the Champions League earlier this season, but he is likely to be named on the bench this weekend, having not made a single appearance since October 22.

Fans will likely cry out for Slot to finally give Federico Chiesa a chance from the first whistle, but if Bradley and Milos Kerkez are to bomb down the flanks, perhaps inverted attacking options would work better.

As a result, the Dutchman could field both Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike up front together, with Curtis Jones, Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch occupying central positions further back.

Teenage starlet Rio Ngumoha is another option, but the 17-year-old is more accustomed to playing on the left-hand side and will likely be kept in reserve again.

Brennan Johnson's future at Tottenham Hotspur has been thrown into fresh doubt after reports indicate that the London club are open to listening to offers for Welsh forward.

Johnson, 24, moved to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2023 from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth around £47.5m, scoring 27 times in 105 appearances.

One of his strikes was in the 2025 Europa League final against Manchester United, which secured Champions League football for Spurs, as both clubs disappointingly finished in the bottom half of the Premier League in 2024-25.

However, the Wales international has made only six league starts under Thomas Frank this season, leading to doubts about his Spurs future beyond the January window.

Tottenham 'open to offers' for Europa League hero Johnson

According to BBC Sport, Tottenham are open to listening to offers for Brennan Johnson ahead of the January transfer window, despite his heroics last season.

The Wales international has seemingly fallen down the pecking order under the new management, leading to increased speculation about a possible departure.

Crystal Palace are believed to be leading the race for the attacker, though several other Premier League clubs are closely monitoring his situation.

While Spurs are not actively trying to force the 24-year-old out, they are reportedly willing to sanction a move if a suitable bid emerges next month.

World Cup prospects could make Johnson push for January move

Despite etching his name into the history books at the club in Bilbao, Johnson's diminished influence in North London was perhaps unforeseen.

Nevertheless, the source mentioned above suggests that the forward could ultimately demand a move due to concerns about missing out on a World Cup spot with Wales.

Spurs would likely aim to recover a substantial part of their initial investment if they were to part ways with a player who has scored 27 goals during his time at the club.

With just over two years remaining on his contract, which expires in 2028, the Lilywhites still hold leverage in the transfer market if a deal is to be made in the upcoming window.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen as a potential replacement for Guglielmo Vicario.

Since moving to North London from Empoli in the summer of 2023, Vicario has made a total of 97 appearances for Spurs in all competitions and has established himself as the club’s first-choice shot-stopper.

However, the 29-year-old has come under fire for a series of weak displays this season and was the subject of boos from supporters after his costly error led to a goal in Tottenham’s 2-1 home defeat to Fulham in the Premier League last month.

After the match, Frank said that those who booed Vicario "can't be true Tottenham fans" and labelled their actions "completely unacceptable".

Nevertheless, Vicario’s inconstant performances between the sticks have led to speculation over his long-term future as Frank’s No.1 goalkeeper heading into the January transfer window.

Spurs keeping tabs on Ter Stegen amid Vicario uncertainty

According to TEAMtalk, Frank is now prioritising an upgrade in the goalkeeping department amid growing concerns over Vicario, with Spurs preparing for a ‘potentially transformative’ January transfer window.

The report adds that Barcelona’s Ter Stegen is being monitored by Spurs, as they weigh up mid-season moves for a number of transfer targets.

Barca claimed a 2-0 win over Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey round of 32 and Ter Stegen kept a clean sheet in his first appearances in 212 days following a lengthy spell on the sidelined through injury.

The 33-year-old still has more than two years remaining on his contract at Camp Nou, but it is understood that Barca are open to offers for the German to ease their wage burden.

However, it remains to be seen whether Ter Stegen would entertain a switch to a Spurs side currently languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table and six points behind the top four.

Trafford, Verbruggen also on Spurs’ shortlist

Ter Stegen is not the only name believed to be on Tottenham’s shortlist, as they have also been credited with an interest in Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford.

A January deal is considered highly unlikely, though, after manager Pep Guardiola insisted that the 23-year-old will not be leaving the Etihad Stadium in the New Year.

Brighton & Hove Albion's Bart Verbruggen has also been identified by Spurs as a potential target, but they may face stern competition from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich for his signature.

In a pre-cursor for future years, Liverpool will temporarily begin life without Mohamed Salah in Saturday's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The 33-year-old made Premier League history in last weekend's 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion but has now jetted off to represent Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

To make matters worse for Arne Slot, Dominik Szoboszlai was forced off with an ankle problem against the Seagulls, and the Liverpool boss conceded that the Dutchman's issue "didn't look great" at full time.

Should Szoboszlai be forced to take his seat on the sidelines for this one, Federico Chiesa will surely be considered for a long-awaited start on the right-hand side, likely as part of an otherwise unaltered attack.

Hugo Ekitike is in no position to be dropped after his brace last weekend, so Alexander Isak may have to make do with another substitute cameo if Florian Wirtz is retained on the left-hand side.

Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are expected to reprise their roles too, and the same goes for most of the Reds' backline, but not the unfortunate Joe Gomez.

The Englishman sustained yet another injury against Brighton - this one to his hamstring - but Conor Bradley is back from suspension to take his place.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Chiesa, Jones, Wirtz; Ekitike

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank could consider a pair of midfield alterations for Saturday's Premier League showdown with Liverpool in North London.

The Lilywhites return home on the back of a 3-0 trouncing at the hands of Nottingham Forest, who benefitted from an Archie Gray error to open the scoring at the City Ground.

Neither Gray nor Rodrigo Bentancur cut the mustard last weekend, so both Joao Palhinha and Lucas Bergvall could be reinstated, in what Spurs fans may feel is a more balanced midfield anyway.

In that scenario, the pair would function behind Xavi Simons - who had briefly ignited his Spurs career before last weekend - as well as Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani on the flanks.

Richarlison was a largely anonymous figure last weekend, but the Brazilian still completed the full 90 and also enjoys playing Liverpool more than any other Premier League team, claiming four goals and three assists against them in the past.

Richarlison should therefore be retained up front, and the same can be said for the entirety of the hosts' defensive line, as Destiny Udogie is absent for a few weeks with a thigh injury.

Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski will also miss the visit of the champions, as will Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma, who are away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Simons, Kolo Muani; Richarlison

A rejuvenated Liverpool and a regressing Tottenham Hotspur side collide in Saturday evening's Premier League main event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The reigning champions endeavour to extend their unbeaten run to a pleasing six games in all competitions, whereas the Lilywhites risk a record-setting home defeat in their final pre-Christmas fixture.

Match preview

Just when Tottenham appeared to have turned a corner under Thomas Frank, who had overseen a sterling comeback draw with Newcastle United before dominant home wins over Brentford and Slavia Prague, catastrophe struck at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest duo Ibrahim Sangare and Callum Hudson-Odoi toyed with the entire Spurs XI - claiming a wonderful three goals and three assists between them - in a 3-0 trouncing of the Europa League winners, who have now lost three of their last five Premier League games.

As the hosts languish in the bottom half of the Premier League table - six points off Chelsea in the fourth and final Champions League spot - speculation over Frank's future has inevitably been heating up, but he is believed to retain the board's backing for the time being.

Nevertheless, there are understood to be some internal concerns about the Dane, who could be part of unwanted Spurs history this weekend; if the North London outfit lose, they would have suffered 11 Premier League home defeats in 2025, their most ever in a single calendar year.

The Lilywhites have somewhat re-fortified the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium of late, winning three and losing just one of their last five on familiar territory, but that will give little comfort to the home faithful after last weekend's horror show.

A horror show may be the perfect way to describe Liverpool's off-field occurrences over the past couple of weeks, but all was temporarily forgiven against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, when the reinstated Mohamed Salah wrote another chapter of history.

The 33-year-old may still be out of favour as far as the starting XI goes, but by coming off the bench to assist Hugo Ekitike's second goal in that 2-0 victory, Salah set a new record for the most Premier League goal contributions for a single club with an astronomical 277.

Now that Salah is seeking to steer Egypt to Africa Cup of Nations glory, the Reds may be grateful for recent experiences playing without the Golden Boot winner, especially as they have not lost any of their five games since his demotion from the starting lineup.

The seventh-placed Reds could now crash the top four if results go their way this weekend, although when it comes to ever-present Premier League teams, only Bournemouth (16) have conceded at least two goals in more away games than Liverpool (15) since the start of last season.

Arne Slot's side defied their recent road travails in their 1-0 Champions League win over Inter Milan, though, and the visitors have won both of their last two games against the hosts by a stunning aggregate score of 9-1, including that title-clinching 5-1 success on April 27, 2025.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Team News

Tottenham's midfield ranks have been thinned by Africa Cup of Nations call-ups, as Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma are representing Senegal and Mali respectively, but the latter was already out of contention through injury and disciplinary action.

On the fitness front, Dominic Solanke (ankle), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Destiny Udogie (thigh) and James Maddison (ACL) are no closer to comebacks, although Radu Dragusin (fitness) and Kota Takai (thigh) have been involved in training-ground friendlies and are surely not too far away.

The juvenile Archie Gray was partly at fault for Forest's opening goal last weekend, but Rodrigo Bentancur did not cover himself in glory either, so both Joao Palhinha and Lucas Bergvall may be in line for starts against the holders.

As previously mentioned, the headline-making Salah has now departed on his own AFCON mission, which would not be too big of an issue for Slot had his replacement - Dominik Szoboszlai - not come off with an ankle injury against Brighton.

The Hungarian - who "didn't look great" after the game according to Slot - was one of two casualties for the Reds last weekend alongside the unfortunate Joe Gomez (muscle), although Conor Bradley is back from a ban and can deputise for the Englishman.

Jeremie Frimpong may also be in with a chance of returning from a thigh concern, but Wataru Endo (ankle), Cody Gakpo (muscle) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) are guaranteed absentees.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Simons, Kolo Muani; Richarlison

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Chiesa, Jones, Wirtz; Ekitike

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Liverpool

No other Premier League fixture has seen as many goals as Tottenham vs. Liverpool (206), and nine of those came at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season, but a more low-key affair is surely in order this weekend.

Both sides have enjoyed the rare luxury of a weekend off, but Szoboszlai's possible absence will deprive Liverpool of their most influential player so far this season, as well as the resurrected Salah.

However, Spurs' build-up problems and disjointed defence are difficult to overlook, so we still have faith in the injury-hit champions to continue on an upward trajectory and potentially hammer another nail into Frank's coffin.

Seemingly on the other side of their shocking Premier League form, Liverpool will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday to take on Thomas Frank's inconsistent Spurs.

Arne Slot's Reds are now five games unbeaten across all competitions after beating Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 last weekend, a feat that belies the fact that the club lost nine of their previous 12 matches.

Right-back Conor Bradley was suspended for that clash, but he is now back in contention to face the Lilywhites, while Mohamed Salah chipped in with an assist before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations.

However, it was not all positive for the Merseysiders as key midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai picked up an ankle injury against the Seagulls, and versatile defender Joe Gomez suffered a muscle problem.

Read on as Sports Mole rounds up Liverpool's latest injury and suspension news prior to their Premier League showdown with Tottenham on Saturday.

GIOVANNI LEONI

Status: Out

Type of injury: ACL

Possible return date: Unknown

Eighteen-year-old centre-back Giovanni Leoni arrived from Parma in the summer with bags of potential, but the anterior cruciate ligament injury that he suffered on his debut has scuppered his first season on Merseyside.

The Reds do not expect the youngster to be back in action in 2025-26.

JEREMIE FRIMPONG

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: December 20 (vs. Tottenham)

Right-back has been a problem position for Liverpool this season due to injuries, though Jeremie Frimpong is nearing a return to the team.

Slot mentioned in a press conference on December 13 that the former Bayer Leverkusen man was expected to take part in normal training this week, and while he remains a doubt, there is a chance he could feature in some capacity against Spurs.

JOE GOMEZ

Status: Out

Type of injury: Muscle

Possible return date: Unknown

Talented but injury prone, Gomez filled in at right-back while Bradley and Frimpong were both unavailable, but he is now sidelined with a muscle issue of his own.

Slot stated that he does not expect Gomez to be in the squad this weekend, barring a 'positive surprise'.

WATARU ENDO

Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: January 1 (vs. Leeds United)

Wataru Endo has been used sparingly by the Liverpool boss, but he picked up an ankle injury when he came on against Leeds on December 6.

The Japan captain is said to be out for a number of weeks and may not be ready to feature for the Reds until New Year's Day, when the club ironically face the Peacocks once again.

CODY GAKPO

Status: Out

Type of injury: Muscle

Possible return date: January 1 (vs. Leeds)

One of the first names on Slot's team sheet, Cody Gakpo was surprisingly revealed to have also suffered an injury against Leeds.

Much like Endo, the Dutch winger is anticipated to be out for a few weeks, possibly until the start of 2026.

DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: December 20 (vs. Tottenham)

Szoboslzai has arguably been the only Liverpool player that has performed to a consistently high level in 2025-26, and the fact that the midfielder picked up an ankle injury against Brighton is a major concern for the Merseysiders.

Slot said that Szoboszlai's injury "didn't look great" in the immediate aftermath of the game, but that he hoped for the best given the number eight's mentality.

LIVERPOOL SUSPENSION LIST

Liverpool have no players suspended for this game.

Liverpool will hope to take advantage of struggling hosts Tottenham Hotspur when they clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday in the Premier League.

Thomas Frank's Spurs were outplayed when they lost 3-0 against Nottingham Forest last Sunday, and they come into the game in 11th place with 22 points.

Arne Slot oversaw a 2-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, waving goodbye to Mohamed Salah as he departed with Egypt, who will hope to win the Africa Cup of Nations this winter.

The Reds are currently seventh in the top flight with 26 points, and they are only two points from fourth-placed Chelsea.

Here, Sports Mole provides all the details you need to know about how to watch Saturday's Premier League match between Tottenham and Liverpool.

What time does Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool kick off?

This game will kick off at 5:30pm on Saturday, December 20 for viewers in the UK.

Where is Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool being played?

Spurs will host Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a ground that has a maximum capacity of 62,850.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool in the UK

TV channels

Fans in the UK can catch the action live on Sky Sports Main Event, and Sky Sports Premier League.

Streaming

Supporters can also stream the match through the Sky Sports+ app or Sky Go, as well as with NOW UK if they have purchased the Sky Sports package on the platform.

Highlights

The game's key events will be posted on the SkySportsPL X (formerly Twitter) account, while highlights will be available on the Sky Sports app shortly after the full-time whistle.

Highlights are also set to be uploaded to the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel later in the day.

Who will win Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool?

Tottenham come into the weekend's clash having lost four, drawn two and won just one of their last seven Premier Leageu games.

The team's poor form has strained the relationship between Frank and supporters, and the atmosphere in the stands at London could be hostile.

Liverpool may have kept a clean sheet against Brighton, but they were fortunate that they did not concede, though their attacking display was considerably better than in recent weeks.

The Merseysiders are unbeaten in their past five matches, with the club emerging as winners on three occasions.

If the Reds are to win on the weekend, then any victory will be hard fought, but they should be seen as favourites on Saturday.