Liverpool vs Tottenham – Preview, Lineups, Key Men And Score Prediction
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Fixture: Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur
Competition: Premier League
Kick-off: 15th March, 16:30 UK time
Tottenham Hotspur travel to Liverpool this afternoon in a state of crisis and with open question marks over how much longer firefighter interim boss Igor Tudor will keep his job.
Liverpool’s less than impressive season took another turn for the worse when they were beaten 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie by Turkish giants Galatasaray.
Despite dominating possession and having more touches inside the opposition box, they finished with an inferior xG, which will keep manager Arne Slot worried, heading into next week’s return match at Anfield.
Before that clash, though, they have another one to take care of against strugglers Tottenham on Sunday. The London-based side are in the worst possible situation possible and have been in a freefall.
Liverpool great Phil Thompson has urged the Reds to take advantage of Spurs’ fragility to make it even more horrible for them.
That prospect looks quite possible taking into account Tottenham’s recent record. The London-based side have not won a Premier League since 28th December when they came out 1-0 winners against Crystal Palace, a team they have since lost to.
They are currently on a six-game losing streak and the 5-2 defeat against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday was the worst of them all.
Tudor is still searching for his first win of the season and will hope that the match against Liverpool will allow him the opportunity to do so.
He has admitted the injury situation at the club is one he has never known before, but he must find a way; Micky van de Ven is suspended.
Victory at Anfield could be a big respite, giving the Croatian at least some time to get things back on track amidst intense talk about replacing him.
Liverpool are expected to go into the game full throttle, trying to exploit all the weakness areas in the Tottenham team. They know well that Tottenham are weak in defence and it is an area that they can exploit.
By putting in more bodies into the Tottenham box they can unnerve the visiting team and once the floodgates open, they can then go on to add more than a few goals to put an end to Tudor’s misery.
Predicted Lineups
Recent Form (league)
Liverpool: LWWWL
Tottenham Hotspur: LLLLL
Key Men
Liverpool
Liverpool will be on the lookout to hurt the visiting team and for that to happen, their attacking players will have to take the responsibility.
In attack Hugo Ekitike could turn out to be the match winner. He has 16 goals for Liverpool already and is good at creating opportunities from a deeper position on the pitch.
An impressive 9.4 xG with as many as 133 touches inside the opposition box proves that Ekitike is not a striker to be taken lightly.
At the heart of midfield, Hungarian international Dominik Szoboszlai could also hold the key in a central midfielder role, with Florian Wirtz in front of him. The 25-year-old has completed 88 per cent of his passes this season for Liverpool, proving how good he can be.
Irrespective of Slot’s approach to the game, Szoboszlai can be the key factor, orchestrating play from the centre of the pitch and can even bring the two wingers into play with his through balls.
Tottenham Hotspur
A key to success for Tottenham will be their ability to defend. They have been dismal at the back and the 46 goals they have conceded this season is proof of that. Even Tudor’s inability to get the best out of the team has compiled to their misery.
With the two senior players Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missing in action, Tudor will be forced to make at least two changes at the back and that could hurt them. A lot will depend on the two makeshift centre-backs Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso.
They have both gone under the radar somewhat this season, but it is now time for them to step up and even raise their stacks ahead of the summer.
Dragusin has been linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and performances like those against Liverpool could help him get a summer move.
Tudor could resort to a four-man defence on the back of conceding five goals in the last match and the two full-backs on either sides of the two centre-backs can help.
Match Prediction
Of late, Tottenham have simply not been able to get the results they would have liked and defence has played a key role in that. The problem with Tudor’s team is that they do not know how many goals will be enough to secure them a win.
Liverpool, on their part, do have their own weaknesses to take care of. Though they have been able to bring some sanity back of late, they still have the same problems Tottenham have. The transitional phase is far from over at Anfield and their inability to add new players in defence has hurt them.
But they should still have enough to get over the line against Tottenham. Even if Liverpool concede goals, they have better qualities in attack to make up for that.
It could eventually turn out to be yet another eventful afternoon for the visitors, who have started to lose the backing of their fans.
Empty away stands are definitely going to have a psychological effect on the players entrusted to do the job if the game turns and the fans depart early.
Inside Futbol Score Prediction
Liverpool 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Where To Watch?
Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League channels with coverage starting from 16.00 UK time.
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