Tottenham Host Liverpool In A Pre-Christmas Premier League Showstopper!
The festive season is always a busy time for football fans and just before Christmas begins in earnest, we have a huge Premier League game to enjoy from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Home side Spurs host league leaders Liverpool in a game of real significance for both teams.
For the home team it is a chance to land another big win for Ange Postecoglou’s team. Tottenham have won away at Manchester United and Manchester City this season, but have also struggled in a number of games including losing at home to Ipswich. They come into this game having played Southampton in a late night game last Sunday, thrashing the Saints 5-0.
Liverpool come into this game having drawn their last two Premier League matches – a 3-3 draw at Newcastle, followed by a 2-2 home draw with Fulham, although the Reds played for almost 90 minutes (including added time) with ten men following Andy Robertson’s sending off. Robertson’s dismissal gives manager Arne Slot a headache at left back, with replacement Kostas Tsimikas out injured.
Both teams are in action before this game in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, with Liverpool facing Southampton away and Tottenham facing Manchester United at home.
Tottenham v Liverpool – A Comparison
Tottenham Hotspur
Played – 16
Won – 7
Drew – 2
Lost – 7
For – 36
Against – 19
Points – 23
Current Position – 10th
Form (Last Six in EPL) – WLLDWL
Liverpool
Played – 15
Won – 11
Drew – 3
Lost – 1
For – 31
Against – 13
Points – 36
Current Position – 1st
Form (Last Six in EPL) – DDWWWW
Liverpool v Tottenham Recent Record
Liverpool have dominated this fixture of late. Since 2013, the teams have played 25 times. Tottenham have won just two of those games, there have been six draws and Liverpool have won 17 matches including the most recent game. A 4-2 win at Anfield last season.
However, Spurs were 2-1 winners at home in the last game in London between the two. This was the controversial game where Liverpool had Luis Diaz goal wrongly disallowed for an offside that never was, as well as having two players controversially sent off before conceding a last minute winner for Spurs through a Joel Matip own goal.
The teams have played 183 times, Liverpool winning 90, Tottenham winning 49 with 44 draws.
Tottenham v Liverpool – Betting Odds
Tottenham to win – 4.33
Draw – 4.00
Liverpool to win – 1.75
(Odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport at the time of writing but may have changed in the meantime).
Team News
Tottenham
Spurs could have problems in central defence with Davies, Romero and Van De Ven all out injured, but Van De Ven could make it back. Maddison, Kulusevski and Son will likely provide the creativity behind Solanke in attack, with the ex-Liverpool man hoping to score against his former club.
Predicted XI – (4-2-3-1) – Forster, Gray, Udogie, Dragusin, Spence, Bissouma, Issa, Maddison, Son, Kulusevski, Solanke.
Liverpool
Liverpool will likely still be without Ibrahima Konate and Kostas Tsimikas, while Andy Robertson will be suspended. Alexis Mac Allister is back from suspension. However the issue for Liverpool will be at left back. Joe Gomez may be pushed into that position with Jarrell Quansah coming in at centre back if Konate is not fit. Predicted XI – (4-3-3) – Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Quansah, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Diaz, Salah, Gakpo.
