The Premier League has been badly disrupted in its busiest phase this December with almost all the teams getting terribly hit by the deadly virus. Matches are getting postponed one after the other owing to the high infection rates among teams. In such hard times, Tottenham Hotspurs are squaring off against Liverpool in an all-important game at the White Hart Lane tonight. No wonder that both the teams would like to pick up crucial points from this encounter. A win for Spurs would take them would see them catch up with West Ham with two games in hand. A victory for Liverpool would ensure they maintain the 2nd spot if City wins against Newcastle. Let’s see what happens in this evenly matched curtain closer game of the weekend.
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Why to watch out for
The rivalry between the North Londoners and the Merseyside club started way back in 1909. Tonight’s meeting would be the 178th clash between these two big clubs of England. Over the years, this match has produced some enthralling and entertaining clashes so far. Some last-minute winners coupled with end-to-end action between the two sides is what this game has always dished out. So, there is certainly no reason why you shouldn’t watch this fixture. It’s Sunday night and tuning up to a fiery PL clash during dinner is what you dream for. Only four matches are being played this weekend and this would be the best of the four. Don’t miss the Londoners take on from the side of Liverpool.
Recent Form
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs were badly affected by the recent uncontrollable spread of the COVID-19 which infected many of their players. They last played a game two weeks back against relegation-threatened club Norwich. The Londoners bagged a convincing dominant 3-0 against the Wooden spoon holders. Lucas Moura gave an early lead as early as in the 10th minute. Davinson Sanchez doubled the lead minutes after the hour mark and Son Heung-Min scored to complete the whitewash. In the last five games, Spurs have notched up 3 wins and 1 draw across all competitions. It remains to be seen how they fare after returning back to action after a gap of two weeks
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Liverpool
The Reds are in a great run of form this year both in the UCL and the PL. They are flying high with 12 wins out of the 17 and just a remaining 1 point behind City. In the last game, they outclassed 19th placed Newcastle and took up a mighty 3-1 win. The away side took a 1-0 lead as early as in the 7th minute through Shelvey. Their lead though didn’t last long with Jota equalizing from a fine strike in the 21st min. Salah notched up his 15th goal of the season and Liverpool’s second four minutes after. Finally, a stunner from TAA capped off an impressive comeback win for the hosts. The Merseyside club is on an eight-match winning streak across all competitions having last lost against WestHam a month ago.
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Head to Head
One of the oldest rivalries of English football, Spurs Vs Liverpool has had many wonderful and enticing clashes since it’s inception. In this head-to-head rivalry, the Reds have a clear-cut advantage with 87 wins out of the 177 contested. Spurs have only bagged a mere 48 wins with 42 matches ending in a stalemate.
In the most recent encounter between the sides, Liverpool bagged a 2-1 win. Tottenham would seek redemption tonight when they face the England giants at Anfield.
Team News
Liverpool
The Liverpool camp is both marred by injuries as well as by COVID-19. Many players are feared to be tested positive with no official statement from the club. All of Nat Phillips, Harvey Elliott, Adrian, and Divock Origi remain sidelined due to long-term injuries. Virgil Van Dijk, Fabinho, and Curtis Jones may be the covid infected ones with the club waiting for official confirmation. Should they test positive, they’ll miss this weekend’s fixtures. Apart from the aforementioned ones, all players are fit and fine till now.
Tottenham Hotspur
The Spurs’ team is also badly hit by the untimely outbreak of COVID-19 amongst the team. As many as six players including Oliver Skipp, Emerson, Oliver Skipp, Son Heung-Min are expected to miss out on account of COVID. Cristian Romero would sit out of the clash in lieu of his knee injury which would keep him out till year-end. Apart from this personnel, all the members are physically fit upto last night.
Players to watch out for
Mohammed Salah
The Egyptian ace has been on another level since the start of the new season. He has taken goalscoring and playmaking to such simplicity that it seems like a regular daily affair to him nowadays. He has been so consistent for the Merseyside giants over the years and delivered in the each-and-every season with significant contributions. This year too, he has a whopping 22 goals and 9 assists from only 23 games. Why anyone would search for the definition of consistency when you have Salah playing in front of you. Against Spurs too, Klopp will wholly depend on him to provide him with the much-needed goals upfront.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
The England right-back is one of the most talented right-backs in the world right now. He has given some exceptional performances in Liverpool jersey for the last two to three years. And in the course of time, the young full-back has turned out to be one of the most dependable in the squad. His astronomical goal contribution statistics along with swift maintenance of the defense make him one of the most decorated players now. He is on another level this year with 2 goals and 9 assists from only 18 appearances. In any big match, he is Klopp’s go-to man for giving stellar shows. Once again, he would be called upon to dish out a decent performance against Atletico tomorrow.
Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg
Hojbjerg has turned out to be one of the best holding midfielders in the PremierLeague with his jaw-dropping performances. He maintains full control of the midfield for his team along with significant contributions in attack and defense. His long-range passing skills and through balls are a delight to watch. If the Spurs retain control of the midfield, the match is surely theirs. His stats speak for him this year with some eye-catching performances. Hojbjerg will surely do his duties yet again against Liverpool and show why he is such a gem of a player. The duel between Hojbjerg and Henderson could well decide the fate of the encounter.
Sergio Reguilón
The former Los Blancos man is in the form of his life at Spurs this season. He has produced some of the best match-winning performances for the London team so far. His consistent shows in the left flank have given Conte much confidence in the team. Having 1 goal and 3 assists being a left-back isn’t an easy task. Reguilón has also been quite solid in the defense and contributed aptly. His swift management between attack and defense is praiseworthy and it helps the team in many ways. He would be the man in charge to stop those darting runs down the right from Salah. Against Liverpool, Conte would largely depend upon him to give a performance upto his top level.
Conclusion
In all respects, this match is going to be an enthralling and charming one for the fans. In these difficult times, they are raring to watch these entertaining PL clashes to make their weekends captivating. The desperateness of both the teams to win this game spices it up even more. Expect a fierce encounter to unfold at the White Hart Lane in a magical night at the heart of London. So tighten up your seatbelts and wait for this enticing clash to get underway from 22:00 IST.
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