Jose Mourinho’s table-topping Tottenham Hotspurs side are the next visitors to Anfield, with the North London outfit readying themselves for a crunch Premier League fixture against Liverpool FC on Wednesday.
Both teams are level on points in the league standings for now, as Spurs’ 1-1 draw away at Crystal Palace was followed up by Jurgen Klopp’s side salvaging a sole point from their showdown at Craven Cottage over the last weekend.
Mohammad Salah’s second-half equaliser from the penalty spot was much-needed to secure a stalemate against Fulham as the Merseysiders put in a lacklustre showing going up to the mid-week clash at Anfield.
Injury concerns continue to be on the rise at Anfield, with Diogo Jota’s name joining the ever-growing list of recovery table attendees at Melwood following the Portuguese international forward’s knee injury sidelining him from on-field action for up to two months.
However, the Reds do welcome back Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the first-team fold and hopes of the ex-Arsenal man recapturing his previous streak of fine form are prevalent amongst the Liverpool FC faithful.
Mourinho’s men have been brilliant in their early showings of the 2020-21 season, with the summer additions of Sergio Reguilon and Gareth Bale bolstering an impressive lineup of stars at Spurs.
Stopping the Harry Kane-Son Heung-min attacking combine in their tracks would be essential to Liverpool FC securing all three points from their upcoming home fixture as the Spurs’ pairing have linked up a total of 13 times in goalscoring involvements since the turn of the new league campaign.
Kane’s prolific ability to find the back of the net coupled with Son’s exquisite technique of breaking past opposition defences make the duo a force to reckon with for any side in England.
18 – After conceding only five times after 12 games in 2018-19, and just 10 at this stage last season, Liverpool have shipped 18 goals after this many Premier League games for the first time since 2014-15 (also 18); last conceding more back in 1992-93 (20). Worried? #FULLIV pic.twitter.com/5emMMoKbtC
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 13, 2020
Moreover, an injury-depleted Liverpool FC backline does not do Klopp and Co. any favours in the build-up to what promises to be a truly mouth-watering Anfield showdown come Wednesday.
WHEN & WHERE?
Date: Wednesday 16 December
Time: 3 PM GMT
Venue: Anfield
TEAM NEWS
One of the most concerning points about the 1-1 draw against Fulham, apart from the result itself, was the withdrawal of Joel Matip on the close of the first half as the centre-back sustained a back spasm.
However, Klopp expressed hopes of the Cameroonian defender lining up at Anfield in the mid-week tie during the German’s post-match remarks.
Alisson Becker returned between the sticks on Sunday and the Brazil international looks all set for a second successive start as the Liverpool FC No.1 when Spurs visit Anfield.
Curtis Jones could be heading towards the bench despite an extended run of first-team opportunities as Klopp could be motivated to field Naby Keita in the midfield trio for the Reds on Wednesday.
KEY BATTLE
Sadio Mane vs Serge Aurier
Mane has now gone seven games without finding the back of the net, a stat the Senegalese forward will surely be hoping to overturn when he goes up against Aurier on the right flank in the forthcoming game.
With Salah’s terrific goalscoring run of late, his attacking partner in Mane is also expected to hit the ground running, with the latter enduring somewhat of a bleak spell upfront for the Merseysiders.
MATCH PREDICTION
Despite an uninspiring outing at Craven Cottage over the weekend, the Reds do have the tempo to turn the strides back in their favour with a confident showing against Spurs.
Keeping the Harry Kane-led attacking line would be of immediate concern to Jurgen Klopp’s side and should they be successful in doing so, we do see the Reds edging out a close and hard-fought 1-0 win at home turf.
