Premier League: Is This a Good Time for Spurs to Play Liverpool?

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp takes his embattled Liverpool side to London on Thursday where he’ll meet an old adversary, as Jose Mourinho’s Spurs hope to heap more misery on the champions.

With back to back defeats and no goals in four league games Liverpool are not in a good place, in fourth position and six points off the top of the Premier League table while Spurs, a place and a point behind Klopp’s side, also have a game in hand. A home win would not only re-ignite Jose’s slim title hopes but they would simultaneously put a dent in Liverpool’s.

Here at SBOTOP we’ve cut the Premier League 2021 betting odds on Manchester City to win the title to 1.40 and Liverpool are out at 9.00. But there is still half the season to go, and bigger gaps than that have been quickly whittled down when the pressure begins to mount.

Liverpool fans must keep the faith, but if ever there was a good time to play the champions, this might just be it.

 

Talking Points

Jose’s Spurs need to loosen up to challenge at the top

With all the talk of Liverpool’s demise, Manchester United’s resurgence and Manchester City’s seemingly relentless march to the top, few have been mentioning Spurs as a title contender. Jose Mourinho’s team is out at odds of 21.00, but not long ago they were pushing for the top place, fired on by the goals of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son who have 12 each.

 
You’d think free-scoring strikers, who are both well in the hunt for the Golden Boot, would be playing for an attacking outfit, but that’s not always true at Spurs. Mourinho has forged a highly successful career by making teams hard to beat, but with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City leading the way in recent years, avoiding defeat is no longer enough.

Mourinho is a master of the 1-0 win but it can sometimes backfire, as it did recently as Fulham’s Ivan Cavaleiro scored a late equaliser when Spurs looked to be coasting against the strugglers. But it was a different Spurs which swept Sheffield United aside 3-1, with both Kane and Tanguy Ndombele scoring stunning goals, and their fans will hope that’s the Spurs we see on Thursday.

 

Liverpool’s baffling attacking stats

Four Premier League games without scoring does sound dreadful, and the Reds’ lack of confidence in front of goal was cruelly exploited by Burnley last week as the Clarets inflicted a first home defeat on Klopp’s team since April 2017. But Liverpool registered 72 shots in those four games and, remarkably, Mo Salah still leads the race for the Golden Boot with 13 goals.

Surely the goals will start to flow again, as they did in Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Manchester United when Salah bagged a brace, though Klopp’s side still exited with a 3-2 defeat. The problems are actually further back in the formation, where Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez’ long term injuries have exposed shortages in the centre back department, so much so that the head coach has used his best midfielders to plug the gap.

Liverpool must get their midfield duo of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho back up the field as soon as possible if they are to improve on their away record of two wins in nine. The return of Joel Matip from injury might allow Henderson to return to the middle of the park and that would make a huge difference.

 

History

Liverpool have won exactly half of the 60 games played between these two sides since 1993 and the start of the English Premier League, while Spurs have managed 14 victories and 16 draws.

The two teams met in December when the Reds came out on top by 2-1 when Roberto Firmino scored a last gasp header at a time when Liverpool just couldn’t stop winning. Mourinho claimed his side was the better team on that day which was a little optimistic, but he’ll use that experience to fire up his players.

Tottenham haven’t won any of their last six games against Liverpool and last season this fixture finished 0-1.

But the hosts are unbeaten in eight games, in all competitions, and that makes this a fascinating clash.

 

Betting Tip

	Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool	Over 2.50 @ 1.85
	January 29, 4:00 (GMT+8)

There will be a full set of Premier League 2021 results in this week, and by the time Spurs and Liverpool kick off they could both be a further three points behind the leaders, so there is plenty at stake.

Mourinho can’t rely on Liverpool’s strikers continuing their bizarre and barren run of form and the visitors are favourites to win, albeit odds-against at 2.23, while Spurs are at 2.83 and the draw is 3.35.

I think there will be a return from Pool’s strikers and Spurs have the firepower to respond, so I don’t expect a 1-0 either way.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (Highly confident)	= €10 (CONFIDENT)	= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

 

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