Tottenham vs Liverpool preview
It has been a season of contrast for Liverpool in the 2022-23 season. In The Champions League, the Reds have been impressive winning five matches. While they started their campaign poorly, losing 4-1 to Napoli following a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia masterclass, Klopp’s men found their form scoring 16 and conceding just two goals.
However, their league form has just been the opposite. After 12 matches, Liverpool are languishing in ninth place, winning four, drawing four, and losing four. The Reds have failed to win more than two straight matches, and it is under these circumstances they travel to Tottenham. Antonio Conte’s men are in third and have started the season brilliantly.
Tottenham added Richarlison (signed from Everton), Christian Romero (signed from Atalanta), Yves Bissouma (signed from Brighton), Destiny Udogie (signed from Udinese), and Djed Spence (signed from Middlesbrough). in the transfer window. This was done to improve both the quantity and quality of personnel in their squad, and it has worked.
Liverpool meanwhile signed four players, but apart from the impressive Darwin Nunez, no other transfer was prominent, with Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay far from world-class players. Klopp had said before the start of the season that he didn’t need any further signings and was happy with the squad at his disposal. However, results in the league would indicate otherwise.
Jurgen Klopp’s Gegenpressing has been far from perfect, with the midfield and right-back Trent Alexander Arnold taking most of the blame. In the last five matches, the Reds have won two and lost three games. They are already 15 points behind Arsenal and are eight points adrift of the top four places.
Klopp has little time and must resurrect Liverpool as quickly as possible to salvage anything from the season. However, Tottenham are in far better form and look well-placed to inflict further misery on Liverpool.
Tottenham vs Liverpool team news
Tottenham’s heavy investment in the summer has helped them bulk up the squad. This has been useful in combating injuries. Currently, Tottenham have three injury concerns, with Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison on the sidelines. However, their most significant setback came in their final Champions League game, where they lost Son-Heung Min to injury. As a result, all four are unlikely to feature in the match, which leaves the team with only Harry Kane and Lucas as their fit strikers.
Predicted Tottnahm line-up: Lloris; Dier, Lenglet, Davies; Perisic, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon, Bissouma; Lucas; Kane
Antonio Conte rewards Tottenham players with two days off after win in Marseille but face wait to find out whether Heung-min Son has fractured his cheekbone. Spurs not ruling out fitting Son with a mask – but that will depend on extent of the injury. https://t.co/9Tt9vj5uGT
— Sami Mokbel (@SamiMokbel81_DM) November 2, 2022
Liverpool, at one time, were plagued by injuries, with as many as eight players on the sidelines. The condition has now improved, with only four players injured. However, Naby Keita, Arthur, Luis Diaz, and Diogo Jota will not play in the match. The loss of Diaz and Jota will be particularly huge as Klopp looks to revive Liverpool’s fortunes. One of the few positives for the team has been the form of Darwin Nunez, with the Uruguayan proving why Liverpool were right to splurge the cash on him.
Predicted Liverpool line-up: Alisson; Alexander Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Alcantara, Henderson; Salah, Nunez, Jones
Gamechangers
If we look past Erling Haaland’s crazy start to the season, Harry Kane has been the second-highest goals scorer in the league. The Englishman has scored ten goals and, like always, is the team’s talisman and will be the key to how Tottenham’s season turns out. Other performers for Conte have been defensive midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and defender Eric Dier who has marshalled the defence well. Hojbjerg has also chipped in with goals at crucial moments, with his latest confirming Tottenham’s qualification into the Champions League Round of 16 in the dying minutes.
Liverpool have several game-changers, but they need one who can constantly deliver top-notch performances match after match. Robert Firmino is the top scorer for the club after experiencing a resurgence this season with six goals to his name. The Brazilian has been the sole hope in Liverpool’s attack. However, Mohamed Salah has the quality to win Liverpool matches single-handedly but will need to rediscover that form as soon as possible.
Liverpool at the only team to beat each of Man City, Napoli and Newcastle this season.
Make it make sense 😂
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) November 1, 2022
Tottenham vs Liverpool predictions
The match is a must-win for both teams but for totally different reasons. A win is a must for Tottenham if they want to keep pace with Arsenal and Manchester City and fend off fourth-place Newcastle United.
For Liverpool, however, it is a win for survival. The Reds are already far behind in the top-four race and desperately need a win to close the gap. But given the home crowd support and form, it is hard to look past Tottenham.
FootTheBall predicts a 2-1 win for Tottenham.
*This article is sponsored by Jishnu Mitra Foundation, whose mission is to promote football among underprivileged children in India under the age of 15.
