Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur meet in the Premier League on Sunday as both clubs look to address worrying end-of-season slumps.
Here is all you need to know about Sunday’s showdown at Anfield.
Form
Liverpool: LWWLD
Liverpool’s bid to send Jurgen Klopp off in style has unravelled in the final weeks of the campaign, with FA Cup and Europa League exits coming alongside a stuttering title challenge.
Liverpool have won just one of their last five games in the Premier League and damaging defeats to Crystal Palace and Everton have left the Reds eight points from leaders Arsenal with three games to go.
It’s one clean sheet in 13 games across all competitions, with Ibrahima Konate in particular having looked short of the form he showed in the early months of the campaign. Liverpool could also be without Virgil van Dijk this weekend, with the Dutch defender a doubt.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 3, 2024
However, with Champions League qualification confirmed, Liverpool will look to send Klopp off with improved performances in the final fixtures of his reign. His penultimate Premier League contest at Anfield will see Spurs arrive, a fixture which has not often disappointed in recent years.
Tottenham: DWLLL
Three consecutive Premier League defeats have all but ended hopes of a top-four finish for Spurs, leaving the north Londoners seven adrift of Aston Villa with just one game in hand.
Ange Postecoglou was visibly unhappy with his team’s performance at Chelsea on Thursday, criticising a lack of belief and aggression from his players.
Set-pieces have undone Spurs of late, with four set-piece goals conceded across defeats to Newcastle, Arsenal and Chelsea. Only the bottom four have conceded more set-piece goals than Spurs (14), excluding penalties this season.
🎙️ “You have to go through tough times when you’re building something, it’s a necessary part of the process.”
Ange previews Sunday’s clash against Liverpool ⤵️
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 3, 2024
Postecoglou will want to find a way to bring the best from Yves Bissouma and James Maddison, who after starring during the season’s opening weeks have seen their form nosedive. Maddison was dropped to the bench for the defeat at Stamford Bridge this week.
Last Meeting
Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool, 30/09/2023
Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the Premier League season after a controversial clash in the capital in September.
The Reds were reduced to nine men at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Curtis Jones contentiously dismissed after 26 minutes for a challenge on Yves Bissouma, following consultation with VAR.
The controversy continued when Luis Diaz had an opener ruled out for Liverpool, despite replays showing the Colombian was onside. A ‘significant human error’ from VAR saw the goal ruled out without the customary offside line graphics being used.
Son Heung-min fired Spurs in front, but 10-man Liverpool levelled in first-half stoppage-time through Cody Gakpo. However, Diogo Jota’s red card on 69 minutes saw Liverpool forced to hold on with nine men. The resilient Reds looked to have earned a point until Joel Matip’s 96th-minute own goal saw Spurs snatch the points.
Predicted Lineups
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Quansah, Robertson; Endo, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Royal; Bissouma, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son, Richarlison.
Who is the referee?
Paul Tierney.
What channel is Liverpool vs Tottenham on?
UK and Ireland – Sky Sports Main Event.
What time is kick-off?
16:30 BST, Sunday 5th May 2024
Odds
Liverpool – 4/9
Draw – 9/2
Tottenham – 9/2
