Defeat is not an option for either Tottenham or Liverpool as both sides'
Barclays Premier League ambitions reach a critical point in the season.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH LIVERPOOL'S HOME FORM?
Second-placed Spurs can cut Leicester's lead
at the top of the table to two points before the Foxes play Southampton
on Sunday, while Liverpool surely need a win to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
We look at five talking points ahead of the pivotal clash at Anfield.
POCHETTINO MUST BE BRAVE
Tottenham have seven games left to close a
five-point gap on Leicester but this weekend is the last time Mauricio
Pochettino's side will play before the league leaders. It gives Spurs
the opportunity to put pressure on the Foxes but it also means
Pochettino has a tactical dilemma to address. If Leicester go on to
lose, a draw at Anfield would represent a decent result, but Spurs have
to assume Claudio Ranieri's side will pick up another three points. If the game is in the balance in the second half, Pochettino must risk defeat and pile forward for victory.
WILL DIER HOLD BACK?
Tottenham's
only holding midfielder is one yellow card away from a two-match ban,
which could seriously harm his side's title hopes. If he is booked, Eric
Dier will miss tough games against Manchester United and Stoke, with
Spurs lacking any obvious player to take his place. A frantic contest
between two high-energy teams
is expected at Anfield and Dier may find it counter-productive to be
cautious - but Tottenham do need their midfield general during the
run-in. If Liverpool pour forward on the counter-attack, will Dier still
make the challenge?
WHAT IS WRONG WITH LIVERPOOL'S HOME FORM?
Just
one win in four league matches at Anfield in 2016 - five all season -
speaks volumes about a side who are not yet entirely confident carrying
out Jurgen Klopp's instructions. Performances have often been tentative
and timid, not helped by an anxious Anfield atmosphere, and when they
lead they cannot close out matches as shown when even struggling
Sunderland came back from 2-0 down in the last 10 minutes. Tottenham
have picked up just nine points from the last possible 63 at Liverpool's
home ground but pose an altogether different threat this term.
AND AS FOR THE REDS' DEFENCE...
Liverpool
have kept just two clean sheets in their last 10 league matches as
inconsistencies at the back continue to dog them. The central
partnership of Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren looked to have clicked
only for the latter to struggle last time out at Southampton. He was
substituted at half-time but his replacement Martin Skrtel had a
personal nightmare as Saints scored three times to win 3-2. Left-back
Alberto Moreno has been unconvincing this season but Klopp has few
alternatives. Spurs have scored more goals than any other side in the
league so far and will be looking to capitalise.
BATTLE OF THE PRESSERS
There
are distinct similarities between Pochettino and Klopp, with both
managers urging their teams to hunt in packs in their opponents' half
while squeezing the space with a high defensive line. It is a system
that requires excellent levels of fitness
and, given Liverpool have dropped the most points (15) from winning
positions in the division this term, they are perhaps still short,
having not enjoyed the benefit of a pre-season under their new boss.
Tottenham have certainly been more convincing but defeats last month to
West Ham and Borussia Dortmund, both physical and highly energetic
sides, showed they can be vulnerable when taken on at their own game.
But if the Reds take the lead, can they hold on?
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