By Steve Northover

After the pressure, drama, and tension of the last few weeks, seven days off have come just at the right time for the Reds. With no midweek fixture, Slot and his men have been given the time to rest and recuperate as injuries were just starting to mount. The confident 2-0 victory against Brighton last time out appears to have lifted the cloud that had surrounded Anfield effectively since the start of the season.

It was the all-round performance that was impressive, with every player playing their part to restrict their opponents to snapped shots.  That said, special mention should be made to Hugo Ekitike. His arrival on Merseyside was largely overshadowed by the arrival of Isak and Wirtz. It's the Frenchman who appears to have settled into his new club the fastest. His ten goals this season already put him top of the club’s scoring charts, five more than Dominik Szoboszlai who's in second with five. 

So with upheaval still being a major characteristic of this season, the Reds may come to spend on the Frenchman’s goals as the season enters its second half. 

‘Upheaval’ could also describe this weekend’s opponents.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently on the third manager in as many seasons, with Thomas Frank coming in to replace embattled Ange Postecoglou during the preseason, despite the Australian winning the club their first piece of silverware since the 2007/08 season.  It was the club's league form that caused the downfall of ‘Big Ange’, with the club finishing just one place above the relegation zone, so much was expected for the incoming Dane.

However, whilst Spurs’s current 11th place in the league table is better than last year, it is still well below where a club of Tottenham’s stature would be expected to be. Meanwhile, the North London club are currently on a run that has seen just one win in seven games, including heavy losses to bitter rivals Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.  It remains to be seen if Frank can turn it around, but playing a Liverpool team with their own fair share of issues, may offer a chance for the former Brentford manager to some form of redemption.

Credits - @Tottenham Hotspur

Team News

Injuries may be to blame for Spurs's indifferent form this season, with the likes of James Madison, Destiny Undogie, and Dominic Solanke ruled out until new year, with Radu Dragusin and Dejan Kulusevski unlikely to play until much later in the season.  They will also be without Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma who are currently playing in the African Cup of Nations. 

As for Liverpool, injuries, international duties, and suspensions are starting to build up. Connor Bradley will miss the game through suspension, whilst Mo Salah has joined up with the Egyptian National Team. Meanwhile, Dominik Szoboszlai and Joe Gomez join Cody Gakpo and Giovanni Leoni on the treatment table, with neither player likely to play again until the new year. 

The good news is that, with the exception of Leoni, who is likely to be out until the start of next season, all of the above players should return to the squad next month, should no recurrences occur. 

The match will be the first time the two teams met at Anfield, in the same game that confirmed Liverpool as Premier League Champions, and the first time Liverpool have played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since the EFL Cup semifinal, with Spurs winning 1-0 in a tie that Liverpool won 4-1 overall. The omens are good for Liverpool, having not lost to Tottenham in any competition since 2023. In fact Liverpool have only lost three times since 2015. 

That said, Liverpool are a different beast to what they have been in recent seasons, and although this comes off the back of two very confident wins against Brighton and Inter, the Reds have made a habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory - the preceding 3-3 against Leeds is a case in point. However Spurs remain as disjointed and weak as they ever did under Ange Postecoglou, and as such will be there for the taking for a Liverpool side desperate to keep this new lease in life going.

Predicted XI