Spurs will not find Liverpool such an easy target at Wembley this time around
Tottenham and Liverpool face their toughest tests of the season so far when they meet at Wembley this weekend.
Jurgen Klopp’s men have won all four of their opening games, while Spurs failed to build on their comprehensive victory over Manchester United by slipping up 2-1 at Watford prior to the international break.
Saturday’s early kick-off ought to tell us a lot about both sides. It’s been four years since the North Londoners lost at home to Liverpool, who in turn will be looking to show they have progressed since last season’s 4-1 mauling at the national stadium.
On that occasion, Simon Mignolet was poor between the sticks, while Klopp hauled Dejan Lovren off after just 31 minutes. Damaging to his confidence no doubt, the Croatian international showed no signs at that point that he was to turn his form around so significantly. Alberto Moreno also started in a defence picked apart so easily by Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Son Heung-min.
That back four has improved immeasurably since then. Joe Gomez has moved to centre-half, developing markedly under the wing of Virgil van Dijk, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are expected to start as full-backs.
Against a side that have conceded just once this season - and even that came off the back of Alisson’s error against Leicester - Tottenham’s attack will need to be imaginative.
They lacked any real creativity or panache in the defeat at Vicarage Road, bringing to light a number of issues which could be even more telling this time out.
Spurs’ stars are exhausted
Kane continues to look fatigued. The striker was supposed to be rested for England’s 1-0 victory over Switzerland but was brought on with half an hour still to play. It’s not just that the 25-year-old is recovering from a World Cup summer, which is going to be noticeable across the top six clubs in the coming months; something has not looked quite right about him dating back to last season.
The effects of playing 175 games since 2015 are undeniably having an effect and while players rarely like to address the issue of burnout, it is inevitable that he is having fewer shots per game than last season and struggling to get involved, despite scoring twice so far this term. Twice in the past two years has he returned from injury earlier than expected, but his collision with Asmir Begovic in the Bournemouth game back in March proved a turning point. Since then, he has looked off the boil.
Alli, likewise, has only had one summer off in the last three. The playmaker has had a good campaign so far and when Spurs have played well, he has very often been at the heart of it.
That said, the 22-year-old missed England’s midweek game with a minor muscle strain and though he is expected to return, it could hamper Spurs’ threat going forward if he is not 100% fit.
There is also a question mark against the central midfield – or lack of it - which was the Lilywhites’ undoing at Watford. Klopp might wonder whether it is finally time to blood Fabinho, stick with Jordan Henderson, or whether to employ a midfield three with Gini Wijnaldum in the middle.
Should Spurs lose that particular battle, it could be another long afternoon. A fortnight on from the wake-up call received at Watford, Mauricio Pochettino will be well aware that this is no longer the same Liverpool for which he is preparing.
