Liverpool V Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool V Tottenham Hotspur

Date & Kick-Off: Sunday, 15 May 2011 – 16:00 (GMT)
Venue: Anfield

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Preview

When the fixtures for the 2010/2011 season were announced last summer, this one had all the makings of a potential top-four decider. So you can imagine our disappointment, let alone the fans’, that neither are still in contention for Champions League football next season. Instead, the pair are left contesting the scraps, the Europa League – a competition both could ideally do without, if truth be told. Nevertheless, both managers have expressed a desire to finish as high up in the table as possible so I suppose we should all anticipate a cracking affair on Merseyside this Sunday as red-hot Liverpool entertain a highly talented Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

Finishing fifth and thus acquiring European football next season, albeit in the Europa League – the second tier of European competition, means that effectively this fixture isn’t meaningless. That said, fifth almost looks a poison chalice. You’ll play all your European matches on a Thursday, which in turn means your league fixtures will be played the following Sunday/Monday. And even if you do go all the way and lift the damn thing, it’s become a competition no top club in their right mind can truly brag about.

Of the two, Liverpool have definitely shown more enthusiasm towards the competition. At least, that’s what Kenny Dalglish would have us believe. But surely, even he, deep down, would rather pass up this opportunity of a second consecutive season in the Europa League. Of course, avoiding the tournament is a feat easier said than done.

Whereas Spurs are finishing the season at a cantor, strolling towards the finish line at their own leisurely pace, Liverpool are blitzing everyone that dares stand in their way.

Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat in Tuesday’s must-win clash with Manchester City, a result which killed off both theirs and Liverpool’s hopes of acquiring Champions League football next season, stretched their barren run without winning to five games, with a 3-2 defeat of Stoke at the beginning of April their only triumph in the Premier League for almost three months. It is now one win in ten in the league, and one in twelve in all competitions.

Based on form, Liverpool will trample all over their visitors. Whereas league wins have been at a premium in recent months for Spurs, the Reds can’t drag themselves away from all the glory. Monday night’s 5-2 rout of Fulham at Craven Cottage – a venue where the hosts where previously unbeaten in seven in the league, six of which were victories – means it’s now four wins in five for Kenny Dalglish’s resurgent Reds as they continue to blow most teams in their path out of the water.

Only Chelsea have accumulated more points during King Kenny’s reign, during which the 60-year-old Scot has masterminded wins over Chelsea (0-1) at Stamford Bridge as well as recording impressive wins over Manchester City (3-0) and Manchester United (3-1) at Anfield. And speaking of Anfield, Liverpool are searching for their fifth consecutive home win this week, having also notched up a quite remarkable 14 goals in their last four. Suarez & Co, or should I say Maxi and Kuyt – the pair have scored 16 goals between them in Liverpool’s last eight matches – are proving almost unstoppable.

Spurs, though, have enough talent in their armoury to cause Sunday’s hosts a few problems. Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart have plenty of guile and craft, so they’ll can be dangerous, but neither have excelled in recent weeks and have actually gone off the boil in the second half of the term. Then we have their formidable-looking strikeforce of Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko, who between them account for just 16 of Tottenham’s 51 league goals this season. Michael Dawson has always been a reliable sort at the back but he’s been let down by so many injuries, as well as the calamitous performances from goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Harry Redknapp has an eye-catching array of players on paper, however, very few have stood up and been counted during the second half of the season. As a result, Spurs are finishing a season full of promise with a real whimper.

In stark contrast, just about all of the players at Kenny Dalglish’s disposal have been outstanding under the Scot’s watch. Even the youngsters who have come in on a temporary basis, because of Liverpool’s recent bout of injuries, have shone and done an excellent job. Dirk Kuyt and Maxi simply cannot stop scoring of late, the latter even has two hat-tricks in his last three appearances, while Luis Suarez has been nothing short of sublime since completing his £23M move from Ajax back in January, which, dare I say, is looking more like a bargain with every opportunity I get to see the Uruguayan in all his glory.

It’s also easy to forget that Liverpool still have Steven Gerrard and Andy Carroll to come back. Gerrard won’t make his long-awaited return until next season but Carroll, who scored twice on his Anfield début (Premiership) in the 3-0 hammering of Man City last month, should at least be on the bench on Sunday as Liverpool look to sign out of Anfield with a bang!

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Form

Liverpool – WDWWW (Liverpool 3-0 Man City, Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool, Liverpool 5-0 Birmingham, Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle, Fulham 2-5 Liverpool)

Tottenham – DDLDL (Tottenham 3-3 Arsenal, Tottenham 2-2 West Brom, Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham, Tottenham 1-1 Blackpool, Man City 1-0 Tottenham)

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Head-to-Head

Liverpool wins: 17
Draws: 10
Tottenham wins: 10

Last 5 Seasons

2010/2011: Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool
2009/2010: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham
2009/2010: Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool
2008/2009: Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham
2008/2009: Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool
2007/2008: Tottenham 0-2 Liverpool
2007/2008: Liverpool 2-2 Tottenham
2006/2007: Tottenham 0-1 Liverpool
2006/2007: Liverpool 3-0 Tottenham

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Streaks & Trends

Liverpool haven’t lost at Anfield against Tottenham since 1993 – Tottenham’s one and only triumph on Merseyside over the Reds during the Premier League era – though Liverpool have dominated this fixture over the years, winning 12 of the 18 Premiership encounters at Anfield.

The Reds have lost just two of their fifteen Premiership matches under Kenny Dalglish, though he is unbeaten at Anfield having guided Liverpool to six wins and eight draws.

Victory for Liverpool on Sunday would be their fifth consecutive at Anfield in the league.

Pepe Reina has kept five clean sheets in his last seven league starts at Anfield, shipping just two goals in that time.

Maxi Rodriguez has seven goals in his last three league games.

Dirk Kuyt has now scored in five consecutive Premiership matches, taking his tally to nine goals in his last eight league appearances.

Spurs have won just one of their last twelve games in all competitions, and just one of ten in the Premier League (W1 D6 L3).

Furthermore, Tottenham are now without an away win for five games, losing their last two in the spin.

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Value Bets

Liverpool to WIN @ 1.80 WilliamHill (General)

The Reds are in terrific form, especially at home, where they’ve won their last four Premiership fixtures by an overwhelming aggregate of 14-1. Moreover, Spurs are without a win in five away from home, including back-to-back defeats at Chelsea and Man City recently.

Maxi Rodriguez to Score @ 4.50 WilliamHill

The Argentine simply cannot stop scoring of late, notching up two hat-tricks in three games. Incidentally, Maxi is 100/1 with Bet365 to notch up another three-goal haul.

Dirk Kuyt to Score @ 3.25 StanJames

As hard-working as they come, Kuyt has also been prolific of late, racking up nine league goals in his last eight starts.

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Match Prediction: Liverpool to WIN – 1.80 WilliamHill

Like so many others, I’ve been taken aback by Liverpool’s performances under Kenny Dalglish. The club icon has galvanised the dressing room, but more importantly brought continuity to the football club with regards to results. Liverpool are now winning on a more consistent basis, while they’re even holding their own against the sides many believe they could rival for the title next season. There is of course a lot of ifs and buts that go with such a statement, but their form would at least suggest that Liverpool are heading in the right direction.

As for Tottenham, summer couldn’t come quick enough. A long, arduous campaign of competing on two very important fronts – in the Premier League and in the Champions League – caught up with the team months ago, and a combination of tired legs and fatigued minds has led to them making sloppy mistakes and, in some case, even being unable to compete. It may well be a case of the latter on Sunday, when the tackle unquestionably the in-form team of the Premier League right now at Anfield, where they’ve not won a league fixture since 1993.

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Match Odds

Liverpool – 1.80 WilliamHill
Draw – 3.80 Bet365
Tottenham – 5.00 VictorChandler

Liverpool V Tottenham Hotspur

Wednesday, 20^th January – 20:00 GMT

Liverpool

League Position: 7th

Recent Form: WLWWD

Can a depleted Liverpool side, severely lacking in form and confidence, overhaul fourth placed Tottenham Hotspur in a game Liverpool have to win in order to keep their top four ambition alive. However, Rafael Benitez will have to guide the club to a valuable win without Liverpool’s talismanic duo in Steven Gerrard & Fernando Torres, with the latter out for up to six weeks and Gerrard missing for around a fortnight. Like the old adage goes “the show must go on” but Liverpool were a no show last Saturday at Stoke and that was a concerning result for the fans and for any potential Liverpool backers.

If you thought Liverpool’s drastically disappointing season couldn’t get any worse then a 1-1 draw with Stoke City just might have been the last straw for some, especially in light of the manner in which the collected their solitary point. Liverpool took the lead through the rarest of sources when Kyrgiakos prodded home with Liverpool’s opener but they then decided to sit back and attempt to absorb the Stoke bombardment and were duly punished when some poor marking from a corner, nothing new there, led to Stoke, via Robert Huth, scoring a 90^th minute equaliser, which will have felt like a dagger to the heart of the Liverpool players, and the fans for that matter.

That draw ended a run of two straight wins for Liverpool which basically means it’s back to the drawing board for their under fire manager, Rafael Benitez. The pressure cooker has risen within a week to scorching hot after Liverpool’s humiliating defeat to Reading in the cup and now the league has become their sole priority, although even that has been tarnished with the main objective going from winning the title to just finishing in the top four. However, even that looks a step too far for this average looking Liverpool side and without their biggest of players in Gerrard & Torres, Liverpool really could struggle to get a result out of this game with Spurs let alone the win they crave.

Anfield, fortunately, has been a happy hunting ground for the Reds’ this season, with six of their ten wins in the league coming in front of their loyal but irritated fans. They’ve also won their last two at home, with victories over Wigan (2-1) and Wolves (2-0), but the arrival of Tottenham Hotspur, a team they lost 2-1 to at White Hart Lane on the opening day of the season, brings about a whole new challenge, a much sterner one, and it will certainly be intriguing from a neutrals perspective to see how Liverpool do fare against one of their main top four contenders without crucial players.

Biggest hunch: Our biggest concern with Liverpool ahead of this fixture, and there are a few, is how they will score without the creative spark of Steven Gerrard and the sublime finishing of Fernando Torres. David N’gog has looked a lost sheep in every game he’s played in this season, while Dirk Kuyt isn’t an out-an-out striker and Ryan Babel, who has often been deployed as a winger, isn’t on terms with the manager so probably won’t even get a look in. David N’gog will probably get the nod on the sole basis that he is the only man for the job, which is terrible news as he isn’t much Kop. He has poor control, very little upper strength and doesn’t have any idea what the word positioning means.

Tottenham Hotspur

League Position: 4th

Recent Form: WWDWD

At the odds, we’re sure many of the neutral punters would have gone for Tottenham Hotspur to perhaps knick a win at Anfield in this eagerly awaited contest, but the draw with a poor Hull City over the weekend will have cast doubts over their credentials as their inconsistent nature shows no signs of disappearing any time soon. However, the same result, a draw, would be seen as an ideal result for them as the race for fourth spot begins to hot up with all of the main contenders coming a cropper over the weekend.

A 0-0 draw with Hull City will look a dreadful result at first glance, of which it was, but don’t think for one minute that Tottenham played poorly as they didn’t. Spurs controlled proceedings from start to finish and created so many clear cut chances that is was unbelievable how they didn’t put at least one of about six away. However, Boaz Myhill in the Hull goal just had one of those days where his body felt like a magnet to the ball. Spurs peppered the Hull goal for the full 90 minutes, with Harry Redknapp even switching the forwards around late on in a bid to overcome the beast that was Myhill in goal, but their attempts were in all vein as Spurs failed to score against one of the weaker teams at home for the third time this season.

The result with Hull City (0-0) was poor but their performance was perhaps a sign of things to come as Tottenham looked extremely sharp in an attacking sense. Also, Tottenham kept their fifth successive clean sheet in that draw, equalling a club record, so the defenders will be brimming with confidence if not the attackers. Also, Tottenham are unbeaten in five now in the league and haven’t lost an away outing since the end of October, losing 3-0 at Arsenal. They have since gone unbeaten in four away from home, recording one win and three draws, but the concern is that Tottenham have faltered at the big venues this season; losing at both Arsenal & Chelsea, both 3-0, so perhaps Tottenham are easily over roared.

Still, it’s worth reminding ourselves that Tottenham have lost just twice away from home all season, the two defeats mentioned above. They’ve won four away games, which is just as many as Liverpool, but have looked far more a threat in attack then Liverpool have on their travels, which is why Tottenham will be a popular punt this Wednesday. They will ask questions of a shaky Liverpool defence, with the pace of Defoe up front and perhaps the height of Peter Crouch up top, while Niko Kranjcar could be a big player as he’s been in inspired form of late. Tottenham have players on top of their game at present, even in defence which is a whole lot more than we can say for the Liverpool defence nor team and Tottenham look a great punt on paper. It’s just whether this ‘Big Four’ voodoo they have kicks in again.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Liverpool W: 6 Tottenham Hotspur W: 1 Draws: 3

• Tottenham won the last meeting, a 2-1 victory at White Hart Lane on the opening day of the season.

• The last three fixtures between the two have all gone the way of the home side, although two of those were for Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

• The last three fixtures has seen both sides get on the score sheet.

• The last draw between the two came back in October, 2007, five meetings ago at Anfield.

• Liverpool won this exact same fixture 3-1 last season, with goals coming from Fernando Torres, Benayoun & a Hutton own goal. However, Liverpool will be without both Yossi Benayoun & Torres.

• Tottenham have won at Anfield in over a decade, with their last Anfield win coming in 1998.

• Before their 2-1 defeat to Spurs earlier in the season, Liverpool were unbeaten in ten against Tottenham Hotspur.

Match Verdict: Draw – 3.30 Boylesports

This game really could go either way. The plus point for Liverpool, just about the only one, is home advantage. Tottenham, though, have plenty of positives; lethal attack & tight defence are just two of them. However, it’s been an age since Tottenham last won at Anfield and they haven’t fared too well at some of the other big venues this season; losing at both Chelsea & Arsenal in a convincing manner. Spurs are, though, playing by far and away the better football and their pacey attack could be too much for a sluggish Liverpool defence so the value definitely lies with Tottenham Hotspur, it’s just too hard too back them with their poor Anfield record, so a draw gets our vote.

Match Odds:

Liverpool – 2.50 Expekt.com

Draw – 3.30 Boylesports

Tottenham Hotspur – 3.10 PaddyPower

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Both teams to score – 1.75 BlueSquare

Liverpool V Tottenham Hotspur

Sunday, 10^th January – 16:00 GMT (Sky Sports 1)

MATCH POSTPONED – We regrettably have to inform you that the following game has been postponed due to severe weather conditions. Although the pitch has been confirmed as ‘playable’ the surrounding area; roads, pathways, steps etc… have been deemed a hazard and a risk to those fans who will attend the game.

The only difference with this postponement is that Liverpool rang the FA personally to request that the game be called off. Due to Liverpool being a big club, and their worldwide popularity, it was understandable that the FA were eager for this particular game to go ahead but they were left with no alternative but to postpone the game due to adverse weather conditions in the surrounding area.

Liverpool

League Position:

Recent Form:

(Have kept just one clean sheet in their previous five home fixtures)

The fightback is now on from Liverpool as they bid to end the season in the top four. However, their match day opponents, Tottenham currently occupy the position Liverpool crave and a win for the Reds’ would close the gap on Spurs to just two points and put them within a win away of rejoining the ‘Big Four’. It’s been a while though since Liverpool last put together a string of wins and after winning back-to-games in the league, will Liverpool falter once again against an opponent that beat them on the opening day of the season?

This is a huge fixture for Liverpool as Tottenham are one of their main contenders for a top four finish. Rafael Benitez does possess the better squad of the two, although some would say only just, and you would surely have to fancy Liverpool’s chances back at Anfield providing their influential pairing of Steven Gerrard & Fernando Torres are back on song. The deadly duo have lost their spark this season, mainly down to the fact that injuries have kept them apart, but they’ve been playing together for a few games now and that sublime partnership which seen Liverpool come so close to their first league title in 18 years will be back to it’s best at some stage, but will Anfield be the occasion when the pair really announce themselves?

Anfield, in past season, has been a fortress for Liverpool and a happy hunting ground for the vast majority of their points. That has still been the case for them this season but they’ve looked far from unbeatable when at home, with both Aston Villa & Arsenal already doing the deed over the Reds at Anfield this season. They have, though, gone on a two match winning run at home, with victories over Wigan Athletic (2-1) & Wolves (2-0). Obviously not two teams that would set the league alight but they were wins nevertheless and confidence boosting wins at that. 

Liverpool severely struggled in their FA Cup clash at the weekend and there will be reservations over their Sunday credentials after a dreadful display away at Reading. Liverpool never really got going in that contest and they were sloppy and lethargic throughout. It was so bad that even a string of passes was a rare sight, whereas an attempt on goal came as often as a shooting star. Reading got in their faces and harassed Liverpool from start to finish, and the Reds were rocking. They just didn’t look like they wanted to be there and nerves was quite apparent.

Harry Redknapp will have been looking on and would have been seen licking his lips come full-time in the knowledge that Liverpool now have a FA Cup on their minds just a few days after they play the Reds’. The fact that Liverpool were poor on Saturday combined with an unwanted replay several days later could mean Liverpool are a terrible bet for Sunday’s clash. We, however, feel that Gerrard & Torres are only just starting to warm up and Spurs could be a side in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again, Liverpool could be found fast asleep, again, so who blooming knows… certainly not us by the looks of things.  

Tottenham Hotspur

League Position: 4th

Recent Form: LWWDW

(Haven’t conceded an away goal in over 250 minutes of play)

Tottenham hold all the aces in the battle for top four supremacy, but the battle will hot up this weekend as they travel up to Liverpool in a top four six-pointer. Something which is unheard of. Spurs are currently five points ahead of Liverpool in the table and could go eight points clear of what is their strongest rivals for a top four finish, but defeat could see that deficit decrease to just two points. They will surely be confident of their chances, though, after watching on from a far as Liverpool could only manage a draw at Reading last Saturday. 

To see that Tottenham weren’t competing in one of the Carling Cup Semi-Finals was a surprise as they usually go very far in that competition. However, the burden of that tournament has now been lifted off their shoulders and after cruising past Peterborough in the FA Cup last Saturday, the morale in the Spurs dressing room will be sky-high as they’ve also been pretty slick back in the league; remaining unbeaten in their last four games. Three wins; Man City (3-0), Blackburn Rovers (0-2) and West Ham (2-0), combined with a 0-0 draw with Fulham, will have lifted the spirits of the players as all were tough fixtures but will a trip to Liverpool be a step too far for a Tottenham side which does tend to go missing after an impressive run of results.

Away from home, Tottenham have been just as hard to beat and have only lost two away games all season. Those two defeats did, however, come against Chelsea & Arsenal. Now, you can either look at that as only Chelsea & Arsenal have managed to beat Spurs or that Spurs have stuttered in the big contests. To be honest, it was a bit of both but Tottenham have a 100% losing record on the road against top four opposition this season, whilst the only occasion they avoided defeat against big four opposition was their 2-1 home victory over Liverpool at the start of the season. They were beaten 3-0 at Chelsea, 3-0 at Arsenal, and 3-1 by Man Utd at home.

For Spurs to win this encounter, they will need to play in a similar vein to Reading by doing a lot of closing down and man-marking Steven Gerrard. If they allow Gerrard to get his head up and pick out a pass then chances are the ball will fall onto Torres’ feet, and that’s a scary thought. Give Torres half-a-chance and he will score, just ask Martin O’Neill of Aston Villa. The concentration levels in that Spurs defence need to be spot on as one single mistake could cost them. Tottenham, to their credit, have kept two successive away clean sheets in the league and that is a good omen for the travelling fans, although we expect that run to come to an end this Sunday.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Liverpool W: 5 Tottenham Hotspur W:3 Draws: 2

Tottenham don’t have the best of records against Liverpool and have just their back-to-back home wins over the Reds’ to show for their recent efforts. Since the turn of the millennium, Spurs have never beaten Liverpool at Anfield. A total of 9 failed attempts; six defeats and three draws. Last season they were soundly beaten 3-1, with Torres getting in on the action.

Spurs did manage a 1-1 draw the season before last but will feel uneasy in the knowledge that they’ve lost on three on their previous visits to Anfield, but will take heart from the fact that they’ve scored in their last two visits.

Match Verdict: Liverpool to WIN – 1.91 Boylesports

Liverpool won this same contest 3-1 last season, with Fernando Torres scoring the opener, what was his 50^th at the time, and think the Spaniard will strike again in a home win. Their performance at the weekend was a shambles but you don’t often see a display as bad as that at Anfield, a venue where Liverpool generally play their best football. They will, though, need a much improved display from everyone who starts as Tottenham will be extremely dangerous when they break. The pace of Lennon down the flank needs to be tamed, while the height of Peter Crouch could cause them a few problems, although Benitez knows everything there is to know about Crouchy, and Robbie Keane for that matter, so Liverpool should have done their homework. An intriguing match, one which should be exciting from start to finish, but if Gerrard & Torres are on form in this encounter then three points should only go one way.

Match Odds:

Liverpool – 1.91 Boylesports

Draw – 3.50 Bet365

Tottenham Hotspur – 4.50 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Fernando Torres FGS – 4.50 Bet365