LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – APRIL 02: Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool and Mauricio Pochettino Manager of Tottenham Hotspur look on during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on April 2, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Position-by-position breakdown of Tottenham vs. Liverpool
Liverpool travel to White Hart Lane on Saturday to take on Tottenham. It’s one of the biggest fixtures in the early Premier League calendar, and both teams will want to send a message by taking all three points.
Each club had very different results last time out. Spurs secured a workmanlike 1-0 win over Crystal Palace while Liverpool suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat to Burnley. No matter the previous week’s results, the atmosphere should be electric for the encounter between the two Premier League powers.
It’s an interesting matchup on the sideline as well. Mauricio Pochettino has completely transformed Spurs into a legitimate title contender, while Jurgen Klopp has thoroughly energized the Anfield faithful. Still, as always, this match is going to decided on the field of play.
That’s why I’m going to take you through the captivating matchup position by position. Read on to discover which side has the edge at each spot on the pitch for Saturday’s clash.
availability of Liverpool midfielder Emre Can</a> is very up in the air at the time of this writing. He’s clearly the Reds best option in the double-pivot and they will desperately need him to be fit to combat the Spurs dynamic midfield.</p>
<p>If Can isn’t able to play, former Tottenham youngster Kevin Stewart will likely get the nod. He’s nowhere near ready to play in a match of this calibre. For the purposes of this evaluation, I’m going to assume that a slightly diminished Emre Can will get the nod.</p>
<p>Tottenham are still missing Mousa Dembele due to suspension, but they have new-signing Victor Wanyama to pick up the slack. He was the club’s man of the match against Palace and headed in the game winner.</p>
<p>If Can were at his best, I might consider this a push, but that’s highly unlikely at this point. Tottenham have a clear edge with their Kenyan destroyer.</p>
<h3>Edge: Tottenham</h3>
<div class="next-post amp-get-next-post lg slider"><a class="location" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-post-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2016/08/25/tottenham-vs-liverpool-edge-position/"#"><span class="next amp-next-post-teaser">Next: </span><span class="amp-get-next-post">Defensive Midfielder</span></a></div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_418322" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 14: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool and Hector Bellerin of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on August 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Defensive Midfielder</h3>
<p>Klopp generally deploys a midfield three which makes the position comparison a little difficult here. For the purposes of a clean comparison, I’m calling Jordan Henderson Liverpool’s other central defender.</p>
<p>Henderson will have to tangle with Tottenham’s Eric Dier in the middle of the pitch on Saturday. Ordinarily Henderson would enjoy the advantage going forward, but Dier’s defensive acumen should cancel that out. It’s hard to see Henderson making much progress against the Spurs double-pivot.</p>
<p>In all fairness, Dier hasn’t played all that great to begin the year either. He might still be fatigued from his trials during Euro 16, but he hasn’t looked sharp at all. He could easily find himself out of the starting XI once Dembele returns from suspension.</p>
<p>Even a diminished Eric Dier is enough to successfully combat Henderson. The saving grace for Klopp’s squad is that Dier likely won’t punish them going forward. There shouldn’t be a clear winner in this battle.</p>
<h3>Edge: Even</h3>
<div class="next-post amp-get-next-post lg slider"><a class="location" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-post-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2016/08/25/tottenham-vs-liverpool-edge-position/"#"><span class="next amp-next-post-teaser">Next: </span><span class="amp-get-next-post">Central Attacking Midfielder</span></a></div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_418324" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 14: Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool celebrates scoring his free kick with Alberto Moreno during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on August 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Central Attacking Midfielder</h3>
<p>Christian Eriksen and Philippe Coutinho are from very different parts of the world, but their games are very similar. They are almost mirror images of one another on the pitch.</p>
<p>Both attackers are capable of real brilliance out on the pitch. They can score from long-range and each man has highlights galore on YouTube. On their day, they can be some of the best central attackers in the world.</p>
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<p>The challenge for both men is to sustain that sort of form on a consistent basis. Both are also capable of absolutely disappearing during big matches. Pochettino and Klopp will fervently hope neither man shrinks into the shadows on Saturday.</p>
<p>As a Spurs fan I typically take Eriksen’s side in an argument, but Coutinho is in much better form at the current point in time. That’s enough to give Liverpool the edge at this very important spot on the pitch.</p>
<h3>Edge: Liverpool</h3>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 20: Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur takes the ball past Pape N’Diaye Souaré of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at White Hart Lane on August 20, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Right Attacking Midfielder</h3>
<p>Pochettino will be forced to deal with his former star Adam Lallana on Saturday. Much like Dejan Lovren, Lallana has struggled to really live up to his price tag after moving from Southampton to Liverpool.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>The good news for Liverpool fans is that Lallana seems to have picked up his play since Klopp’s arrival. He may never become the star many of the Anfield faithful hoped he would, but he’s comfortably an above average Premier League starter.</p>
<p>His Tottenham counterpart, Erik Lamela, is the player many Spurs fans believe is poised to have a breakout year. I even think he has a better than average chance of leading the club in scoring. He’s got that type of ability.</p>
<p>More important than his skill on the ball, Lamela’s work rate differentiates him from the competition. That’s why he gets the edge over Lallana in this key matchup.</p>
<h3>Edge: Tottenham</h3>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 14: Sadio Mane of Liverpool is closed down by Calum Chambers of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on August 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Left Attacking Midfielder</h3>
<p>Liverpool fans are over the moon about the way Sadio Mane has already impacted their squad. The former Southampton star looks like a perfect fit for Klopp’s high tempo system.</p>
<p>On the opposite side, Tottenham will hope to get Dele Alli back after illness forced him to be a substitute last week. He burst onto the Premier League scene last year with a truly amazing year. He’s got world-class potential.</p>
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<p>This should be one of the better battles on the pitch. Both men are counted on to be catalysts for their clubs’ attacks. If either man can be silenced by their opponent, it could spell trouble for their club.</p>
<p>As much as I admire Alli’s skill, he might be a little tired from the Euros too. That’s why Liverpool and Mane get a slight edge in this battle.</p>
<h3>Edge: Liverpool</h3>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 20: Harry Kane of Tottenham in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at White Hart Lane on August 20, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Striker</h3>
<p>Clearly I expect to see Spurs revert back to their normal lone striker set-up against Liverpool. That means Harry Kane will lead the line against the Liverpool defense.</p>
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<p>On the other end of the pitch, Roberto Firmino will continue to serve as Jurgen Klopp’s first-choice centre forward. It may not be his ideal position, but it’s where he’s playing for now.</p>
<p>The Brazilian is a great leader for Klopp’s high-press, but Kane performs the role equally well for Spurs. Both men contribute tons defensively and should be praised for that aspect of their games.</p>
<p>Kane is just a better offensive striker than Firmino. He’s better at picking out pockets of space with clever movement, and he’s a more clinical finisher. It’s no slight at Firmino, but he just isn’t as good as Harry Kane.</p>
<h3>Edge: Tottenham</h3><!—pageview_candidate—>">