Prediction: Liverpool vs Tottenham

Verdict: Draw

Best Odds: 3/1

Bookmaker: bet365

Fresh from the 2-1 win over West Brom that saw them go level on points with leaders Man City and Arsenal, Liverpool head into the EFL Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur. With both managers set to ring changes to their respective sides, it will be interesting to see how the teams will cope without their key men.

Liverpool

It took German manager Jurgen Klopp quite a while to turn Liverpool into genuine title contenders, but the Reds fans can be delighted with how the team have played of late as well as the current league position as they are not exactly used to seeing the Anfield outfit in the Premier League top 3. Following the somewhat slow start, Liverpool kept raising their game and have now won five of last six league fixtures, only sharing spoils with rivals Manchester United. As both Manchester City and Arsenal unexpectedly dropped points at the weekend, the narrow victory over West Bromwich proved enough to take the Reds to third position, as they now trail the top 2 sides by virtue of goal difference alone. Liverpool eased off to the win against the Baggies as the likely of Mane, Coutinho and Firmino again proved decisive, with Gareth McAuley’s late goal only making the loss easier to bear for the visitors. With Premier League title chase now having the priority, Jurgen Klopp is widely expected to rest his key men in the English Football League Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur, but that does not mean the hosts will not give their best to try and make it to the quarter-finals.

Team News

Having proved his fitness with several good outings for the reserves, forward Danny Ings is expected to be drafted into the side.

The likes of Marko Grujic, Ragnar Klavan, Alberto Moreno, Lucas Leiva, Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Simon Mignolet are also tipped to start.



Tottenham

Nine games into the new Premier League campaign and Tottenham Hotspur are the only unbeaten side in the elite division, sitting just one point behind leaders Manchester City, albeit occupying fifth position in the standings. Following the impressive triumph over the Citizens, Spurs missed two good opportunities to climb to the league summit as they could only share spoils with West Bromwich and AFC Bournemouth, and counting the Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen, the team have now recorded three straight draws, scoring just one goal in the process. It is perfectly clear that key striker Harry Kane is being sorely missed, especially since summer recruit Vincent Janssen has yet to open his Premier League account, with Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli the only players capable of finding the net at the moment. The good news is that the England hotshot is nearing full fitness, but he will probably not feature against the Reds, meaning the visitors could struggle to end the poor run of results. This will be Tottenham’s fourth straight away fixture and we cannot rule our a fourth stalemate on the bounce.

Team News

Harry Kane is unlikely to be risked even though he has resumed full training, while Toby Alderweireld could be fit to feature.

Key Factors to Consider

• The two teams shared spoils in their last three meetings
• Tottenham’s last three fixtures ended all squared
• Liverpool are unbeaten in last five home games vs Spurs (W3 D2)
• The Reds have seven wins in last nine fixtures (D2)
• Tottenham are Premier League’s only unbeaten side this term

Conclusion

With both managers eager to keep their star men fresh for what should be one of the most exciting Premier League title races ever, we will see much changed sides square off at Anfield. Taking everything into account, we expect Liverpool and Spurs to share spoils in their fourth consecutive meeting.

Verdict: Draw

Best Odds: 3/1

Bookmaker: bet365